Let's see... you favor conservation even at the cost of energy independence, consistently opposing any new production. You're not too keen on the 2nd Amendment. The toll roads thing wasn't about raising taxes, but probably about replacing a tax with a user fee. You seem to think the courts are a superior branch to the legislative rather than equal. You don't want medical tort reform. And you don't want to exempt the internet from FEC red tape.

I'm at a loss to see how you qualify as a conservative at all. All those positions you've taken are not conservative, but moderate to liberal. Your own ACU rating, were you in Congress, would be low.

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"You have rights antecedent to all earthly governments; rights that cannot be repealed or restrained by human laws; rights derived from the Great Legislator of the Universe." - John Adams.

McCain has lost his credibility and if the republican party doesn't get behind him he's another paragraph in american politics. He's the flip side of Hilary. Say anything do anything in the hopes the party will get behind them.

Could be. The party's not getting behind him, and IMO it isn't going to. Desperation maybe?

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"You have rights antecedent to all earthly governments; rights that cannot be repealed or restrained by human laws; rights derived from the Great Legislator of the Universe." - John Adams.

I did not say I oppose new production. There are many alternatives to petroleum and we should develop them rather perpetuating our dependence on petroleum. I am in favor of new production as long as it is not aimed at producing more petroleum. Giving up long-term environmental sustainability for the sake of energy independence is not an even trade.

I don’t see where the 2nd Amendment gives anyone an unregulated right to own guns. If the 2nd Amendment did give such a right it would not include the concept a “well regulated militia”.

And it would be better to reduce/eliminate both.

How can the courts be an equal branch of government if Congress can easily nullify their rulings?

When did I say that?

Actually I said I am in favor of the opposite. I am opposed to any effort to regulate the internet the way politicians and political organizations are regulated, because such regulations violate the 1st Amendment.

What entitles you to be judge and jury of what constitutes conservatism?

That's a reasonable position, but it's the typically liberal position.

Again, that's a reasonable position, but it's the typically liberal position.

Ain't going to happen unless we privatize the roads, and mostly it's just the most radical libertarians who favor that. How do you feel about gas taxes? With your emphasis on conservation, I'd think you'd be for raising them to discourage gasoline use.

I can't find the actual text of the proposed amendment anywhere. Since we can't be sure what happened there, I'll take this one off the list.

You didn't exactly, but you did include #17 Medical Malpractice in the list of issues you didn't like the ACU using for their ratings. But that issue is a huge left vs. right, liberal vs. conservative bone of contention whether we like it or not. I'll score you a half point for not taking sides.

Ok, good, we're on the same side there. So you should've agreed with the ACU on that one, because that was the side they came down on.

35 years of political activism for conservative organizations (such as Young Americans for Freedom, to name just one) and candidates. 35 years of personal involvement with the American conservative movement. 35 years of study of the intellectual history of it. 35 years of personal acquaintance with leading conservative activists. Trust me when I say I know what a conservative is and isn't.

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"You have rights antecedent to all earthly governments; rights that cannot be repealed or restrained by human laws; rights derived from the Great Legislator of the Universe." - John Adams.

I don’t see it this way. The liberal position is to punish anyone who makes a profit and subsidize anyone who does not. The libertarian position calls for making as much profit possible as soon as possible regardless of the consequences. Profitable sustainability is the proper goal for a conservative.

It’s the position of the Founding Fathers- none of whom would be liberal by today’s standards. I am merely following the traditional intent of the 2nd Amendment- and upholding tradition is what conservatism is all about.

The free market seldom looks out for the common good; I don’t see privatization of roads ever working on a wide scale.

I would rather see higher fuel efficiency standards. Higher gas taxes would be fine if they were coupled with incentives to conserve what we have and develop alternatives.

I am in favor of holding bad doctors accountable when their actions cause death or injury. But, at the same time I think we have too many lawyers. The mere threat of lawsuits punishes the good doctors along with the bad. But, I will accept lawsuits until we can find a better way to deal with bad doctors.

I likely understand legalese better than most non-lawyers, but I think the ACU isn’t doing itself any favor in the way it phrases the explanation for the issues.

And you still jumped to conclusions regarding what I believe and what you think I believe, thereby concluding that I am not a conservative.

Uh huh, and I stand by it after reading your response. Words mean things, and you're using conservative to mean something much different than the vast majority of other people who call themselves conservatives mean by it. When you say you're conservative, but disagree with the generally accepted conservative positions... well, that makes you a conservative to me the same way a Unitarian would be a Christian to you.

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"You have rights antecedent to all earthly governments; rights that cannot be repealed or restrained by human laws; rights derived from the Great Legislator of the Universe." - John Adams.

That's a very good point. It must be desperation.

What guarantee do we have that these other people really know what conservatism is? Do any of my beliefs/goals conflict with Burke?

The only Burke I remember well enough to use as a guide is Reflections on the Revolution in France, and I can't say you conflict with anything I remember of that.

But in the modern conservative context, Goldwater and Reagan are more relevant. As are, on the intellectual side, William F. Buckley, Jr., Russell Kirk, Frank S. Meyer, James Burnham, Thomas Sowell, Richard M. Weaver, Wilmoore Kendall and Eric Voegelin.

I highly recommend this book: Did You Ever See a Dream Walking?, an anthology of the best conservative thought, edited by William F. Buckley, Jr. It's out of print, but Amazon has plenty of used copies and your local public library may have it.

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"You have rights antecedent to all earthly governments; rights that cannot be repealed or restrained by human laws; rights derived from the Great Legislator of the Universe." - John Adams.