With each passing day, various Democrats, members of the media, and even certain Republicans, declare the conservative movement or the heyday of the Reagan era a relic of the past. Really? Well, in the age of Obama, a recent Gallup poll shows exactly the opposite. The survey says that 40 percent of Americans now describe their political views as “conservative,” with 35 percent saying “moderate” and 21 percent saying “liberal.”

As an independent conservative and a former low-level writer for President Ronald Reagan, I maintain that conservative principles are more relevant than ever and that Ronald Reagan’s core beliefs speak anew to a nation desperately in search of answers, national and economic security, and a return to commonsense teachings and morals.

As our debt rises to unimagined numbers, unemployment grows beyond the most pessimistic predictions, companies are nationalized, CEOs are fired by the White House, and wages are dictated by administration officials, there is a palpable fear spreading across the United States. As that fear spreads, it is in the best interests of the Democrats, various left-leaning members of the media, and even pathetically ungrounded Republicans, to declare the conservative movement “dead.”

For Democrats, they need to do this lest conservative principles start to take hold with the minority voters they have taken for granted for decades and consider a birthright of liberalism. For a left-leaning media, they want to squash conservative principles in service to a President who more readily embraces the teachings of Venezuelan Strongman Hugo Chavez than John F. Kennedy. For certain Republicans, how much better to declare the heyday of Reagan over than to admit that they have long-since sold out to the hedonistic trappings of power and have put self before nation.

For those Republicans, Democrats, and members of the media who have forgotten, are petrified of, or are trying to censor core conservative principles from the voters, allow me to remind you of some of the basics of those principles. Basics that are resonating with a growing number of Americans.

First, as the Gallup poll clearly shows, by the tens of millions, conservatives exist in our country and have unbending faith in their core values. These conservatives also unashamedly believe in God, believe that the United States is a sovereign nation with clearly defined borders that must be protected, believe that the words “terrorism” or “terrorists” should not be banned and that some fanatics do mean our nation great harm, believe in the 2nd Amendment, believe that all life is sacred, and that the young men and women of our military deserve our highest praise and gratitude and should not be used by either party to score cheap and partisan political points.

These very same Americans believe in the rule of law, believe in lower taxes, fiscal and personal responsibility, believe that large segments of the entertainment industry are purposefully and systematically exposing our children to the vilest forms of smut in search of profit, and believe that teacher unions and unqualified teachers are putting themselves before the precious young minds they are charged with educating.

In short, they hold dear the very same convictions that the vast majority of the people in our nation and world consider essential to a civilized, meaningful, and secure life. Those being liberty, national security, the right to worship, less dictatorial government, and the welfare of our children. What exactly on that list do Democrats, the liberal media, or certain Republicans find objectionable?

As the President continues to overreach in his quest to push the United States into the tentacles of socialism, there is a real fear spreading across our land. But, as this poll demonstrates, along with that fear, is a growing realization that convictions matter, core beliefs matter, real experience matters, fiscal responsibility matters, and that the wisdom of our Founding Fathers matters.

Those who declare the conservative movement or the values of Ronald Reagan “over,” are denying a reality that is evident to the American people. As some ideologues put the state before the individual, or worse, their own selfish interests before all, they should know this:

Our fears shall set us free.