An opinion poll

[Perd Hapley]

Please rank the following names according to their conservatism.  The most conservative should be at the top, the least at the bottom.  If you don't know where to put someone, just skip them.  I have NOT listed them according to my own ranking. 

Go easy, folks.  Let's not kill each other.     I can add other names, if you'd like to see them.  Remember to check the OP for new names. 


John McCain

Ronald Reagan

Barry Goldwater

Mike Huckabee

Rush Limbaugh

Ron Paul

Michael Savage

Bill OReilly

William Buckley

Phyllis Schlafly

George Will

George W. Bush

Zell Miller

Theodore Roosevelt

Sean Hannity

Ike Eisenhower

James Dobson

[Paddy]

'Conservatism' is simply too broad a term.  There is more than one 'school of thought' that is, or has been, labeled 'conservatism'.  I think you need to be more specific, or at least outline/describe what you mean by 'conservatism'.

[Perd Hapley]

Just go with your own opinion.  That's why I called it an opinion poll. 

Or don't participate.  Or you could leave out people like Roosevelt, if you think they are too far removed in time to relate them to Reagan, Limbaugh, etc. 

[Paddy]

OK, just off the top of my head, using the most recent and pure (in my opinion) concept of 'conservatism'

Barry Goldwater
William F. Buckley
Eisenhower
George Will & Phyllis Schafly
Zell Miller
Reagan (tried, bless him, but was hijacked by the religious right and the corporatists)

Theodore Roosevelt was not 'conservative' by today's standards.  He was a populist who made liberal use of the Sherman Anti Trust act to go after big business.

Dobson & Huckabee want to be conservative, but they're both obsessed with religious dogma, so they're out.


then, running about equally and all in last place

John McCain-no real principles, just blows with the wind of public approval.

Limbaugh, Savage, O'Reilly and Hannity spend way more time dissing everything and everyone they don't like, playing to the large number of malcontents who comprise their audience.  I think they do this for the money more than an expression of their core principles.  All of them (except Savage) are Republican party lapdogs and apologists.

Bush- hahahahaha.  Big government corporatist liberal

Did I include everybody on your list?

[Jamisjockey]

By my definition its Ron Paul.
I don't know who a few of those folks are, though.

[Nitrogen]

If I could convince Huckabee to drop the whole "christian nation" Male Bovine Excrement, he'd be a great candidate.

[Perd Hapley]

By my definition its Ron Paul.
I don't know who a few of those folks are, though.

Just skip the ones you don't know.

Why do you think Ron Paul is the most conservative? 

[Jamisjockey]

My definition is that a conservative is for reduced government, increased freedoms, lower taxes and a reduction in meddling in foriegn affairs.
Basically someone who's more of a constitutionalist.

[Scout26]

I put them in three groups.

Group one are the "True Conservatives". They also recoginize that it ain't the 1500's anymore and we have a world wide economy. 

William Buckley
Barry Goldwater
Ronald Reagan
Theodore Roosevelt
Rush Limbaugh

Group Two are the "Conservative on most things", but take goofy postions on some matters (either Religion or Foreign Affairs). Or they are single issue Conservatives.

Mike Huckabee
Ron Paul
Michael Savage
Phyllis Schlafly
George Will
Zell Miller
Sean Hannity

Group Three is "CINO's" or only on very few policy issues.

George W. Bush
Ike Eisenhower
James Dobson
Bill OReilly
John McCain

Since I rarely see or listen to the Radio/TV talking heads, I'm basing my ratings mostly on second hand information. 

[Perd Hapley]

You think Michael Savage is a conservative?   

[grampster]

So, Riley, as a malcontent, that makes you a fan of Rush inter alia?   
Cough, ahem.....

[Perd Hapley]

Don't feed the Riley!

[Bigjake]

Ronald Reagan

Barry Goldwater

Rush Limbaugh

Ron Paul (with certain reservations, He's still in good company though)

William Buckley

Theodore Roosevelt


Any others omitted due to me not knowing enough about them, or lack of conservative creds.

