"Yahooism" and the "Conservative Mind"

I will accept, for argument's sake, that there still exists a "conservative mind." But, as Jeffrey Hart points out -- whether intentionally or not, I'm not quite sure -- it is no longer really reconcileable with the Grand Old Party.

The Republican Party. Conservatives assume that the Republican Party is by and large conservative. But this party has stood for many and various things in its history. The most recent change occurred in 1964, when its center of gravity shifted to the South and the Sunbelt, now the solid base of "Republicanism." The consequences of that profound shift are evident, especially with respect to prudence, education, intellect and high culture. It is an example of Machiavelli's observation that institutions can retain the same outward name and aspect while transforming their substance entirely.

The Republican Party unhitched its wagon to conservatism when it lunged in response to Goldwater's drubbing, and the "Party of Lincoln" has long since made it's pact with the Sons of the Confederacy. It's a party whose base no longer consists of conservatives who are and have long been a fringe group (which is why the Republican party was the minority for much of the 20th century up until 1968), but rather consists of those with unmeetable grievance -- an ever-replenishing resource in modern America. If you don't believe me, watch O'Rielly.

Anyway, OpinionJournal, so often a miasma of uninspired lunacy, is actually worth a read with this piece.

P.S. Not sure how to take this (but you can be sure I have an idea), but Blogger's spell check function suggests "Orwell" as a replacement for "O'Rielly."