Jeffrey Lord: Conservatism is not a candidate. It's a movement.

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Well said by Jeffrey Lord at The American Spectator Blog:

Somewhere it always seems there's a need to refresh on the savage attacks on Barry Goldwater or Ronald Reagan or, to be current and with no need to refresh, today's Sarah Palin. Heck, why limit this to running for office? Attacks by conservatives on more prominent conservatives occur these days with the same certainty as the attraction of gin to tonic. Google names like...oh...say...Limbaugh, Rush and you'll get the idea.

These attacks are so utterly, utterly predictable although I'm sure that a Palin or O'Donnell still finds the sensation amazing as the arrow enters between their shoulder blades.

[...]

It is now Christine O'Donnell's turn to feel that startling arrow-in-the-back sensation that comes with this.

Conservatism is not a candidate. It's a movement. Based on a set of rock-solid principles. The fight always is to move the ball forward. The quarterback of the moment is…Fox News Alert….always flawed in some fashion. We could and can pick endlessly at the quarterback who is on the field. The real question is …now and always….are we moving the ball? Elections will be won. They will be lost. The objective is to move the ball.

Christine O'Donnell has the ball. Mike Castle plays for the other side wearing the Republican jersey. Which is why he wants the ball. This confuses many -- as it is designed to do.

But Riehlworld and Levin have both gotten it right.

We couldn't agree more. These attacks on Reagan conservatives by Vichy Republicans and -- as Lord credits Mark Levin for describing Conservative Lites -- "conservatives who are more Republican than conservative" have become worse than tiresome and noxious. The Lites should be thoroughly skewered every time they do it.

We have to move the ball. If you don't move the ball, you don't score, and you cannot win. Those more Republican than conservative had nearly destroyed the GOP, but an overreaching bunch of radical Democrats have fumbled the ball, opening a window of opportunity for Reagan principles to guide a nation at the crossroads of its destiny. It is well past time to send those players who refuse to block and tackle to the bench and shame those of our cheerleaders who cheer for the other side. Let's win this one for the Gipper.

And be sure to read Jeffrey Lord's full blog post here.

- JP