Ron Paul wins CPAC poll - but what's a 'movement conservative?'

By Paul Mulshine/The Star Ledger
February 22, 2010, 11:55AM

ions from New Jersey
Ron Paul wins CPAC poll - but what's a 'movement conservative?'
By Paul Mulshine/The Star Ledger
February 22, 2010, 11:55AM

I was gratified to see that Ron Paul won the straw poll held at the Conservative Political Action Conference over the weekend.

It's encouraging to see that this convention of self-identified conservatives has finally tapped into the true American conservative tradition of small government and limited powers running back through Barry Goldwater to Robert Taft and of course Washington and Jefferson.

As this tradition has made a resurgence, though, political writers are having a hard time trying to define the big-government, liberal internationalist wing of the Republican Party that still follows the George W. Bush-John McCain brand of politics. Note this passage from the Politico piece:

CPAC organizers were plainly embarrassed by the results, which could reduce the perceived impact of a contest that was once thought to offer a window into which White House hopefuls were favored by movement conservatives.

Just what is a "movement conservative?" Someone who believes in loose money and giant deficits - not to mention endless spending to build nations and spread freedom among people who hate us?

continued:

http://blog.nj.com/njv_pa...