By Joe Murray
January 16, 2004

(AgapePress) - One need only turn on the nightly news to see that "primary fever" has captivated our nation's media. After four years of political peace, the citizens of New Hampshire and Iowa have awakened from their political slumber and stand poised to, once again, anoint a presidential candidate. And barring some major stumble, scandal, or shake-up, that candidate will most likely be the angry, robust and former pitchfork governor of Vermont, Howard Dean.

The Bush White House is eagerly waiting in the wings for the operatic conclusion of the Democratic primaries. Howard Dean, best described as the political love child of Walter Mondale and Geraldine Ferraro, has forced the Democratic Party to shed the "New Democrat" clothing of Bill Clinton, replacing it with a populism that seeks to appeal to the heart and purse strings of America's citizenry.

Dean's disciples are fed-up, outraged, and discontent with a Democratic Party that talks the talk, but never seems to walk the walk -- they are tired of a party which seems to be in lock and step with the GOP establishment. Thus, the Democratic faithful have turned to Dean to return their party to its basics, thus marking the spark of a new fire within the belly of the Democratic Party.

Meanwhile, with millions of dollars in its presidential arsenal and its strategy of questioning the patriotism of those who question the president's policies, the Bush White House appears to be taking the reelection of the president for granted. The mantra that Bush is unbeatable and Dean is unelectable has become the White House's center campaign plank, thus giving the president the impression that his 2004 election will follow the same history line of 1972 and 1984. This analysis, however, seems to miss the mark and exposes a vulnerability that, if left unguarded, could mark the end of a Bush presidency.

The start of the 2004 election has left the president without a primary opponent, thus giving him the luxury of bypassing his conservative base and the ability to immediately set up his campaign headquarters in the "moderate mainstream." For most candidates, such a maneuver is part of a political strategy that is fully understood by the party faithful. For Bush, however, his rhetoric of 2000 and his record of 2004 have left some conservatives wondering why he never truly returned from his "compassionate conservative" journey to the moderate middle during his last election.

All indicators seem to point to the suggestion that Bush has forgotten the roots from which his presidency was born. From social policy to foreign affairs to domestic policy, the president has been at the forefront remaking his campaign catch phrase of "compassionate conservatism." The problem, though, with compassionate conservatism is that its practice runs the risk of diluting traditional principles and blurring the lines of distinction between the two major parties. Just ask any political pundit to name the major differences between the party of "Dubbya" and the party of "Bubba," and odds are the only differences are superficial and rhetorical, minus the rare anomaly.

Under the namesake of compassionate conservatism, Bush failed to reinstate his father's executive order barring stem-cell research, has all but ignored the GOP party plank calling for the abolishment of the Department of Education, and abandoned the Reaganesque use of the bully pulpit. For example, instead of using the presidential platform to combat the 4,000 abortions committed every day in America, Bush has asserted that America is not ready for a reversal of Roe.

In terms of gay marriage, Bush has attempted to walk a political tight rope that has left his policies -- and those conservatives supporting him -- hanging in the balance. Just a few days after his support of "Marriage Protection Week," the president sent a letter to a boastfully proud gay church praising them for their faith, which includes the performance of homosexual marriages.

As for foreign policy, Bush has opted to close his ears to John Adam's warning that "America does not go abroad in search of monsters to destroy," but has rather adopted the failed Wilsonian policy of interventionism and American hegemony.

Domestic policy is also a failed proposition, for once again the president's ears have been closed to Ronald Reagan's prediction that a country that cannot control its borders ceases to be a country. Bush, instead, has embarked upon an immigration policy that rewards lawbreakers and outsources American jobs.

Make no mistake -- the future Democratic candidate, whether Howard Dean or John Kerry, is only one bump on the president's road to reelection. The president's refusal to stay true to his conservative roots, specifically his over-willingness to politicize and compromise key conservative principles, has left many conservatives without a party to call home. So while the president may be out on a branch courting those in the middle, he has overlooked the dying roots of the tree that supports him.

While it is true that Bush has power, those on the Left have a new found passion. Absent a return to Republican roots, the Dean Dems will have a very real chance to topple Bush in November. Bush needs to refocus his campaign on those issues which embody conservative thought, for without such a return, Bush will have failed to create a passion within his party to compete with that of Dean's peasant army. Hence, Bush could very well face a disillusioned base, low voter turnout, and potentially, an eviction notice. Let's just hope that the old adage is true that Elephants never forget.