What is the Definition of a Fanatic?

Poor President Bush. Not only has he had to weather charges or corruption and cronyism in his White House as well as the anger over the Harriet Miers nomination, now it turns out he's not really a Conservative. Conservativism, if it were actually put in place, would work 100%. President Bush's Presidency has not been a success. I'd call it a pretty complete failure; but even President Bush's supporters would acknowledge it's hardly been smooth sailing. So President Bush must not really be a conservative.

Or to put it another way, consider these words from Sidney Blumenthal.

Despite Bush's faithful implementation of conservative ideas, disloyal ideologues blame him personally to deflect attention from the failure of their ideas as they position themselves for whatever or whoever is next. Like Trotskyists for whom communism always remained an unfulfilled ideal, conservatives now claim that conservatism has not been tried, and that Bush is a "betrayer" and "impostor." In his attempt to avoid the nemesis of his father, he is reliving it.

Or to put it yet another way, it's unlikely that they have learned their lesson.

That said, it would be nice if this climate provoked a little humility on the part of the Conservative Movement; rather than being convinced that they are 100% correct and anybody who disagrees with them is a filthy traitor. But I'm not holding my breath.

Oh and the definition of a fanatic? According to George Satayana, "Fanaticism consists in redoubling your effort when you have forgotten your aim."