Jeffrey Hart was a speech writer for Ronald Reagan both as governor of California and as President. He was a speechwriter for Richard Nixon. He’s written academic books and articles on the underpinnings of the true conservative movement. He was a senior editor of The National Review for nearly 40 years. He is a true conservative.
Yet he has endorsed Barack Obama, first in February at The Daily Dish by Andrew Sullivan. Why did he do it? It’s best to let him explain himself. Here are a couple excerpts from The Daily Beast the source where I found it today.
Republican President George W. Bush has not been a conservative at all, either in domestic policy or in foreign policy. He invaded Iraq on the basis of abstract theory, the very thing [Edmond] Burke warned against. [Edmond Burke wrote a seminal work on conservatism called "Reflections on the Revolution in France" in 1790. He also supported the American Revolution as a member of Parliament.] <>
Obama did understand. In his now famous 2002 speech, while he was still a state senator in Illinois, he said: “I know that a successful war against Iraq will require a US occupation of undetermined length, of undetermined cost, with undetermined consequences. I know that an invasion of Iraq without a clear rationale and without international support will fan the flames of the Middle East, and encourage the worst, rather than the best, impulses of the Arab world, and strengthen the recruitment arm of al Qaeda. I’m not opposed to all wars. I’m opposed to dumb wars.”
Burke would have agreed entirely, and admired the cogency of so few words. And one thing I know is that both Nixon and Reagan would have agreed. Both were prudential and successful conservatives. But all the organs of the conservative movement followed Bush over the cliff—as did John McCain.”
The balance of the article deals with Social Security, which he considers a successful program, and more. Here yet another true conservative jumping ship from John McCain. This one has the academic credentials to back up his disagreements. H/T to The Daily Beast.
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[...] Another R Jumps Ship: ‘Obama is the True Conservative’ Jeffrey Hart was a speech writer for Ronald Reagan both as governor of California and as President. He was a speechwriter for Richard Nixon. He’s written academic books and articles on the underpinnings of the true conservative movement. He was a senior editor of The National Review for nearly 40 years. He is a true conservative. Yet he has endorsed Barack Obama, first in February at The Daily Dish by Andrew Sullivan. Why did he do it? It’s best to let him explain himself. Here are a couple [...]