Let’s clear the air about American conservatism, shall we? The left would have everyone believe that conservatism is synonymous with racism or authoritarianism. Nonsense. Conservatism stands for equal rights, individual liberty, and limited government—all principles enshrined in our Constitution and bolstered by history.
Start with Abraham Lincoln, the first Republican president, who took on the Democrats over slavery. That’s right, it was the Republican Party that abolished slavery with the 13th Amendment, then protected former slaves with the 14th and 15th Amendments. And, despite what revisionists would have us believe, the GOP continued its commitment to equal protection under the law.
It’s easy to see how Democrats try to twist the narrative. They throw out terms like “alt-right” or lump conservatism in with European nationalist movements, when American conservatism is a uniquely principled stand for individual rights and personal responsibility. President Dwight D. Eisenhower, another Republican, deployed federal troops to Little Rock, Arkansas, to enforce integration when a Democrat governor refused. Proportionally, more Republicans than Democrats supported the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Voting Rights Act of 1965.
Fast forward, and what does the left harp on? They claim Nixon’s “Southern strategy” was a dog whistle to racists, a theory that has never been substantiated with actual evidence. Kevin Phillips, Nixon’s strategist, made it clear: the goal was to appeal to upwardly mobile, largely urban voters—not racist voters. As The Hill notes, Nixon won votes in the “Outer South,” not the deep southern states, which went for Democrat segregationist George Wallace.
Even during the so-called “party switch” of the 1960s, Republicans upheld their commitment to civil rights. Democrats may credit Lyndon B. Johnson with signing the Civil Rights Act, but it was the Republicans who carried the bill over the finish line. Let’s not forget, Johnson was an admitted segregationist whose motivations were far more political than moral.
The reality is that conservatism isn’t about preserving inequality or resisting social change. It’s about promoting the individual’s right to live freely, without undue government interference. Conservatism respects the Constitution and defends personal responsibility, limited government, and the kind of equal opportunity that builds strong families and communities. While the Democrats invent accusations and play identity politics, conservatives focus on solutions that empower people rather than state control.
American conservatism has always defended civil rights and equality under the law, from Lincoln to Eisenhower to today. Democrats like to rewrite history, claiming the GOP’s stance on civil rights somehow switched, but facts tell a different story. Conservatives stand for personal responsibility and limited government, while the left hides behind empty accusations and identity politics.
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