[MechAg94]

Theodore Roosevelt was not 'conservative' by today's standards.  He was a populist who made liberal use of the Sherman Anti Trust act to go after big business.

Aren't monopolies sort of anti-free market and therefore against general conservative principles? 

[Jamisjockey]

Theodore Roosevelt was not 'conservative' by today's standards.  He was a populist who made liberal use of the Sherman Anti Trust act to go after big business.

Aren't monopolies sort of anti-free market and therefore against general conservative principles? 

I'd say that as long as a Monopoly doesnt use strong arm tactics to prevent competition, then no. 

[Paddy]

Theodore Roosevelt was not 'conservative' by today's standards.  He was a populist who made liberal use of the Sherman Anti Trust act to go after big business.

Aren't monopolies sort of anti-free market and therefore against general conservative principles? 

One would think so, yes.  However, modern 'conservatism' has morphed into what could more accurately be called 'corporatism'.  ie., individual natural person's rights must subordinate to corporate 'rights'.

A little background on T.R.:

He was the Republican VP who became President when McKinley was assassinated in 1901.  T.R. considered himself a 'steward of the people' and the Presidency a 'bully pulpit' from which to make progressive reform.  Under his 'Square Deal', he went after and broke up monopolistic corporations and acted on behalf of striking coal miners.  He was a true 'conservationist' who rescued hundreds of thousands of wilderness acres from greedy lumber barons; Supported federal meat inspection and the Pure Food and Drug Act. 

He regulated railroad rates and supported national health insurance. IOW, he was an activist for the working middle class in every sense of the word.  He was denounced as a Socialist at the time but he was not 'anti business'.  His actions were intended to save capitalism from its own excesses, which he did.

All this sounds like an anathema to modern self described 'conservatives, but only because they're really corporatists who don't know what the hell they're talking about.

[HankB]

. . . A little background on T.R.: . . .

He also wrote a number of well-received books, avidly hunted big game and habitually went about armed, won the Nobel Peace Prize before they started awarding it to terrorists and charlatans, got the Panama Canal built for the USA, and supported a strong military.

Sounds pretty conservative to me - I could vote for him today, and feel pretty good about it.

[MechAg94]

I don't know if there is much comparison negatively between now and then.  Most conservatives today would agree with most of T.R.'s platform in that day and time.  IMO, even a benign monopoly is going to trend toward anti-competition and anti-innovation without even trying. 

IMO, most conservatives I know are "progressive" in the true sense of the word.  They don't mind changing things as long as we are making a change that will work and improve things.  They just don't want to making changes just for change sake or for the worse which IMO is the end result of a lot of today's liberal ideas.

[AZRedhawk44]

This really depends on your own definition of conservative.  Here's my stab at it:
Ronald Reagan
Rush Limbaugh
Michael Savage
Theodore Roosevelt
Zell Miller
Ike Eisenhower
Barry Goldwater
Ron Paul
George W. Bush
Mike Huckabee
John McCain
Sean Hannity
Bill OReilly

Hannity is a fascist trull for Giuliani-style republicanism, and O'Reilly is the equivalent of a newsdesk shock-jock.  If being a "lefty" ever became the counter-culture, O'Reilly would shift his stance in a heartbeat.

Rush and Savage are hard to place; one can never be sure if their rhetoric is genuine or not.  Sometimes, listening to Savage, I feel like I'm listening to "After Dark with George Noory".  Conspiratainment comes to mind as a good way to describe it.

I don't recognize these names:
William Buckley
Phyllis Schlafly
George Will
James Dobson

[Perd Hapley]

AZ,

I'm starting to regret even putting Savage on the list, as I can't stand the fact that people fall for his fake "conservatism."  And I'm not saying that he is a leftie.  I'm saying that the man has no consistent political views at all, but is driven simply by rage.  Of course, it's possible to be an angry, rage-aholic conservative.  But Savage doesn't demonstrate any real, consistent conservatism.  Just rage.  Or periods of melancholy during which he despises all politicians and pundits. 

