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Title: Ann Coulter vs. Bill Kristol: Beginnings of a Conservative Schism?
Source:
Politics Daily
URL Source: http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/0 ... nings-of-a-conservative-schis/
Published: Jul 9, 2010
Author: Matt Lewis
Post Date: 2010-07-09 21:02:45 by Brian S
Keywords: None
Views: 6496
Comments: 15
Ann Coulter's recent column "Bill Kristol Must Resign" may have officially kicked off the next great schism within the conservative movement. At issue is the war in Afghanistan -- and, more specifically, whether Republicans should support President Obama's approach to a conflict that has now lasted for Americans far longer than World War II. Poster Comment: More popcorn and "rope" please... {{{chuckle}}}
Mocking neoconservatives, Coulter wrote: "Bill Kristol [editor of The Weekly Standard] and Liz Cheney have demanded that [Michael] Steele resign as head of the RNC for saying Afghanistan is now Obama's war -- and a badly thought-out one at that. (Didn't liberals warn us that neoconservatives want permanent war?)"
Coulter failed at convincing Kristol to resign -- she never says from what. In fact, channeling Michael Steele, who vows to stay on as party chief, Kristol responded: "I ain't going anywhere." But she may have succeeded at advancing a major debate.
Until now, there has been somewhat of an unspoken rule, adhered to by most on the right, that conservative Republicans would vigorously oppose Obama's liberal domestic policies while supporting his efforts to win in Afghanistan. After all, Republicans had staunchly backed George W. Bush when he made the case for fighting al-Qaeda in Afghanistan. Changing course now would seem craven -- playing politics with national security. And so, in foreign policy, Obama was criticized from the right only when he appeared to be showing weakness, not when he displayed toughness.
But recent comments from Steele have sparked a debate that was probably long overdue. Notwithstanding the fact that Steele almost immediately backtracked, some conservatives began defending the substance of Steele's comments. "Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele was absolutely right," Coulter wrote. "Afghanistan is Obama's war and, judging by other recent Democratic ventures in military affairs, isn't likely to turn out well."
This is a serious point. As Politics Daily's own David Corn recently wrote:
There was always skepticism on the left about Obama's decision to escalate the war -- perhaps even to waging war there in the first place. And if the commander in chief is losing any significant portion of the right when it comes to Afghanistan, his policies could be on perilous ground.
One of the ideas advanced by Coulter is that Bush wisely kept a relatively small footprint in Afghanistan, while choosing instead to invade Iraq -- terrain more hospitable for a traditional ground war. There is some revisionism at work here, and it must be said that prominent voices, like Liz Cheney's (not to mention Gen. David Petraeus'), were raised in support of the surge in Afghanistan. Still, it's fair to broach the question raised by Steele and Coulter: Would Bush be doing anything differently today in terms of Afghanistan?
Or is Coulter's position a less high-minded one? After a decade of defending Bush's actions, and getting beat up for it, are Republicans now saying it's time for a Democratic president to get the Bush treatment?
Coulter is not the first conservative to warn that Afghanistan could turn into a quagmire. George Will and Tony Blankley have raised that very point. But Coulter has made it in a way that directly -- and personally -- challenges conservative orthodoxy. And it's catching on. MSNBC's Joe Scarborough tweeted Coulter's column out to his followers, adding, "Thank you, Ann Coulter. She speaks out against the GOP now being for permanent war. She is right."
And if conservatives are asked to choose sides between, say, the elected leader of the Republican National Committee (Steele) and the titular head of the Democratic National Committee (Obama), how many will decide that Obama's Afghanistan policies are not worth the trouble? Maybe it was unavoidable, but it does seem as if Coulter's comments today hearken back to the 1990s -- when Bill Clinton was in the Oval Office -- and conservatives criticized his efforts in places like Bosnia and Kosovo as "nation building."
Clearly, things have changed since 2008, when candidates John McCain, Rudy Giuliani and even Mitt Romney represented the mainstream viewpoint, and when Congressman Ron Paul was essentially mocked for his isolationist tendencies and his desire for a "humble foreign policy." Today, Paul's positions are enjoying resurgence, and his son, Rand Paul, is poised to be elected to the U.S. Senate. How quickly things change.
Regardless, debating this policy is healthy, and conservatives are justified to have this discussion. There are conservative arguments to be made for -- or against -- continuing the war in Afghanistan, just as I believe a principled conservative case could have been made (and was, in some quarters) against the 2003 invasion of Iraq. This is a debate that conservatives, and all Americans, should keep having. War is not something to be entered into lightly; nor should support for it ever be contingent on whether the commander in chief has a D after his name, or an R.
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#1. To: Brian S (#0)
I don't like Kristol. Can't stand him. Coulter is slightly better. She is right sometimes.
