As an Economic/Fiscal Conservative last night’s result was very disturbing. Mitt Romney who is a Rockefeller Progressive Republican came in 1st place. This is a man who wants a Vat Tax, praised Islam, supports Occupy Wall Street and laid the blueprint for Obamacare. Next up is former PA Senator Rick Santorum, who gives the appearance of being a Conservative because of his social stances. However the truth is, Santorum is a Big Government Progressive.
Rick Santorum is very much like the early 20th Century Progressives like Teddy Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson. In his speech to Iowa voters last night, Santorum called for redistribution of wealth to the poor. He justified through biblical grounds, something the early 20th Century Progressives did. Although he has some good economic Conservative ideas like no tax for manufacturing, his emphasis on the government micromanaging economic winners is not Conservative. Santorum also called for a Wilsonian spread Democracy foreign policy. This type of foreign policy costs money and resources. It requires big government.
Economic and Fiscal Conservatives have been shut out of the GOP power structure since Ronald Reagan. It was been various flavors of Progressivism that has dominated. You have the Rockefeller wing of the GOP still in charge of the party apparatus. Then you have Religious based Progressives who justify Big Government on religious grounds. It’s a tragedy that after the Tea Party movement, Iowa GOP voters want Some form of Big Government. Erick Erickson stated it best:
If Rick Perry drops out of the race it will be the ultimate failure of the tea party movement to see the race come down to two or three big government conservatives. Romney and Santorum both hide behind compassionate conservatism to expand the state to suit their purposes.
I agree with this statement. Clearly what I thought was the Tea Party movement isn’t. If Rick Santorum becomes the alternative to Romney, it will be the ultimate failure of a movement that was dedicated to Economic/Fiscal Conservatism and limited government. Both Romney and Santorum represents different visions of Progressive government.
Is this really the best the Republican Party could do? If so, maybe its time for Economic and Fiscal Conservatives to seek a new home. Clearly, the GOP is not the Party of Economic freedom and limited government. Just because Santorum wants a culture war, doesn’t like Gays and is against Abortion doesn’t make him a Conservative.
Here is Santorum in his own words defending what he views as Conservatism.
One of the criticisms I make is to what I refer to as more of a libertarianish right. You know, the left has gone so far left and the right in some respects has gone so far right that they touch each other. They come around in the circle. This whole idea of personal autonomy, well I don’t think most conservatives hold that point of view. Some do. They have this idea that people should be left alone, be able to do whatever they want to do, government should keep our taxes down and keep our regulations low, that we shouldn’t get involved in the bedroom, we shouldn’t get involved in cultural issues. You know, people should do whatever they want. Well, that is not how traditional conservatives view the world and I think most conservatives understand that individuals can’t go it alone. That there is no such society that I am aware of, where we’ve had radical individualism and that it succeeds as a culture.
Individualism is at the heart of Conservatism. By rejecting individual liberties all Rick Santorum is calling for Religious Progressivism. This is not a Conservative world view. Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum are Progressives and if this is the choice the GOP wants, then the Party is not Rightwing. It is clearly dominated by other variants of the Progressive cancer. Big Government is Progressives under any justification.
Tags: Religious Progressives, Rick Santorum, Rockefeller Republicans
