It has been said many times over the past six years or so that "intellectual conservatism" is dead. In other words, the thinking part of the movement isn't working anymore. I think that confuses people because obviously Republicans are coming up with ideas, just not anything of substance. For instance, Steven Hayward-- a staunch conservative-- concludes Tea Baggers and birthers, the current motivated faction of the GOP, are not fixating anything to conservative ideology. But that people like Jonah Goldberg, Hugh Hewitt and Glenn Beck are adding "serious" substance to the movement.
I can agree with that. I can't think any people smarter than Goldberg, who argues liberals are fascists, and Hewitt, who thirsts for war without end and actually believes that by sitting in a cushy chair in an office in NYC that he's on the front lines of fighting terrorists, and Beck, who is for a lack of a better term, a complete idiot. These are by far the leaders of the movement, intellectual or not. "Thinking" doesn't always mean reason. And "intellectual" doesn't always mean rational.
Sure conservatism is still ticking. It's not what it used to be by any means. Their alternative to health care reform is heckling the president and holding Tea Bagger rallies where they hold up signs about white slavery and socialism. That doesn't make them un-smart. Nor does it mean their movement is dead. Dumb is the new intellect biatch!!
