Stefanie wrote:
I don't think you're describing the majority of those who consider themselves true conservatives.

Put the shoe on the other foot. Imagine if Obama said that he wanted to nominate more justices like Breyer but he felt that Stevens was too liberal for him, and in response a large number of Democrats took the position that voting for Obama might be risky because his judicial nominations are likely to be too conservative... Judges like Breyer are too conservative for mainstream Democrats... As a conservative would you read that as reasonable or radical?

Last I heard Roberts was a pretty conservative judge and the sort of judge conservatives want. Now he is too liberal and a candidate who would nominate people like him is a risky person to elect. That seems to indicate a significant rightward shift by conservatives. The space of thought that is considered "conservative" is narrowing.

Joe Lieberman

Joe Lieberman was not outcast because he was willing to work with Republicans on policy issues nor because he was willing to compromise. He was outcast because he was a strong and vocal supporter of the Iraq war. No one is writing rants about how they won't vote for Lieberman because he works with Republicans and Republicans are the enemy... They don't agree with Lieberman's policy on Iraq.

If Republican misgivings about McCain were simply based on policy differences that would be reasonable. What makes it radical is because its not just about his likely policy choices, its about the fact that he is willing to work with the other party.

Politics is about compromise. There are vast numbers of people who live in this country who do not share your convictions. Politics is about trying to change their minds and trying to work out an agreement with them that you can all live with. When you set both of these things aside, you aren't talking politics anymore. When you talk about those other people as Limbaugh does, as another country, as the enemy, as someone you want to defeat, not work with, you are talking war, and that is radical.

Decius wrote:
You've always got a few who want to "round up" all illegal aliens, but most conservatives I know don't think it's even possible. Even if it were possible, most think we don't need to do that. They suggest that if we demagnetize (see the last three paragraphs) the country, most of those who are in the country illegally will go back home on their own.

I don't agree. Penalizing employers is the most popular response to illegal immigration and as a policy it has widespread support from the left particularly at the state level. Conservative responses are characteristically punitive toward the immigrants themselves and involve such measures as building a wall on the southern border.

RE: The Conservative Revival - New York Times