So what's a conservative to do in political no-man's land?

July 6, 2:39 AMColumbia Conservative ExaminerAnthony G. Martin

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From my vantage-point, it would seem that conservatives are not welcome in the Democratic Party, and they are merely tolerated in the GOP.  (Spare me the lectures about the 'blue dogs' being 'conservative.'  I've seen enough to know better).

The Libertarian Party is certainly not conservative, and they have a penchant for attracting some pretty scary kooks.

I am 'libertarian' but not a 'Libertarian,' that is, I am not impressed with the Libertarian Party, yet I adhere to basic libertarian principles.

As a matter of fact, political Parties in general are now rather obnoxious to me.  I am not a 'Party' kind of person.  If I feel that my country is not being served by whatever Party with which I happen to be affiliated, I have no problem bolting and voting in a manner that ruffles their feathers.

The notion of 'my Party right or wrong' seems to me to be, well, wrong.  What matters is not the Party but the country and its Constitution.

Thus, we conservatives of late have often felt as if we are pilgrims in a strange and barren land.  Take, for example, the GOP.  One would think that the Party of Reagan would be the one place conservatives would feel embraced.

Not anymore.

The GOP is still spouting nonsense about nominating non-conservatives such as Mitt Romney, Charlie Crist, and several others, despite the fact that the Party's disastrous decision to run John McCain should be a lesson forever etched in their brains.

It seems to me that conservatives need to unite, no matter what they call themselves and no matter what their political affiliation.  As conservatives we should be able to unite around some essential core principles that portray our basic values.

In my opinion, the following are those core principles, listed in order of their absolute necessity.

1. The Constitution as the overriding rule of law in all matters.  Politicians and the Supreme Court are not above the rule of law.  When they abandon clearly delineated Constitutional mandates in lieu of embracing some 'progressive' scheme conceived in the minds of elites who think the document is nice but antiquated, they immediately cease to be legitimate.  Jefferson had a word or two to say about this and its ultimate consequence...and cure.

2. Small government and low taxes.  This is the absolute, fundamental foundation of conservatism--the Constitutional mandate that government be limited and that citizens should keep the vast majority of their own money to spend, invest, and make America prosper.  This will involve a series of cuts in government spending along with necessary reductions in government programs and federal departments that are basically illegal, useless, and wasteful.

3.  The Bill of Rights as absolute individual liberties.  They call the first 10 amendments to the Constitution 'the Bill of Rights' for a reason.  Only boneheaded numbskulls attempt to convince a clueless dumbed-down society that a 'right' listed in the 'Bill of Rights' is not a 'right.'  And that goes for many who sit and have sat on the U.S. Supreme Court! 

4. Strong national defense and foreign policy.  Reagan set a high standard here.  And to my Libertarian friends--to our peril we abandon the Reagan Doctrine in a dangerous world.  We have a moral obligation to promote liberty all around the world for the sake of our fellow human beings who suffer under oppression.  Reagan's speeches at the Berlin Wall and at Pointe du Hoc are stellar examples of the importance of this principle. 

5. The Second Amendment as the defender of the First Amendment.  The reason we have freedom of speech, religion, assembly, and press today is that they were won in hard-fought battles by the use of guns.  The Founders made it clear that firearms secured our freedoms and protect those freedoms against governments and despots.  'The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed' is a plain, straightforward statement concerning an absolute, individual right.

6. The pro-life stance as a statement concerning human life.  Abortion is not an absolute human right for the simple reason that it is not 'simply about a woman's body.'  There is a second body involved.  Therefore, it is ludicrous for the 'choice' advocates to keep repeating the asinine mantra, 'You can't tell me what to do with my own body.'  Let me tell you something, honey, when you got pregnant, it ceased to be all about your body.  You have another body inside you that is depending on you for care and sustenance.  A society based upon the abortion culture is a barbaric society.  We can do better.

Although I stated at the outset that these minimum core principles would be listed in order of their absolute necessity, I will be quick to say that it was difficult to arrange them in some sort of prioritized order.  They are all important.  But in terms of what we conservatives espouse as ideological, political absolutes, it is clear that the Constitution as the ultimate rule of law is paramount.  And, in actuality, numbers 2 through 6 are derived from number 1--the firm conviction that the Constitution is paramount.

My question, thus, becomes, can social and religious conservatives, fiscal conservatives, libertarian conservatives, etc., unite around these 6 core principles?

For more commentary on various issues, visit my blog at The Liberty Sphere.