The Pink Flamingo :: The Conservative Cult of Ronald Reagan

Last week a friend and I had an email conversation back and forth about Tom Cruise and Scientology as a cult. We then began an email conversation about Sun Myung Moon and his ownership of the Washington Times, and how he is a cult. We started joking about some conservatives turning the memory of Ronald Reagan into a cult, primarily so they could manipulate the situation to their personal advantage. I think we have certain conservative “leaders” (sorry but multi-million dollar talk show hosts and celeb pundits do not meet my definition of “leader) are turning Reagan into a cult, with the slavish, blind, slobbering devotion all cults require. Considering the rhetoric of our various conservative “leaders” I think we are seriously dealing with the beginnings of a cult – designed to manipulate opinion, politicians, and voters.

The GOP is facing a serious problem, not from the Dems, but from Conservatives who are very unhappy because they are not getting their way. They remind me of my Grandfather Reidhead's favorite saying, "Have you own lousy way and make everybody hate you."

Bill Kristol Waiting for Reagan

“..It's foolish to wait for another Ronald Reagan. But not just because his political gifts are rare. There's a particular way in which Reagan was exceptional that many of us fail to appreciate: He was the only president of the last century who came to the office as the leader of an ideological movement….”

14 COMMON TRAITS OF A CULT
The following information about cults is from Marcia Rudin's 14 Common Characteristics of a Cult

“1. Members swear total allegiance to an all-powerful leader who they believe to be the Messiah.”

I think we’re past go here. Conservatives must swear allegiance to Ronald Reagan the Incarnate of all that is Perfect Conservative A perfect example of this is today when Rasmussen reported that Romney is now ahead in Florida. I hate to burst their bubble, but Survey USA’s most recent study makes Rasmussen look bad.

“2. Rational thought is discouraged or forbidden.”

It is more than just conservative now. Even Barry Obama, one of the most liberal Dems in DC is quoting Reagan. (Flopping Aces)
Where’s Lloyd Benson when you need him?

“…But I think, when I think about great presidents, I think about those who transform how we think about ourselves as a country in fundamental ways...And, you know, there are circumstances in which, I would argue, Ronald Reagan was a very successful president, even though I did not agree with him on many issues, partly because at the end of his presidency, people, I think, said, “You know what? We can regain our greatness. Individual responsibility and personal responsibility are important.” And they transformed the culture and not simply promoted one or two particular issues….” Barack Obama

“3. The cult's recruitment techniques are often deceptive.”

You got that right. All that is required is indoctrination through the cult of Limbaugh, daily. Then add a dash of Hannity, a little Townhall and you’re dealing with a nice clean brain, washed off all critical thought.

“4. The cult weakens the follower psychologically by making him or her depend upon the group to solve his or her problems. “

I think this goes without say. A problem arises, you reach for Reagan. A candidate must quote Reagan, worship Reagan, swear eternal allegiance to what is Reagan. If a thinking person strays by stating that the Cult of Reagan Incarnate is mis-representing what and who Ronald Reagan truly was.

“5. The cults manipulate guilt to their advantage.”

You stray, you are destroyed by Rush, Hewitt, Hannity, Coulter, Malkin, Ingraham, etc.

“6. The cult leader makes all the career and life decision of the members.”

Limbaugh hates McCain, therefore McCain must be destroyed. Lindsey Graham disagrees with Rush, ergo Lindsey must be destroyed.

“7. Cults exist only for their own material survival and make false promises to work to improve society.”

We’re not there yet, but I swear some conservatives are damning McCain simply to prop up their own checkbooks by a McCain loss. They all know Romney is unelectable.

“8. Cult members often work fulltime for the group for little or no pay.”

Do Lemming conservatives do anything else?

“9. Cult members are isolated from the outside world and any reality testing it could provide.”

Oh, yea. This is very much the case.

“10. Cults are anti-woman, anti-child, and anti-family. “

(does not apply) Of course Rush does name fun of feminists.

“11. Cults are apocalyptic and believe themselves to be the remnant who will survive the soon-approaching end of the world.”

I think the end of the world would be a McCain Presidency. Outside the Beltway has a posting today about just such an incident. The Republican died Saturday when Fred lost. Dear Lord in heaven give me a break!
The comments following the article prove conservatives are now in an apocalyptic mode.

“12. Many cults follow an "ends justify the means" philosophy.”

We are past go with this one, trust me. The Opinionated Catholic does a good job on this one today.

“13. Cults, particularly in regard to their finances, are shrouded in secrecy.”

