Whither the Conservative Movement? pg. 14
money. Thus, when government expanded its powers, it necessarily restricted the individual’s ability to act freely. The fact that the individual was then forced to pay for this loss of freedom through taxation made it doubly reprehensible. This intellectual tradition was so strong that Barry Goldwater felt compelled to tie himself to it with the release of The Conscience of a Conservatism in 1960 as he began to eye a run for the Presidency in 1964.
The language that both Goldwater and Reagan use is pulled almost directly from the pages of this body of literature. This is a primary reason why the main difference between the two men’s ideology was a slight difference in whether it was necessary to control deficit spending then cut taxes, or whether they could be accomplished simultaneously. A common ideology led to common rhetorical themes which both men made accessible to common people. No other conservative politician at the Presidential level has effectively connected their message to this body of literature.
Part of this may be simply that conservative ideology had become so cohesive, and so well known, by the end of the second Reagan term that the need to constantly remind voters of the connection no longer existed. In the four years of George HW Bush’s Presidency, foreign affairs were a much hotter issue than taxation. The crumbling of the Soviet empire sent shock waves through the world and the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait stole much political thunder from any attempt to focus on domestic policy.
However, during the Presidential campaign, Bill Clinton successfully used economic malaise as an attack against President GHW Bush. Rather than remind voters of the shared ideology of conservatism, the President simply reminded voters that he had
Go on to Page 15
The language that both Goldwater and Reagan use is pulled almost directly from the pages of this body of literature. This is a primary reason why the main difference between the two men’s ideology was a slight difference in whether it was necessary to control deficit spending then cut taxes, or whether they could be accomplished simultaneously. A common ideology led to common rhetorical themes which both men made accessible to common people. No other conservative politician at the Presidential level has effectively connected their message to this body of literature.
Part of this may be simply that conservative ideology had become so cohesive, and so well known, by the end of the second Reagan term that the need to constantly remind voters of the connection no longer existed. In the four years of George HW Bush’s Presidency, foreign affairs were a much hotter issue than taxation. The crumbling of the Soviet empire sent shock waves through the world and the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait stole much political thunder from any attempt to focus on domestic policy.
However, during the Presidential campaign, Bill Clinton successfully used economic malaise as an attack against President GHW Bush. Rather than remind voters of the shared ideology of conservatism, the President simply reminded voters that he had
Go on to Page 15
© 2004 by Xpatriated Texan
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