Rumblings on the Right

There is a bit of dissatisfaction on the right in regards to the Presidency of George W. Bush. Not that there is any serious movement to replace him or vote for someone else, but there are cocerns. Tony Blankley commented on that in his most recent article, and suggests it is probably a reflection of the essential divisions within the Republican Party or Conservative Movement.

" . . . conservatism is a house of many mansions, and it is a logical impossibility to have policies that satisfy us all. Conservatives are both muscular military interventionists and isolationists; free traders and protectionists; libertarians and cultural traditionalists.

Almost all of us believe we are anti-statist. And yet some of us want morality enforced by the state. Others are cheerfully supportive of rounding up vaguely suspicious-looking Arabs. And in fact, a majority of self-identified conservatives support such federal welfare schemes as Social Security, Medicare and even prescription drug subsidies for seniors. (Although in the last case, most conservative leaders and intellectuals oppose such an expansion of federal entitlements.) But, crosscutting all these varieties of American conservatism is a deeply visceral distaste for political compromise and expediency. And that distaste turns quickly to distrust of conservative leaders when they reach the national governing level."

He mentions Rush Limbaugh's criticisms of President Bush as a reflection of this distrust and distaste. I always find it intersting that one assumes that if a pet politician makes a decision it is because of political concerns. As if it is impossible that President Bush and Rush Limbaugh could disagree on an education policy, for example.

He does end with the positive news that President Bush has down so well on foreign policy that he will hold the party together. We'll have to see on that score.