In an exclusive interview with Breitbart News, American conservative and founder of Media Research Center, Brent Bozell, asserted that, from the standpoint of ideas, conservatives have, “allowed themselves to engage in philosophical discussions that have nothing to do with the conservative movement.” In fact, he says conservatives are entertaining ideas that are “anathema” to what conservatives traditionally believe. We have to keep in mind, says Bozell, ” Ronald Reagan wasn’t a success because he was a Republican. Ronald Reagan was a success because he was a conservative.”
“We have people who are, in the name of conservatism, pushing what they call ‘Big Government Conservatism,’ which is a contradiction.” Bozell says that there are conservatives that call themselves “national defense hawks” who want to deplete military spending. Moreover, according to Bozell, there are conservatives that say that they are “pro-life,” but they want to abandon social issues form the conservative conversation. “Basically you got ideas that are being presented as conservative but are anti-conservative.”
From a standpoint of technology, Brent does not think the internet has helped the conservative cause. Although he feels it’s a wonderful vehicle to project good ideas, it is also a vehicle to project bad ideas. A bad idea for Bozell is the notion that social issues should not be part of the conservative first principles. According to Bozell, the first principles of conservatism consist of limited government, strong national defense, and an adherence to traditional American values. Bozell clarified the three principles by offering, “to put it another way: Freedom, Strength and Virtue.”
Bozell explained that many conservatives believe that abortion or traditional marriage should not be discussed because they think it is bad politics and thus bad policy. The conservative spokesman insists that, just because a principle that you hold true “is not popular this week, if it’s a cornerstone principle” it should be communicated.
Significantly, Bozell feels that we could have ended Obamacare already. The only thing we need was the “will of the House. They just had to say we are not going to fund it. But, that will isn’t there. And in the Senate that will isn’t there.” Brent also contends that even if Republicans can capture the senate in 2014, they will not try to defund Obamacare. He says that Republicans always give a reason for why it can’t be done. They are “like Wimpy with the hamburgers. I’ll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today.” We are continually being told “not this time,” but sometime in the future we are going to fight. Moreover, it has been the same story for the debt ceiling, Bozell maintains.
Bozell has been impressed with the voices of Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Mike Lee (R-UT) and he maintains that they embrace the “first principles of conservatism.” However, Brent says that when they realized “the clock was running out and they made a stand against Obamacare, the Republican leadership turned on them.” According to Bozell, there hasn’t been a single serious effort yet to fight Obamacare. “They don’t like it but they don’t want to fight against it.”
What’s more, Bozell makes the point that the reason Republicans have a majority in the House is a result of their “solemn commitment” to end Obamacare, which they made during the 2010 midterm elections. From the standpoint of the conservative movement, Bozell argues that, “when one piece of legislation nationalized one-seventh of the American economy, then small government conservatives should go ballistic.” Furthermore, Brent says that any republican who calls himself a fiscal conservative, “which is to say every single Republican in congress should be fighting tooth and nail. And, if he doesn’t, then stop using the term fiscal conservative.”
On a more optimistic note, Bozell does feel that there is a new generation of conservative leaders that make him hopeful for the movement. “Ted Cruz, Mike Lee, Marco Rubio and Rand Paul are great examples of “bright, bright conservative minds” that are emerging. Bozell insists the conservative movement is going to have to “wrap themselves around them. And not worry about power. We have got to focus on principles.”