What is a left conservative?

By Daniel Bein

"It may yet take an alchemy of Left and Right to confound the corporate center."
--Norman Mailer

To some, "left conservative" may seem like a contradiction in terms. This was my first thought when I first heard the term about five years ago. But, over time it has become apparent to me that this term is very valid and worth considering. I adhere to many conservative principals such as limited government, low taxes, the Constitution and states rights while at the same time holding beliefs that have been traditionally associated with the left, such as opposing the death penalty and protecting the environment. For this reason identifying myself as either a straight left wing liberal or a right wing conservative cannot be totally accurate.

I am also by no means a moderate or a centrist. I consider my views to be anything but moderate. I am fervent in my belief that freedom from intrusive government and respect for individual rights is paramount. And I refuse to accept the fact that compromising one's principals is ever the answer. For these reasons I feel more comfortable identifying myself as a "left conservative" than anything else. My friend, Dylan Hales (who I am co-authoring this blog with), will most likely offer a far more in depth analysis once he starts posting.

It was Norman Mailer who coined the term "left conservative" and he explains it better than I could in this interview with "The American Conservative" from 2002:

http://www.amconmag.com/2002/2002_12_02/mailer.html

Thanks for reading,

Daniel Bein