Is Bush conservative?

[lehighguy]

Pre 9/11 most conservatives, and myself, took a no foriegn entanglement foriegn policy viewpoint. That was the stance Bush ran on in 2000.

Whether 9/11 has caused a re-alingment of conservative idealogy as related to foriegn involvement is another question entirely. However, pre-9/11 conservative idealogy would clearly frown upon foriegn involvement, hence the elder Bush's decision not to invade Iraq.

[tylerdurden]

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Foriegn wars is not a sign of liberals.

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Please search Google for the following:

Lyndon Johnson + Vietnam

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Or FDR, Wilson.

[vulturesrow]

Of course the term conservative is a broad one and in fairness to the OP, he did try to narrow down. If by traditional conservative, you mean the paleocons, Bush most assuredly isnt any more (if he ever was). As you pointed out, however, he did run on that platform. 9/11 saw Bush pick the neocon foreign policy standard. I think the best term for Bush is a pragmatist, his only real conservative leanings being a) socially and b) somewhat economically (tax cuts, but wont retrain spending).

[FishHooks]

Neither party has anything about foreign wars in their platforms

[FishHooks]

The president isn't going to veto a bill because of spending, nothing in congress would get done and his part would be pissed at him.

[FishHooks]

spending is the only thing anyone has on the republican party, not bush, as not being conservative. I agree the Republican party is messing up on the spending, but I dont agree its Bush that is messing that up. All his proposed Bill's get blown up in congress. His tax plan was even cut down some 150 billion dollars.

[lehighguy]

Dems used to be all pro foriegn intervention. Bosnia, Somolia, etc. They were always saying how we need to save lifes and alleviate the suffering of those oppressed.

[vulturesrow]

Bush also encouraged the expansion of Medicare and seems to have a pathological fear of his veto pen. I like Bush for a lot of things but I am not letting him off the hook for his abandonment of conservative fiscal positions.

[Wes ManTooth]

9/11 events have caused a re-alignment in all political ideology in general. Regardless of party some issues, both conservative and liberal, moved closer to a moderate ground. At the same time, some other issues eventually moved farther apart, becoming more associated with different political sides.

[FishHooks]

Oh yea like when Clinton was president and how we helped out against the massive killing of over 1,000,000 people in Rawanda...oh wait we did nothing. No one party every says or has in their platform "i'm for foriegn wars".