Description


This article is from the Conservatism FAQ, by Jim Kalb kalb@aya.yale.edu with numerous contributions by others.

What are mainstream conservatives?

People who mix the traditionalist conservatism outlined in this FAQ
with varying proportions of libertarianism and liberalism. Any
conservative who gets elected or otherwise hits the mass market
(e.g., Rush Limbaugh) is likely to be a mainstream conservative.

Mainstream conservatives often speak the language of liberalism,
especially classical liberalism. Their appeal is nonetheless
conservative, at least in the sense that they reject more highly
developed forms of liberalism in favor of earlier forms that retain
more traces of non-liberal traditions.