What is a Conservative?

First go and read this article:

The Loft > GOP Chairman’s Race Enters Home Stretch

It occurred to me after I read this, that if we want the GOP to get back to actually BEING the "Grand Old Party" that we need to have a true conservative running the party. Someone who can rein in the left wing of the conservative party; someone who really, IS a conservative.

So what IS a Conservative? Here is my list, and it is not comprehensive.

A Conservative is someone who:

*Values life.
*Values morality.
*Champions small government.
*Promotes free trade.
*Believes in lower taxes.
*Believes in upholding the Constitution; that, in fact, the Constitution is infallible.
*Believes you and I are the ones to decide what's best for us.
*Knows that you and I should keep our money and spend it as we see fit.
*Knows that a handout is not the way to solve problems.
*Knows keeping the military strong keeps us safe.
*Freedom of speech is critical to a free republic.
*Gun ownership is expressly provided for, and also critical for a free republic.
*Believes that most government programs do more harm than good.

Now there are more I could add, but the point is we haven't had one around in awhile. They are an endangered species.

I firmly believe that there are two reasons we lost the election.
First and foremost, John McCain was NOT a true Conservative: McCain-Feingold is a glaring example. He also said that Obama and Clinton were nice, and we would be OK if one of them won the election. Bless his heart, but I think he lost all his "fight" fighting his gaolers. He couldn't articulate how he was better than Obama and it cost us.
Second, if the differences are minor, then why not vote for the guy who could make history. I know some of you don't believe me, but I heard with my own ears people who wanted to vote for Obama because he "looks like me", because he was black. I heard them say it. Now I would like to believe that this was a small segment of the population, but I doubt it very much. And, honestly, I don't fault them for that too much. If the conservative had been black, I would have been so excited to throw my vote in his corner.

Now the point of all this was to exhort you all to pray for a true conservative to be elected to lead the GOP in the coming socialist storm, and it IS coming. Pray for the best candidate to win, it is critical that the roots of conservatism be nourished, and that the flower bloom again.