What happened to true conservatives?
By Martin Dyckman • Guest Columnist
The two most abused and misused words in America are “conservative” and “populist.” Politicians and the media are the grossest offenders.
Safire’s Political Dictionary defines “conservative” as “a defender of the status quo who, when change becomes necessary in tested institutions or practices, prefers that it come slowly, in moderation.” It also came to stand for resistance, sometimes rational, sometimes not, to taxes and regulations. What all American conservatives shared, however, was a healthy concern over the potential abuse of political power. They also venerated the Constitution and all of our fundamental institutions.
