Movement conservative
A movement conservative is one who supports all or nearly all conservative principles with a coherent philosophy, and who advances broad conservative goals both individually and through teamwork. This is contrasted with cafeteria, or single-issue, or self-serving approaches. Movement conservatives, unlike cafeteria conservatives, understand that since conservative philosophy is a coherent whole, it is untenable to discard part of it without discarding all of it. Movement conservatives favor logic rather than self-centered behavior and therefore reject the teachings of Ayn Rand, who considered selfishness to be logical.
Simply put, a movement conservative is a conservative who seeks to help others, and the nation, by explaining, advocating and defending the logical and beneficial conservative approach. A movement conservative is not primarily seeking political gain for him or herself, but advocates the insights and values of conservatism for the benefit of others.
Movement conservatives include:
- Activist Phyllis Schlafly
- Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas
- Commentator Pat Buchanan
- U.S. Representative for Iowa's 4th District Steve King
- U.S. Representative for Minnesota's 6th District Michele Bachmann
- Heritage President (and former Senator) Jim DeMint
- Homeschooling leader Michael Farris
- Columnist and economist Thomas Sowell
- Radio and former television personality Glenn Beck
- Author and talk-radio host Mark Levin
Honorable Mention
- Former Governor Sarah Palin
- Talk-radio host Rush Limbaugh
- Former United Nations Ambassador John Bolton
- Activist Alan Keyes
- Columnist Ann Coulter
- Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia
- Columnist and blogger Michelle Malkin
Deceased
- St. Paul, author of the greatest number of letters in the New Testament
- Irish Statesman Edmund Burke, who served in the British Parliament at the time of the American Revolution
- Senator Jesse Helms
- President Ronald Reagan
- Congressman John Ashbrook
- Congressman Larry McDonald, M.D., who died on board of the KAL 007 flight when it was shot down by Soviets.
- Journalist Robert Novak
- Author William F. Buckley
- Senator Barry Goldwater
- Liberty University founder Jerry Falwell
See also
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