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Should the Republican Party be like this guy? You be the judge
This article (http://opinionjournal.com/la/?id=110010922), by John Hulsman in the Wall Street Journal discusses a new book by Bush's genius speech-writer, Michal Gerson...and how he's a neo-con. The book is called "Heroic Conservatism."
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"Michael Gerson, long praised (some would say over-praised) as President Bush's genius speechwriter, is also, it turns out, a would-be moral philosopher and political strategist. In "Heroic Conservatism," he calls for the Republican Party to redefine itself and brighten its future by casting aside its suspicion of big government and pursuing lofty projects of statist do-goodery. Let us hope that Republicans ignore him."
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"What about the longtime conservative belief that limited, accountable government works best--that it is the form of government least likely to squander resources, thwart private initiative, impinge on freedom and avoid harmful, unintended consequences? Unheroic, says Mr. Gerson. What about the quaint notion that government should live within its means?"
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Hulsman calls Gerson's views "Christian socialism."
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"Siding with FDR and Woodrow Wilson, his acknowledged heroes, he [Gerson] assumes that traditional conservatives do not care about American society's problems. He never stops to ponder whether traditional conservatives disagree with his statist prescriptions precisely because they do care."
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"The book has a hectoring tone, blithely claiming the moral high ground and ignoring a great deal of chastening experience. Such self-satisfied thinking runs counter to the Burkean temperament, which is painfully aware of the limits, and potential flaws, of even well-intentioned men."
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No offense to our Democratic brethren, but to many Republicans, this sounds way too much like an ultra-liberal... "moral high ground...ignoring experience...self satisfied."
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One is easily able to assert that Gerson's views are what is wrong with the Republican Party. Of course, this isn't my personal blog, so I'm not passing judgment- merely reporting.
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-Matt Hittle
Posted at 12:57PM Nov 29, 2007 by College Republicans in Republicans | Comments[0]
