True blue
"We were about one-third Tory, and a third timid, and one third true blue."-John Adams
John Adams' description of the Second Continental Congress was also a pretty accurate description of America in July of 1776. The people were divided into three camps: Those who supported the Patriot cause, those who supported the Crown, and those who tried to take no position-or worse yet, tried to straddle between the two sides. After the Declaration of Independence was adopted, and the course of the Patriot movement became clearly defined, there was no more room for straddling the fence-either you favored or opposed independence. There came to be little room to try and straddle the fence anymore.
Like many other conservatives, I find myself often asking what the Founders would think if they saw America today. For the most part, I do not think they would be pleased
The Conservative movement today is at a similar crossroads. We live in a divided union, and it is fair to say that among the citizenry that can call themselves semi-informed, that about a third are liberals, a third are trying to straddle the fence, while a third are "true blue" as Adams would say. Within the Republican Party, it may be fair to say that only about 30 to 40% of party delegates are "true blue."
[I always thought the colors Red and Blue were improperly reversed. Red should probably represent the Democrats.]
Some people who call themselves conservatives but who insist on a position of compromise with the left have accused me and accused others of being "doctrinaire." This could not be further from the truth. A quick parousal, for example, of the local Knoxville and Tennessee blogosphere would show any educated reader that among the people in my sidebar such as Terry Frank, Stacey Campfield, Rob Huddleston, or Bill Hobbs would show you that not one of us sees eye to eye on every issue, nor do we insist upon everyone marching in lock-step. However, we all share a mutual belief that life needs to be protected from the cradle to the grave, that there is such a thing as American culture and American values and those values need to be preserved for future generations, and that the Constitution needs to be interpreted strictly and as it is written.
We also understand that we are at war. This is (fortunately) not a war that we are fighting with bullets, but with ballots. However, there is no room to cede territory to the enemy in this fight, because to lose this fight means that we will lose America. If the culture war is lost, we will not know America in fifty years. We have ceded so much in the way of time and culture to the left in the last fifty years, that if we give up any further ground, I fear we will have reached the point of no return.
There is little room to compromise or make deals with the extreme left-they have a party of their own. If you can't accept pro-life values, if you can't interpret the Constitution strictly, and if you believe your rights are civil and come from government, as opposed to God-given and come from Heaven, you ought to have no place in the conservative movement.
Because we are so bitterly divided, even within the political party that is home to so many conservatives, it is fair to say that many things may happen. One thing I expect will happen is that we will cease to be divided. We will win or lose the fight for America by the actions we now take.
Like the colonists of old, we must make a choice. Will we choose to let the left take our country from us, or will we stand up and be-as Adams called it-"true blue."
posted by Deacon David Oatney @ 7:39 AM
3 Comments:
I think the numbers are about 25%-55%-20% Conservative and liberal at the outsides and 55% don't care (or care very little). The red and blue used to be; red = Democrat Blue = Republican. A few years back (I am not sure when, I think in the 50's or 60's)the Democrats complained to the point that both parties decided to alternate red and blue every few years (every 8 years I think).
David,
Stacey is absolutely correct! This compromise (on assigment of colors) was so that no one side could be labeled "RED" - as in communist. Communisism was the big bugaboo back then.
SteveMule
Colors: I was thinking less in terms of Communism (though in a humorous way I always "got that" and found it funny) than the fact that other nations, such as Canada and Britain, identify their left-of-center parties with the color red.
Stacey's breakdown of the numbers is, I think, mostly correct. The press counts on the ignorance of the "timid" when they report the news. For both conservatives and liberals, that is very unfortunate.
Stacey: Even though I have very little time on my hands, I want to help you if there is some way that I can. It is absolutely imperative that you win next month.
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