I am tired of letting Republicans and Tea Party supporters co-opt the term "conservative". Republicans are not conservatives... they are radical fundamentalists and we should be referring to them as such.
From the Dictionary: conservative
con·serv·a·tive [kuhn-sur-vuh-tiv]
1. disposed to preserve existing conditions, institutions, etc., or to restore traditional ones, and to limit change.
2. cautiously moderate or purposefully low: a conservative estimate.
3. traditional in style or manner; avoiding novelty or showiness: conservative suit.
4. ( often initial capital letter ) of or pertaining to the Conservative party.
5. ( initial capital letter ) of, pertaining to, or characteristic of Conservative Jews or Conservative Judaism.
By their own definition... they are fundamentalists.
From
Conservapedia
A conservative is someone who adheres to principles of personal responsibility, moral values, and limited government, agreeing with George Washington's Farewell Address that "religion and morality are indispensable supports" to political prosperity.
From the Dictionary:
fundamentalism
1: often capitalized : a movement in 20th century Protestantism emphasizing the literally interpreted Bible as fundamental to Christian life and teaching b : the beliefs of this movement c : adherence to such beliefs
2: a movement or attitude stressing strict and literal adherence to a set of basic principles
From the Dictionary:
radical
d: advocating extreme measures to retain or restore a political state of affairs
The current platform of the Republican Party and the prescribed changes presented by the Tea Party cannot be construed as conservative... it is purely
radical fundamentalism.
Can we please stop calling them conservatives and start referring to them by their proper label?
UPDATE: I want to make it clear that I am not generalizing individuals who call themselves Republican. I am framing the Republican Party... which continues a platform of radical fundamentalism. The Republican mainstream ideology is radical fundamentalism, currently. It is not just the leadership. Pretty much every issue poll and candidacy poll in recent memory paints a picture of majority support for radical fundamentalism within the party.
I realize that you can't put everyone in that box... Andrew Sullivan and David Frum are a couple of "conservative" pundits that come to mind that I wouldn't necessarily paint as radical fundamentalists. I am sure that there are many people who call themselves Republican that share their moderate views about conservatism in general.