This one doesn’t apply

“14. There is frequently an aura of or potential for violence around cults.”

There are veiled threats against any candidate who disagrees with the conservative party line. There are threats against the GOP to withhold votes, etc. Kiko’s House has an excellent commentary about this today. And threats from Rick Moran if Mac is nominated.

“…But frankly, I will hold harmless any conservative who wishes to stay at home on election day if John McCain is the nominee. For myself, I don’t know what I will do as far as voting but I know that he will receive no favors from me on this blog. The same would probably be true for Romney as well. My heart just wouldn’t be in promoting the candidacy of a man as changeable as the former center-left governor of Massachussets….Whether conservatives hold their nose and vote for him or stay at home it will hardly matter in the long run. McCain will not govern as a conservative and will almost surely freeze conservatives out of major policy positions. If this is what Rush Limbaugh and others mean by destroying the party by making it simply a poor echo of the Democrats then count me out. I hardly see a difference between the damage that would be done by a McCain or Obama/Hillary….”

The End Is Near – Woe Is Me!
“Commentary by Nori J. Muster

“If you think you might be involved in a cult, ask yourself some serious questions about the group.
Do you have to change who you are to fit in, please others?
Do they set up a duality of "us" and "them" and tell you that people outside the group are bad, less important?
Do they treat "outsiders" badly or talk behind their backs?
Do they treat members badly?
Do they give a false impression to the public?
Do they predict that society is on the brink of destruction?...”

HOW CONSERVATIVES HAVE BECOME A CULT
I don’t think we can call it anything else. Today’s “conservative” radio listening bloggers have become nothing less than followers in the brand new CULT OF THE FANTASY OF REAGAN. Want to join? Just do as Rush Limbaugh and his minions tell to do:
Let Freedom Ring is a cult member. Limbaugh is quoted.

"...“…Well, conservatism isn’t dead because it cannot be dead. Conservatism is not manmade. Conservatism is a philosophy. It’s not a scheme. It’s not a plan to figure out what the American people need and want, and then give it to them. That’s populism! Conservatism is a philosophy based on God-given natural rights. The Declaration of Independence, is that dead? Of course not! What’s dead is leadership on the Republican side, and because there is a lack of leadership of someone who the substantive understanding of liberty and the political skills to advance it, we get all this cockamamie nonsense about the death of our principles. Our principles are not dead! Our principles cannot die. I’ll tell you, in a lot of ways this reminds me of Jimmy Carter and his malaise speech. He blamed the American people for his miserable failures as president. Now we have conservatives and conservative wannabes, many of whom have held high office or hold high office or speak and write from formerly conservative outposts, who blame conservatives for their own miserable failures. What is lacking is not ideas and principles. What’s lacking is the right people to speak those ideas and principles, folks….”

RUSH V. REAGAN

“…Well, conservatism isn’t dead because it cannot be dead. If there is any ideological fanaticism in American political life, it is to be found among the enemies of freedom on the left or right -- those who would sacrifice principle to theory, those who worship only the god of political, social and economic abstractions, ignoring the realities of everyday life. They are not conservatives....Conservatism is not manmade. Conservatism is a philosophy. Our task now is not to sell a philosophy It’s not a scheme. It’s not a plan to figure out what the American people need and want, and then give it to them. That’s populism! Conservatism is a philosophy based on God-given natural rights.If there is any political viewpoint in this world which is free from slavish adherence to abstraction, it is American conservatism. The Declaration of Independence, is that dead? Of course not! When a conservative quotes Jefferson that government that is closest to the people is best, it is because he knows that Jefferson risked his life, his fortune and his sacred honor to make certain that what he and his fellow patriots learned from experience was not crushed by an ideology of empire. What’s dead is leadership on the Republican side, and because there is a lack of leadership Our party must be based on the kind of leadership that grows and takes its strength from the people.of someone who the substantive understanding of liberty and the political skills to advance it, we get all this cockamamie nonsense about the death of our principles. Conservatism is not a narrow ideology, nor is it the exclusive property of conservative activists.Our principles are not dead! Conservative wisdom and principles are derived from willingness to learn, not just from what is going on now, but from what has happened before. Our principles cannot die. I’ll tell you, in a lot of ways this reminds me of Jimmy Carter and his malaise speech. He blamed the American people for his miserable failures as president. The principles of conservatism are sound because they are based on what men and women have discovered through experience in not just one generation or a dozen, but in all the combined experience of mankind.Now we have conservatives and conservative wannabes, many of whom have held high office or hold high office or speak and write from formerly conservative outposts,No greater challenge faces our society today than ensuring that each one of us can maintain his dignity and his identity in an increasingly complex, centralized society. who blame conservatives for their own miserable failures. Our party must be the party of the individual. It must not sell out the individual to cater to the group.What is lacking is not ideas and principles. What’s lacking is the right people to speak those ideas and principles, folks. And just to set the record straight, let me say this about our friends who are now Republicans but who do not identify themselves as conservatives: I want the record to show that I do not view the new revitalized Republican Party as one based on a principle of exclusion....We are not a cult, we are members of a majority.….”

