Stapilus: Warring R’s Shouldn’t Be

Whatever else this season’s Idaho Republican civil war may be, it is not about “conservatism” – whatever that word may mean. It is not about “philosophy.” Just about all of the Republicans on the ballot this year for legislative office or higher in Idaho are small-budget, low-tax, strict Christian-oriented, business-backing candidates. In the scheme of things, their differences are far fewer those between, say, mainstream Methodists and mainstream Presbyterians. From the way the rhetoric is running, you’d think they’re (metaphorically) Christians Buddhists. There’s not a lot of daylight. Even if the view here is that the term “conservative” has been so thoroughly abused as to be beyond any coherent meaning or repair (almost like “liberal” in that sense), the people running for the Republican nomination in Idaho this year are, overwhelmingly, a consistent group – more internally, ideologically, consistent than, say, the comparable cadre of Republican candidates in Washington or Oregon. As a matter of agenda, they all ought to be allies/ Randy Stapilus , Ridenbaugh Press. More here.

Question: Does the word “conservative” mean anything to you any more?