Whatever happened to conservative values? I remember when conservatives stood for norms and traditions--in politics and life in general. It was conservatives, after all, who forced through the Constitutional amendment restricting Presidents to two full terms, after FDR "broke" the tradition begun by George Washington. It was conservatives who complained when Jimmy Carter appeared on TV for an official statement in an open-collared shirt and a cardigan, instead of the tradition of a business suit. Or when Barack Obama wore a (heaven forbid) tan suit, instead of the "traditional" dark shades.
But now, after four years of a President who casts aside norms and traditions of far more consequence, even to acceding to the results of an election, conservatives rally to his side. Why? Is it because winning is more important than principle? Is it because having your way on contentious issues like abortion is more important than norms and traditions?
Conservatives often deride progressives and liberals for having values that shift depending the circumstances...of not having hard-and-firm principles...as though being willing to see the whole picture, from all sides of the issue, is somehow soft and wishy-washy.
If that's true, then what the hell are they doing now?
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