When a conservative quotes Jefferson that government that is closest to the people is best, it is because he knows that Jefferson risked his life, his fortune and his sacred honor to make certain that what he and his fellow patriots learned from experience was not crushed by an ideology of empire.

Conservatism is the antithesis of the kind of ideological fanaticism that has brought so much horror and destruction to the world. The common sense and common decency of ordinary men and women, working out their own lives in their own way -- this is the heart of American conservatism today. Conservative wisdom and principles are derived from willingness to learn, not just from what is going on now, but from what has happened before.

The principles of conservatism are sound because they are based on what men and women have discovered through experience in not just one generation or a dozen, but in all the combined experience of mankind. When we conservatives say that we know something about political affairs, and that we know can be stated as principles, we are saying that the principles we hold dear are those that have been found, through experience, to be ultimately beneficial for individuals, for families, for communities and for nations -- found through the often bitter testing of pain, or sacrifice and sorrow....Let us lay to rest, once and for all, the myth of a small group of ideological purists trying to capture a majority....If there is any ideological fanaticism in American political life, it is to be found among the enemies of freedom on the left or right -- those who would sacrifice principle to theory, those who worship only the god of political, social and economic abstractions, ignoring the realities of everyday life. They are not conservatives....And just to set the record straight, let me say this about our friends who are now Republicans but who do not identify themselves as conservatives: I want the record to show that I do not view the new revitalized Republican Party as one based on a principle of exclusion. After all, you do not get to be a majority party by searching for groups you won’t associate or work with. If we truly believe in our principles, we should sit down and talk. Talk with anyone, anywhere, at any time if it means talking about the principles for the Republican Party. Conservatism is not a narrow ideology, nor is it the exclusive property of conservative activists.

I consider this to be the complete opposite to principled conservatism. If there is any political viewpoint in this world which is free from slavish adherence to abstraction, it is American conservatism.…Our task now is not to sell a philosophy, but to make the majority of Americans, who already share that philosophy, see that modern conservatism offers them a political home. We are not a cult, we are members of a majority. Let’s act and talk like it. The job is ours and the job must be done. If not by us, who? If not now, when? Our party must be the party of the individual. It must not sell out the individual to cater to the group. No greater challenge faces our society today than ensuring that each one of us can maintain his dignity and his identity in an increasingly complex, centralized society. Extreme taxation, excessive controls, oppressive government competition with business, galloping inflation, frustrated minorities and forgotten Americans not the products of free enterprise. They are the residue of centralized bureaucracy, of government by a self-anointed elite. Our party must be based on the kind of leadership that grows and takes its strength from the people. Any organization is in actuality only the lengthened shadow of its members. A political party is a mechanical structure created to further a cause. The cause, not the mechanism, brings and holds the members together. And our cause must be to rediscover, reassert and reapply America’s spiritual heritage to our national affairs. Then with God’s help we shall indeed be as a city upon a hill with the eyes of all people upon us.”

REPUBLICAN = INDIVIDUAL
Listening to Michael Reagan the other afternoon, I realized why he is one of my favorites (until he gets started on immigration). He was having the Ron Paul Hour. I know, it sounds like some tawdry quirkly little early ‘60s variety show that is still in black and white. I want to go on record: These people are idiots and need to be distinguished from normal people by forcing them to wear tin-foil dunce hats. (Okay, breathe deeply and count t0 99 bottles of beer on the wall!)

Michael Reagan said something that I’d never been able to quantify. Republicans as a party depend on a leader for the party. Democrats depend upon an ideology – be it liberal. By having a leader, a party becomes that of the individual. People are more important than dogma.

His statement was a eureka moment for me. I wish I were a quick thinking legal type philosopher who could spit out words and ideas. I’m not. For this I apologize. I’ve been floundering for months trying to find a way to define the problem we are having today with modern conservatives. Michael Reagan did it for me. Republicans are loyal to the party lead by an individual with an individual’s thoughts. Conservatives are an ideology lead by an ideology without regard to the individual.