There was a time when the Republican Party believed in realistic goals and personal responsibility. Under the failed policies of the Bush Administration, this is no longer the case. They embrace the word “conservative” while ignoring the root of that word: “conserve.”
The last eight years have been all about excess: excess military spending, excess tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans, and now excess funds for oil companies to expand offshore drilling, which won’t yield any tangible results for years to come. And Sen. John McCain shows no sign of ending any of those excessive policies.
Barack Obama’s “simplistic” solution of routine engine and tire maintenance coupled with investing in alternative energy research is a step toward a concept that the Republican party has totally lost touch with: practical and realistic conservatism.
This article appears in Aug 14-21, 2008.