At the recent Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), Christians weren’t the only conservatives in attendance. Contrary to what liberals think, not all conservatives are Christians, either. That should go without saying, but sometimes you have to be explicit.
In that same vein, not all bloggers at Bloggers Corner were Christians. In fact, I noticed a high libertarian quotient. After the conference, when all was calm, I realized why. Bloggers Corner was sponsored by Tech Central Station (TCS), a right-of-center, free market (read: libertarian) publication. I’m not implying they were playing favorites, but the presence of several libertarians among bloggers at a conservative conference is worth mentioning.
Ryan Sager, a libertarian and fellow CPAC blogger, wrote a piece for TCS about what he calls the “arrogance” of the Republican Party in general and CPAC in particular, titled The Right’s Right. The arrogance we social conservatives show toward liberals isn’t the problem, he says. It’s the arrogance we show toward libertarians like himself that will be our downfall. He mocks:
[T]he arrogance that will prove problematic, ultimately, was that directed at the libertarian-leaning conservatives by the social conservatives. The message in that regard was clear: We Christians can do this alone, y’all who ain’t down with J.C. best be running along.
I believe “J.C.” stands for Jesus Christ. Arrogance isn’t limited to conservatives, I see.
Sager bases these and other claims on Ann Coulter’s stand-up-comedy-routine speech (I do wish she’d cut back on the one-liners) and Phyllis Schlafly’s denunciation of illegal immigration, although neither woman is known as a “religious” conservative. Sager just lumps social conservatives into the same group. The contempt he shows toward the “Religious Right” is palpable, but as a Christian quite used to it, I find it very instructive in this case. Sager’s real problem is with conservatives who openly profess Christ. To Sager, we’re arrogant and intolerant, yet at the same time, he displays his own intolerance toward us. For example, we’re “extremists” who foist our “version of morality” on others. He is talking about people like myself who believe the Bible is truth, the very word of God from which morality derives.
By the way, do you know why conservatives are perennially labeled intolerant? Because we understand the important distinction between acceptance of lifestyles we think are immoral and destructive and allowing people the freedom to self-destruct. For instance, I don’t accept homosexuality as normal, but I’m “tolerant” of homosexuals’ freedom to do whatever they want with whomever they want as long as they’re consenting adults. I have neither the right nor desire to force homosexuals to stop doing anything.
Sager adds: “But precious little libertarianism came from the stage, and what little did was seldom well received…..Now, perhaps CPAC just isn’t any place for libertarians. But that, in itself, is a problem. The conservative movement should be reaching out to people who, well, just aren’t as bothered by ‘Will & Grace’ as some other people are.”
I don’t agree with this at all. Social conservatism, distinct from other forms of conservatism, has a moral component. That is, the agenda I have as a Christian and social conservative is to persuade people that “my side” is better than the other guy’s. Reaching out to people who condone homosexual “marriage” or activity is something I hope never to see social conservatives engaged in. (Notice that I said conservatives, not Republicans. ) I have similar distaste for the party courting the “black vote.” Present your ideas, what you believe, and go from there. If people don’t agree, that’s what the Democratic or Libertarian parties are for.
Sager and I agree one thing: the Republican Party has given up on being the party of small government. To my dismay, George Bush is a big government, not-conservative-enough Republican. It’s times like this I’m glad to be an “Undeclared” independent conservative to the right of Bush.
I didn’t talk much about my faith in Bloggers Corner. We were so busy and distracted by people walking by that the topic didn’t come up. But on the last day of the conference, near the end of the day, the topic did come up. Mike Marshall of Pajama Hadin attended the conference and hung out at our table from time to time. He and I had a great conversation with radio talk show host, Nick Steward, a conservative Christian and up-and-coming politician.
We talked about our faith and how Christ had changed our lives. The space we were assigned was rather tight, so I’m certain the other bloggers heard some or most of the conversation. It felt good to talk about Jesus Christ, if only for a little while. He is the most controversial figure of all time, and his name is bound to make some uncomfortable and others rejoice. God and man at CPAC, indeed.
As alarming as it may seem to some, my higher authority is not myself, but the Creator, the living God who sacrificed his Son to pay for the sins of those he came to save. I believe the Bible contains the truth of God, his nature and plan for the whole world. I cannot and will not separate this belief and compartmentalize it for politically correct notions of “tolerance,” and I won’t turn my back on these principles if “reaching out” to libertarians requires that I do.
Here’s how others responded to Sager:
Erick Erickson (CPAC blogger): It may just be me, but I thought the first “C” in CPAC stood for Conservative. In fact, it does. Sager believes the conservative movement is wholly represented by Schlafly and Coulter. The truth is something other than that, which I think Sager understands, though the Kossacks will be confused….Conservatism is not a monolithic platform of ideas. We do have some conservatives who favor open borders and gay marriage. We do have some who think God needs to be toned down in the public debate. But, the majority of conservatives do believe there is an inherent need for morality in what we do and we are near united that the one moral heritage we can agree on comes from the Bible.”
Can I get an Amen?
Mary Katharine Ham: As a conservative, and a social conservative in most regards, I’m thankful for libertarians. As far as I’m concerned, people who love free markets, guns, and America are welcome in a coalition with me.
Amy Ridenhour: “[I]t is silly to draw excessive conclusions from who speaks at CPAC…Similarly, the CPAC audience is not a demographically pure slice of modern American conservatism — neither are Ann Coulter’s fans.”
Karol Sheinin (CPAC Blogger): ” It’s true that at a meeting of Republicans, you may find a wide range of both conservative and libertarian thought. But, I thought it was safe to assume that if you attend a conference explicitly marked ‘conservative’, you shouldn’t be stunned that that’s exactly what you find.”
Ramesh Ponnuru: “[Sager] says that “conservatism can’t survive by religious extremism and tax cuts alone.” (The ‘religious extremism’ seems to consist of opposition to same-sex marriage.) He wishes that the CPACers had been more libertarian and suggests that the lack of libertarianism ‘threatens to undo Republican gains in the long term.’ I’m certainly all for friendliness and alliance between conservatives and libertarians where possible. But of course it’s not as though libertarians are always respectful of conservatives. Some of them are awfully quick with the ‘religious extremist’ tag, for example. If conservatives brush off libertarians more often — and I’m not sure that they do — that may reflect the simple fact that conservatives have a stronger position within the Republican coalition. If Sager’s got any evidence or even an argument that the party’s political success requires increased libertarianism, I’m sure a lot of people would be interested in hearing it.”
Phillip Klein: “Sager’s description of the annual Conservative Political Action Conference as a place where ‘evolution is a wild hypothesis’ is neither accurate nor constructive. It is unfair to begin an article with a mocking tone toward social conservatives and end by arguing that these same conservatives should reach out to libertarians.”
By the way, I used the word “mock” before I read Klein’s piece. We had the same reaction to Sager’s column, I see.
Side note: In the mail is a review copy of the controversial new book, The Politically Incorrect Guide to American History. I will follow-up the review with an interview of author Thomas E. Woods, Jr. Can’t hardly wait…
Update: Dignan shares his thoughts on the “Religious Right.” If you’ve written a similar post or have something to say about the so-called conservative/libertarian divide, trackback and I’ll include your link.
The Regular Stable, Banana Republican, brightMystery…
Hmmm….I was under the impression that Bill at INDC Journal was a “total conservative”: socially, fiscally, and everything in-between. I was wrong.
CPAC Blogger Bryan Preston joins the discussion.
