A Time for Choosing

It would seem that many people do not yet understand what the difference is between conservatism and liberalism or why it even matters. Listening to this speech is a great place to start.

Ronald Reagan - October 27, 1964 (the same speech could be given today with a few of the numbers updated for inflation):

Click here to listen to The Speech

It's been pretty hard getting people to give you a coherent reason why a vote for Obama was a good choice. In fact, it kind of feels like it would be perceived as racist if you were to even ask. I think "reason" has, in fact, been taken out of the choice, and the emotional euphoria put in its place. From what I've been able to glean from folks so far, I'm hearing two main reasons for their choice in support of Obama:
1) race
2) money

I'm not sure what that says about us overall. As for race, I'm encouraged that the country has provided evidence of being past the awful racial prejudices it once had. I don't think that's a good reason to elect a Marxist liberal, but at least there is a bright side. It bothers me, however, that 95% of black voters support Obama. That, to me, seems racist. Many white folks understandably feel that they have inherited an unfair characterization since they have had nothing to do with the racism or slavery of the past. After a while, it starts being perceived as whining. I think that it's just plain weird that black people do not overwhelmingly support the views of men like Lincoln; views that ended slavery; views that conservatives hold dear. Also, Mona Charen, makes a good point in

this article

that it's probably not necessary for whites to carry around guilt for the sins of other whites in history. But today, the shame on white people for the slavery and prejudice in history still seems to hang around like an old stray cat.

As for wealth redistribution: it is legalized theft whether you are on the receiving or the giving end. As Reagan understood, programs that redistribute wealth end up squandering that wealth and entrenching welfare. It's a plan that hypocritically offers help to the poor while making them increasingly helpless and simultaneously removes the rights of individuals and depresses their incentives. Why don't liberals simply write an extra check to the government each year at tax time if they trust them so much to use their money the best way possible?

Conservatives are not against helping the less fortunate. And conservatives themselves are not all wealthy. Wealth redistribution is simply inefficient as you will learn about in the speech, and I think conservatives realize there are better ways of caring for others. Midrange earners, poor people, and the wealthy all do better when taxes are low and laws are fair, which means the law is used to protect the people not single them out for political agenda.

So what happened to conservatism? Listen here to Victor Davis Hanson on the Hugh Hewitt show for some insight.

click to listen: VDH on Hugh Hewitt show