Podhoretz to Conservatives: Drop Dead

Adopting John Podhoretz’s thoughtful and measured writing style, I will declare that Podhoretz at Commentary’s blog today has shown, without question, the most unsound judgment of any opinion writer in modern political history. In the piece, in which he attacks Republicans for being too conservative, he writes:

The defection of Arlen Specter from the GOP, following the effort by the Club of Growth to target him for defeat in the Republican primary, is an example of how confused conservative ideologues can get about the nature of the Republican party…. [Specter] wasn’t much, and he wasn’t good, but aiming for his destruction without thinking about the recourse that he might have to resort to is, without question, the most self-destructive act in modern political history. His defection to the Democratic party, which will, in short order, deprive the Republicans of any power whatsoever in the Senate. [Emphasis added.]

Politics is not about casting the easy vote for the person you admire. It’s really about choosing the least bad alternative. The foes of Specter in Pennsylvania thought their least bad alternative was challenging him in a primary he would lose. Now they will really discover what the least bad alternative might have been. And so will we all.

Podhoretz is saying that by opposing Specter for re-election, conservatives are responsible for Specter’s dishonorable act of moving to the Democratic party! The message is: conservatives shouldn’t exist. They shouldn’t breathe. They shouldn’t engage in politics. They shouldn’t run candidates against liberals. Their assigned job is to keep moving forever to the left so as to avoid offending liberals—so as to avoid doing anything that might somehow have a negative result. And if they dare step out of that assigned role, then they have committed, without question, the most self-destructive act in modern political history.

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Gintas writes:

Podhoretz says:

“Politics is not about casting the easy vote for the person you admire. It’s really about choosing the least bad alternative.”

He meant to say:

“Politics is not about casting the easy vote for the person you admire. It’s really about casting the easy vote for the person the liberal elite admire.”

Karl D. writes:

Podhoretz wrote:

“Politics is not about casting the easy vote for the person you admire. It’s really about choosing the least bad alternative.”

It is this breathtaking cynicism that has brought us to where we are today. The endless lines of “conservative” and neo-con talking heads that have been pushing this type of swill about the Specter defection is unreal. Brit Hume trotted out on Fox news and basically laughed the whole thing of as just “hardball politics.” Conservative ethics and morals have become something for intellectuals and middle aged angry white males destined for the trash heap of history.

What I have seen no one discuss about Specter is the sheer ego of this man. After a 30 year run and a battle with cancer you would think that this 80 year old would long for the golf course with scotch and sodas at the country club? A wise old sage would pass the baton to a younger man, write his memoirs and enjoy the twilight of his life surrounded by family. But he is clearly ruled by power and ego. He lied to his constituents by changing parties in mid-stream, has probably ruined any chance a couple of young buck Democrats had at getting their career on track, and has alienated his party (along with people he has known for years) to the peril of his own country. Believe me, I will not miss him. But his style is that of a sociopath and a narcissist. And the more people that write this off as just “hardball politics” the more disgusted I become. Politics in my opinion is a combination of idealism and the game of statecraft. When the idealism part goes we are left with nothing but an open sewer. And now it appears that the only people left entitled to any form of idealism are on the left. Conservatives are now delusional romantics.

LA replies:

Exactly right. “Proper” conservatism now consists of nothing but accommodating oneself to liberals. No conservative ideal may be held or expressed or striven for, beyond what is immediately achievable in this moment. The distinction between what is and what ought to be and could be, has been banished, at least for conservatives. Only liberals may have ideals, and conservatism is to yield to them. The David Horowitzes, the John Podhoretzes, have spoken.

May 2

David Friedman writes:

You write:

“Only liberals may have ideals, and conservatism is to yield to them. The David Horowitzes, the John Podhoretzes, have spoken.”

This is an important point and the moment conservatism loses is soul, its long-cherished values, we are doomed because the left holds no standards beyond their own double standards.

In a contest of ideas and ideals, if the left can claim victory—it is all over folks. Conservatives are fond of bragging—as one radio talk show host says, to paraphrase: “we may have lost an election but we have not lost our bearings.” If trends continue, we will have lost everything. The influence of socialism has now crept into the conservative branches of Judaism and has almost taken over Modern Orthodoxy. Mainline Orthodoxy is also affected and the silence of the right-wing branches of Judaism is painful because it gives the floor to Leftist Jews unopposed. We are told that as Jews we have a message for humanity and these ideas and ideals—also brought forward by Christianity under the influence of the Jewish Bible. Now, the world is being deprived of the message and the only ones speaking are the ones with no moral compass at all as they wield morality which is either situational, immoral or grossly off the mark such as when Jon Stewart told his audience that Truman was immoral when he dropped the A-bomb on the Japanese. It seems the apologies have only just begun.

I stand in disbelief when leftists gush that Obama is “the most moral and RELIGIOUS man who has ever served as President!” It was a joke only a short time ago when we laughed at the nonsense that recyling was prayer for liberals because *we* prayed and knew the Almighty. Today, we don’t uphold ultimate ideals so there is no check and balance against the inanity of claiming that a carbon tax is an act of moral virtue.

Posted by Lawrence Auster at April 29, 2009 11:54 AM | Send