She is surprising me here. Can't stand the either of them but I would spit on Coulter if on fire whereas in Kristol's case, I'd fan the flames.
Never swear "allegiance" to anything other than the 'right to change your mind'!
That was brilliant of Bush. I always thought Roosevelt should have attacked Mexico instead of fighting a bloody war with Japan.
"The ocean will take care of this on its own if it was left alone and left out there. It's natural. It's as natural as the ocean water is." - Rush Limbaugh
Huh? Somebody correct me if I'm wrong,but don't you have to have two conservatives disagreeing in order to create a schism? What we have here is a opportunist leaving a sinking ship that is piloted by a former communist who evolved into becoming a fascist.
"I adore John McCain, support him 100 percent and will do everything I can to support his reelection. As everyone knows, I was honored and proud to run with him. And Todd and I were with him in D.C. just a week ago." (Sarah Palin,Dec 2009) ************************************ DID Palin say or write these things or not? (Me) I don't know or F ing care. (Mad Dog posted on 2009-12-26 16:36:33 ET,post # 105 http://libertysflame.com/cgi-bin/readart.cgi?ArtNum=5510&Disp=114#C114)
'Beginning', what's w/ this 'beginning'? There has been a schism between pantywaist RINOs and conservative Republicans since long before Ford vs. Reagan, what planet has this idiot author been living on?
Its amusing the Left wants to pretend there is a divide because some want to dump the RNC Chairman. As if thats going to change how anyone votes in November.....(chuckle) Personally, I think Steele should go. As Krauthammer put it 'too many unforced political errors'. Make Palin RNC Chair.
Obama's first all-by-his-lonesome budget, btw, calls for a $1.17 trillion deficit.
Got it finally GO:) Figured you out.....You're a comedian right?
Death to everybody who does not get outta my way. Below is positively the most hilariously BS overflowing comment from the resident obamunist spent-condom EVER:) "This is WHY I left the GOP in the mid 90's. ." Dwarf
Hang in there. Only a few more hours before the pharma opens.
Never swear "allegiance" to anything other than the 'right to change your mind'!
What do I need GO? Some of what has frozen your mitochondria? S'ok....you keep it for yourself.
Death to everybody who does not get outta my way. Below is positively the most hilariously BS overflowing comment from the resident obamunist spent-condom EVER:) "This is WHY I left the GOP in the mid 90's. ." Dwarf
?? Your best attempt? No doubt you've "out wittied" me on the creativity huh? Yet another pissbag lefty projecting the "dongs and fag" routine once you get verbally mocked and kicked to the curb. Yer a dollar short and a day late compared to Dwarfs' and Ahl Doafew Boners' dirt-tube fascination. BBBWWWAAAHHHAAAHHHAAA!!!!
Death to everybody who does not get outta my way. Below is positively the most hilariously BS overflowing comment from the resident obamunist spent-condom EVER:) "This is WHY I left the GOP in the mid 90's. ." Dwarf
{{{chuckle}}}
Never swear "allegiance" to anything other than the 'right to change your mind'!
www.libertypost.org/cgi-b...ArtNum=292488&Disp=83#C83 Check out #82 also.
I saw Grand Island get his butt handed to him by Judge Parker. Couldn't happen to a nicer shill. I still say GI is our very own Tull, he's just as vacuous and trollish, and worships Palin and uses some of the same phrases such as 'feel the love".
"See in my line of work, you got to keep repeating things over and over and over again for the truth to sink in, to kind of catapult the propaganda." --- George W. Bush (Rochester NY, 5-24-2005)
What's interesting is that 3 years ago these same people were saying that opposition was equal to treason.
False.
Obama's first all-by-his-lonesome budget, btw, calls for a $1.17 trillion deficit.
#2. To: A K A Stone (#1)
#3. To: Brian S (#0)
One of the ideas advanced by Coulter is that Bush wisely kept a relatively small footprint in Afghanistan, while choosing instead to invade Iraq
#4. To: Brian S (#0)
Ann Coulter vs. Bill Kristol: Beginnings of a Conservative Schism?
#5. To: Brian S (#0)
Beginnings of a Conservative Schism?
#6. To: A K A Stone (#1)
#7. To: Brian S (#0)
and it must be said that prominent voices, like Liz Cheney's
#8. To: she_type_fag (#7)
#9. To: Brain Shit (#8)
Hang in there. Only a few more hours before the pharma opens.
#10. To: Brain Shit (#8)
she_type_fag
#11. To: she_type_fag (#10)
#12. To: Brian S (#11)
#13. To: Fred Mertz (#12)
Check out #82 also.
#14. To: Brian S (#0)
At issue is the war in Afghanistan -- and, more specifically, whether Republicans should support President Obama's approach to a conflict that has now lasted for Americans far longer than World War II.
#15. To: Bartcoprules (#14)
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