I’ve been a lifelong conservative. I’ve been an ultra-conservative. I’m one of that rare breed of conservatives because I’m not only a social conservative, but I’m also an economic conservative. I strongly believe conservative thinking holds the key to a bright and prosperous future, both for America and for the world.

Given all these, you would think I buy into the current thinking that there is a conservative renaissance going on, purportedly evidenced by the GOP’s victorious fall campaigns, especially in Bush’s re-election and conservatives’ tightening their grip over both chambers of Congress.

Wrong.

I think we are a dying breed.

And I believe our conservative sensitivities are being chipped away, and that overall, conservatism is waning with time.

Sure, some conservatives may happily point to all the “signs” across the nation, for example, the exurbs, Sun Belts, religious right, conservative talk radio and so on. However, I believe these are only temporary phenomena. It’s scary to say this, but in the long run, the French and the Hillarys may be winning.

Amazingly and unexpectedly, if you look through history, the liberals have cleverly hijacked our ideas and they’ve also stolen our image.

We are the ultimate kinder and gentler breed, but the liberals have successfully twisted and painted the opposite picture. Bush tried to resuscitate the dying but true picture by coining “compassionate conservative,” but the impact of his efforts have largely been confined to conservative circles. I don’t think that battle cry is buying us that many liberal votes.

Just think about it: less than 150 years after the then-sitting Republican president issued his historic Emancipation Proclamation, which led to the eventual freeing of all slaves in America, many ethnic minority groups still continue to vote overwhelmingly against Lincoln’s chosen party.

Though conservatives have both big hearts and cool heads, the liberals have successfully portrayed us as perennially lacking in the first asset (they dare not, rightly, touch on the second one). You can name any social initiatives, any touchy-feely agenda, and it seems like the liberals tend to get all the credit, even though conservatives are the ones footing the bills. (Herein lies the biggest irony and harshest reality of American politics for the past 75 years: Conservatives are busy out there making a living and paying taxes, leaving liberals with more lazy time talking to people and influencing public opinion, resulting in conservatives paying for social programs for which liberals get the credit).

We have to admit, budgets are notoriously difficult to cut, even among fiscally-conservative legislators. Faced with pulling metaphorical feeding tubes off people, it becomes a tough decision (that’s why across-the-board cuts, though far from being sensible things, appear to be the only practical solution out of our fiscal mess!)

That’s why legislators from both parties — as we speak — continue to pile on our government debts. It’s human weakness at its worst. The last thing any legislator wants to be remembered for is the fact that he cuts ____________’s allocation.

Be my guest and fill in your favorite government program above.

Michael J. Greenberg is a graduate student and a columnist for the Daily Kent Stater.

Editor’s note: Michael J. Greenberg is a pseudonym. He can be contacted through the editor at [email protected].