Redstate

Posted at 7:51am on May 7, 2008 On Party Unity

By Martin A. Knight

This started out as comment in reply to a comment by BigGator5 (unfortunately operating under the misimpression that the diary I posted yesterday was about John McCain) in response to me. It just got too long. Anyway, BigGator5 asks;
"Why are you arguing against party unity?"

My response to that is that I actually am asking for party unity.

Unity that does not end when Election Day is over and done with. We want some more of that Unity on the floors of Congress, in the State Legislatures and in the Governor's Mansions when its time to vote 'aye' or 'nay.' We want some more of that Unity when it comes to policy, when it comes to the tough votes on Capitol Hill, in Lansing, Harrisburg, Richmond, Olympia, Austin, Bismarck, Trenton, etc.

Posted in Bill Weld | moderates | Reagan | Republicans | Rockefeller | Rudy Giuliani — Comments (11) / Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 3:11pm on Feb. 15, 2008 The Conscience of Conservatism

What role, the venerable National Review magazine in 21st century conservatism?

By Mark Kilmer

In raising the $300,000 necessary to start National Review magazine in the mid-1950's, William F. Buckley promised prospective investors that his new magazine would "recommend policies for the simple reason that we consider them right (rather than 'non-controversial'); and we consider them right because they are based on principles we deem right (rather than on popularity polls)." This was gripping stuff, staring at the Soviets as the Cold War breathed its icy breath across oceans. It was, as Buckley would write in NR's founding statement, standing "athwart history, yelling Stop, at a time when no other is inclined to do so, or to have much patience with those who so urge it."

We begin publishing, then, with a considerable stock of experience with the irresponsible Right, and a despair of the intransigence of the Liberals, who run this country; and all this in a world dominated by the jubilant single-mindedness of the practicing Communist, with his inside track to History. All this would not appear to augur well for NATIONAL REVIEW. Yet we start with a considerable — and considered — optimism.

Of course, those words were first published on November 19, 1955. 'T was a different world then, and I dare say, a different magazine.

Please Read More…

Posted in Archived | National Review | Reagan | Romney — Comments (34)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 12:38pm on Mar. 11, 2007 Ronald Reagan and the Ideology of Optimism!

By David Hinz

The 1964 Presidential Campaign was a dismal failure for the Republican Party, with Senator Goldwater painted as a warmonger who would lob nuclear bombs all over the world against America’s enemies. In the aftermath of that debacle, a nadir of the Conservative movement, a coalition of political and businessmen approached actor Ronald Reagan, who had distinguished himself in defense of Goldwater, to run for the office of Governor of California.

At first dismissive of the idea, Reagan set out throughout the summer, on a series of speaking engagements, to, in his own words, find someone else who might be an acceptable candidate for that office. After that series of speeches, he, himself, was convinced that the people of California would welcome his candidacy, and reluctantly agreed to run for office.

The rest, as they say, is history.

Read on . . .

Posted in 2008 | Reagan | Republicans | Spotlight Blogs — Comments (6) / Email this page » / Read More »