This country has been successful not only because of the innate decency,
creativity, and independence of the American people, but because of Christianity,
capitalism, and conservatism. Unfortunately, all too often these days,
conservatives spend the majority of our time correcting myths, misinformation,
and misrepresentations about the movement instead of explaining our principles
to people.
That's no coincidence.
Because conservatism is so effective, its opponents have to create a false vision
of conservatism to oppose because the real thing is so genuinely appealing to
people. That's not to say that there aren't bad conservatives or that conservatism
is flawless -- that's certainly not the case. But in the real world, you're not going
to find a political ideology that produces better people or better results than
American conservatism.
Of course, if you're not conservative, you may find that hard to believe because
you've been told...
Conservatives are racist: How is it that people who explicitly reject the
idea of discrimination by race are called bigots by people who believe in judging
Americans by the color of their skin? For every supposed racist incident drummed
up by the media, you can find a hundred instances of conservatives proving that
they don't care about skin color. If people are so bound and determined to call
conservatives racist that they'll ignore mountains of evidence to the contrary
while desperately looking for mole hills that support their beliefs, there's nothing
the Right can do about it. However, if you take an honest look at it, what you'll
find is that the single least racist group of people in America are conservatives.
Conservatives hate science: One of the great ironies of this charge is
that in scientific debates, conservatives almost inevitably use science-based
arguments and the other side typically responds with nasty smears, doomsday
stories, and sad stories about polar bears. Then bizarrely, it's conservatives, not
their opponents, who are accused of being "anti-science." Pay attention the next
time you see a conservative and a liberal debating a scientific issue and see who's
actually using science-based arguments and who's calling names and trying to
scare you.
Conservatives want a religious dictatorship: It's true that conservatives
do tend to be more serious about their Christianity than the population at large,
but Christians who believe in morality, decency, and the rule of law would never
support a theocracy. As a matter of fact, I've never even heard a conservative
privately express any desire to live in a theocracy. If no one wants to do it publicly
or privately, isn't that a pretty good indication that this charge is a red herring?
Conservatives are in the pocket of the rich and big business:
Conservatives believe that if you engage in class warfare and punish success, then
you will dramatically reduce the number of people who are successful. On the
other hand, if people are rewarded for their success, then they will work harder,
help grow the economy, and produce more jobs. If you're interested in a potent
economy and a strong job market, conservatives believe the latter course is the
best way to ensure America's prosperity.
Conservatives are greedy and hardhearted: It's true that conservatives
are believers in the free market and capitalism. Additionally, it's true that we tend
to take a dim view of welfare programs because we agree with Ben Franklin:
I am for doing good to the poor, but I differ in opinion of the
means. I think the best way of doing good to the poor, is not making them easy
in poverty, but leading or driving them out of it. In my youth I traveled much,
and I observed in different countries, that the more public provisions were
made for the poor, the less they provided for themselves, and of course became
poorer. And, on the contrary, the less was done for them, the more they did for
themselves, and became richer.
However, what's also true is that studies have
consistently shown that conservatives are more generous than liberals.
If you're in dire straits and desperately need someone to give you $5 out of his
own wallet, you'll do better asking a conservative for help than anyone else.
Conservatives are angry: Sure, conservatives are angry -- sometimes.
That's part of being human. But, the continually angry conservative stereotype
has very little in common with reality. To the contrary, study after study has
found that conservatives are happier than liberals. Here's one very typical example,
Regardless of marital status, income or church attendance, right-
wing individuals reported greater life satisfaction and well-being than left-
wingers, the new study found. Conservatives also scored highest on measures
of rationalization, which gauge a person's tendency to justify, or explain away,
inequalities.
...The results support and further explain a Pew Research Center survey from
2006, in which 47 percent of conservative Republicans in the U.S. described
themselves as "very happy," while only 28 percent of liberal Democrats indicated
such cheer.
You want to be a happy person? Become a conservative.
Conservatives believe women should be poor, quiet, barefoot, and in the
kitchen: This is an especially weird claim in light of Sarah Palin's meteoric rise
and the incredible popularity of fiery conservative women like Michele Bachmann, Michele
Malkin, and Ann Coulter. Now, it is true
that conservatives consider "homemaker" to be just as respectable a position
as "business executive" for a woman, but if you think about it, isn't that a view
that expands the options of women? Giving women who take care of their
families their proper due is much more respectful than looking down at women
who've chosen to be homemakers.