The biggest failure of American conservativism is its dogged insistance on being on the wrong side of gay rights and the environment. Not for good reasons, either. History will not be kind.
The Biggest Failure Of American Conservativism
August 10, 2010 by Kullervo
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Sailing to Byzantium 
American conservativism’s reckless love affair with populist tactics is a serious problem, too, but that seems to be a poison that has infected all of American politics, not just the conservative side. Conservatives are worse about it, but everyone’s guilty, and there’s going to be hell to pay. The worst dictators of the 20th century were all populists.
As a Republican and Conservative, I tend to agree with your statement. However, I see the biggest failure of American Progressives is that they seem to believe there is only one correct answer to these issues, and it is government’s role to force people to conform to that answer.
On the gay rights issue… something that has been repeatedly brought up in the debate is that young people don’t see the issues with homosexuality that older folks do. We are literally 25 years away from a world were passing SSM will be almost a no-brainer. However, gay rights activists want to try to use the courts to shove it down the throats of an America that is just not ready and don’t accept the idea of it being equal protection and like the civil rights movement. California should have been a wake up call, but it wasn’t. California!!
California *voters* passed a law banning SSM… activists had it overturned as a violation of the state’s constitution. Those same California votes then amended their constitution. So, those same activists fought that it violated the US Constitution. They are taking a big gamble now. If the Supreme Court hears the case, and rules that the ban is constitutional then SSM is crushed. If the Supreme Court rules the SSM ban is a violation, it makes SSM legal nationwide… and, like in California, could light on fire the existing national movement for a constitutional amendment to ban SSM… in which case, SSM is really crushed because the Supreme Court cannot overturn the Constitution.
@ Timothy. You say: “I see the biggest failure of American Progressives is that they seem to believe there is only one correct answer to these issues, and it is government’s role to force people to conform to that answer.” That seems to me to be one sweeping statement in answer to another. “Progressive” politics is not a synonym for “big government”, except perhaps in the eyes of people in America engaged in the debate (battle of denunciation?), and where it is so that is because you a) are a big country and b) have a government.
Modern American conservatism would have Burke rolling over in his grave.
Sure, but that’s pretty much completely irrelevant.