Got true conservatism?

Real conservatives see the best good served throughout defending liberty to its fullest. The government should not decrease my individual liberties to better "the common good." A free society is the only way for real victory of our country and all of its people. A free society takes care of the poor, not through government programs but through jobs and churches and charity. You'll see we don't dislike the poor or laugh at the thought of giving money to support them; it's just the part of the government in that process that we disagree on. They have no right to take a cash away from me and give it away to a different, justifying it through their own morals.

Are there any true conservatives in the country? If so, where are they? I can't see them. Candidates call themselves "conservative," but it is not obvious what they mean. What passes for conservatism these days appears to be mostly selfish obstructionism. Disagreeableness is not conservatism. Short-sighted greed isn't either. Paranoia about the present president's religion or place of birth isn't. Reckless endangerment of our future is not either.

In my view, conservatism is about conserving, respecting tradition and moving cautiously (unless there is an emergency). It is thoughtful and level-headed. It's a moral perspective that I'm having a hard time discerning in the 2010 political landscape.

These are characteristics I would expect in a real conservative:

1, A real conservative would understand liberty as concomitant with responsibility and concern for the common good (Aristotle, Augustine). We're all in this together, so let's take the wisest course together. No us- versus- them, that's for adolescents, not the wisdom of conservatism.

2, A real conservative would understand what makes people content, e.g., good and close relationships with others in the community and promote those things through social practices and policies.

3, A real conservative would support (extended) families and children above all else. They would pay attention to what children need to grow up strong, healthy and wise, and ensure that every child had those things (e.g., parents with living wages and time to be with the family without stress; good schools that teach democratic skills).

4, A real conservative would understand what makes for a peaceable, happy adult. Autonomy in work life, opportunities for skill development, good quality work culture.

5, A real conservative would respect other cultures and peoples. This means not invading other countries (which dishonors the traditions of those cultures).

6, A real conservative would conserve for the next generations. They would protect our resources like air and water from pollutants. They would not squander resources for short-term gain, whether taxpayer money, oil, or forests. They would be able to look carefully at the science and realize that global warming is underway and take action to mitigate it.

7, Real conservatives would figure out ways to rely on American ingenuity to meet energy needs, instead of relying on oil from countries who don't respect us. They would not let a small set of self-interested players dictate what we do about energy.

8, A real conservative would understand tradition. Whose and which traditions? It is most logical to look back at the style of 98% of human existence and see what worked to keep societies peaceful and sustainable.
9, A real conservative would understand that people will make good choices if they are given the tools, opportunities and autonomy to do so. Laws should be minimized (which works only in the context of a good society that ensure that citizen needs are met.)

People tell me that Bush was not a conservative yet the insurance policies touted by people running as "conservatives" are practically similar to his insurance policies. So I'm puzzled.

Our creator gave us the native rights of Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness and also the role of government is to guard those rights and nothing more. This inherently limits government and provides us the most liberty. How we could tell if a public policy is a bad or good policy is to use this philosophy as a filter. If a policy steps on any of those natural rights, it’s not a good policy. The 2nd Amendment protects all four natural rights, abortion treads on all natural rights, high taxes on anybody treads on the final 2 natural rights, a powerful military protects all 4 natural rights.