How would you sort these players out? The Left and Right labels don't allow us much wiggle room.
At a minimum, you need to be aware of the major camps on the right: the evangelicals, the 'eagles' (fiscally conservative, socially liberal), the neocons, the paleocons, the traditional heartland conservatives.
I think Greenwald's thesis was that traditional "conservatism" has been replaced with a GWB cult of personality. I can see extensive evidence of this and tend to agree. Look at all the anti-conservative actions GWB has taken, but he still has the support of "conservatives".
Yes, that's his thesis. It struck me as ridiculous. He has confused disciple with worship. If the conservatives who don't like Bush's performance (and there is LOTS of unhappiness with his fiscal-non-conservatism and on immigration), what will they get if they defect? Can a coalition with the Democrats get better results? The answer for the last few years, is NO, so they are pretty stuck.
Furthermore, Greenwald has missed the essential glue holding the Republicans together: The WOT. Republicans really do believe that this is THE major issue facing America right now, and will stick with the only party that believes it. The Democrats plainly do not rate it as nearly so serious a threat. |