As for Rush, if he's faking it - he's given his whole life to it.  For the purposes of this poll, I'm just asking about the views he espouses, not what he might secretly believe in private moments with Cokie Roberts.  The same goes for everyone else.  I mean, we don't take politicians at face value, do we?


William Buckley - a foundational ideologue of modern American conservatism, and founder of The National Review magazine.

Phyllis Schlafly - St. Louis-based educator, best known for leading the fight against the Equal Rights Amendment.  She still hosts a radio show, if you like hearing phone calls from the most dim-bulb Christian conservative lack-wits out there.  (Did I say that out-loud?  )  Her voice is slightly better than that of leftist twit NPR host Diane Rehm. 

George Will - columnist and pundit

James Dobson - child-psychologist, and head of Focus on the Family.  Like the NRA, Focus on the Family has programs specifically aimed toward it's titular focus (in FotF's case, family life issues), while also having a political arm.  His radio program is likewise split between gushy family stuff and "I found Jesus" testimonies, and political messages. 

[Paddy]

fistful, I'm wondering why you put T.R. on the list and what in your opinion makes him conservative.  Not criticizing, you understand, just curious.

[AZRedhawk44]

AZ,

I'm starting to regret even putting Savage on the list, as I can't stand the fact that people fall for his fake "conservatism."  And I'm not saying that he is a leftie.  I'm saying that the man has no consistent political views at all, but is driven simply by rage.  Of course, it's possible to be an angry, rage-aholic conservative.  But Savage doesn't demonstrate any real, consistent conservatism.  Just rage.  Or periods of melancholy during which he despises all politicians and pundits. 

Well, fistful... I've have to hold it against you for at least an hour or two for putting him on there.  He isn't REALLY a conservative worth mentioning because he doesn't influence public policy in the way that the other names do.  He is pretty well known for being a blow hard, conspiracy aiding, unsubstantiated fact flinger.

Now I see why you're such a whipping boy around here.  Frankly, you're a horrible person and deserve it.   

[Perd Hapley]

He isn't REALLY a conservative worth mentioning because he doesn't influence public policy in the way that the other names do. 

That's odd, because I always hear him taking credit for everything.  And I don't even listen very much.   


Riley,

I don't have the answer key for this test.  I asked people to rank the list from most to least conservative, so I could have included Diane Feinstein.  I don't know a lot about TR.  I know a lot of conservatives like him.  Like I keep saying, I'm just asking for opinions. 

OK, in full disclosure, I've been wanting to do this thread for a few months now.  See, my former boss freaked out when I had Rush Limbaugh on in the work truck.  He allowed as how he himself was a conservative Republican, but that there Rush Limbaugh was just WAAAAY over too far to the right.  I had to try not to laugh.  So, I've been wondering if most "conservative Republicans" think Rush is "out there," or if they think he's fairly main-stream, as the conservative movement goes. 

[HankB]

I'm starting to regret even putting Savage on the list, as I can't stand the fact that people fall for his fake "conservatism." 

For quite a while, I only heard Savage in snippets - usually I'm not listening to the radio when he's on.

The first few times I listened to Savage, I found myself agreeing with the little bit I heard . . . but as time went on and I heard further snippets, and finally had a chance to listen to a longer part of his show, I realized that he was just a radio version of a controversial TV talk show host some here might remember - the late Morton Downey Jr.

That is not meant as a compliment.

(Hmmm . . . wonder what you'd get if Michael Savage fathered a child with Ann Coulter . . .    )

[Perd Hapley]

Hmmm . . . wonder what you'd get if Michael Savage fathered a child with Ann Coulter . . .  shocked

I shudder to think, but you should definitely be banned hanged for introducing the topic. 

If you need me for the trial (or to open the trap-door) I'll be over here in a fetal position.