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In the span of twenty years, the secular middle-conservative of America has either disappeared, been abducted into the middle-left, or joined up with the Neo-conservatives.

During the time George Bush (the elder) had his term in office, America hit a major recession. Jobs were cut, there was no internet, and the Soviet Union had collapsed. It seemed as if there was no real reason to be a Republican anymore, and it seemed as if the fiscal policies instituted by Reagan, which had proved to be valuable for the nation, had seemed to be exhausted. The National Debt rose, tax rates were lowered, and America seemed to slouch forward from the recession of the 1970's.

Blame had to be put somewhere, (people never cite uncontrollable circumstance), and Republicans had lost those working-class Republicans who cared more for supply-side economics ala Keyes than Falwell-inspired evangelical conservatives.

Fast forward to 1994. Clinton's in office, and suddenly there's a Republican-controlled House. Rush Limbaugh has hit the airwaves, and becomes a voice against the excesses of the Clinton Whitehouse. Suddenly there's something for the Republicans to fight.

However, this 1990's brand of conservatism again splits the party. Under the guise of "Let's Bring America Back To Reaganomics!", Conservatives seem poised to make a dent in the political troposphere of America.

What happened next had one underlying tautology. It was conservativism defined in a Negative Ontology: What's a Republican? We'll tell you what a republican isn't.

For all the rabble-rousing of the political pundits of the 1990's, they all defined America's Right wing as "Opposed To The Left". If you're opposed to the Left, you must be a republican, so agree with us. The name-calling and blaming of the Liberal Party became a giant fraternity hazing ritual.

Blame someone else, and apparently you can make the world a better place. Liberal was a dirty word in the 1990's. Even Liberals hesitated to refer to themselves as Liberals. It was an insane political climate.

As the blaming and name-calling came to a head, one brand of conservatism took over: the Neo-Con. The Neo-cons took the popularity of the edgey appeal of Republicanism, and refined it; turned it into a well-oiled partisan attack machine.

After 9/11, that machine was fully activated. Disagreeing with the machine meant that you were black-listed, out of favor. Disagreeing with the machine was tantamount to treason.

So, where have the Reagan Republicans gone? They're still there, being bullied by Straussian Neo-cons into submission, or currying favor from the Evangelical Right, all in the name of keeping votes.

Sadly, Reagan's Legacy has become a buzzword in our hyperactive political environment. The mantle of Reaganism is invoked every time a Republican opens his or her mouth to speak. Remember the good times? We can have good times again. We can "Win one for the gipper."

Learn more about this author, Aster C. Lilly.
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