What is Conservatism?

I suppose after doing this blog for so long I should know the answer, but Conservatives keep confusing me. The latest is John Hawkins who encourages Republicans to take up the banner of "No" proudly.

The GOP has spent eight years fudging the differences between the Republican and Democrat parties. In large part, that's why the American people tossed the Republican Party out on its collective behind: given a choice between Democrats and Democrat-lite, they chose the real thing.

Now, after being referred to as "The Party of No," the GOP should embrace that label instead of running from it. Yes, we have plenty of solutions, but before they can be implemented, Barack Obama has to be stopped -- he has to fail. Wanting Barack Obama to fail is like wanting someone who's trying to beat your child to death with a shovel to fail. You want him to fail because you love your child and we want Barack Obama to fail because we love this country.

Pretty grim language there, incidentally. Obama's governance is like beating a child with a shovel? Yeah that might be beyond the pale.

But what I find baffling is the theory that Republicans haven't been conservative enough. I kind of get where they are coming from on the budget; Republicans spent money pretty good in their years. But then the very first issue Hawkins brings up for Republicans to say no to is the closing of Gitmo - aren't Republicans the party of Gitmo?

At any rate, with Cheney, Limbaugh, and articles like these, we have no shortage of conservatives encouraging Republicans to go all out on principles.