The new Democrat: according to Bob Conley, the Democrat nominee for the U.S. Senate in South Carolina, "the new Democrat is the Old Democrat." And that Democrat is pro-life, pro-Second Amendment, and fiscally conservative

New American, The, Sept 15, 2008 by Jim Capo

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Bob Conley actively supported Pat Buchanan's presidential bid on the Reform Party ticket in 2000. More recently, he supported Republican Congressman Ron Paul's presidential bid. He is now running for the U.S. Senate in South Carolina--as a Democrat.

Though he is still largely ignored by the establishment media, Bob Conley has already won the Democratic primary and his name will appear on the ballot in November as the Democratic nominee. His primary victory should be added to those of John McCain's and Barack Obama's on the list of improbable but notable outcomes thus far in 2008. On a shoestring budget, and with only a few months under his belt in his new party, Bob Conley won his primary race against Michael Cone, a Charleston lawyer, by 1,049 votes out of 147,287 cast.

The commercial pilot, professional engineer, and flight instructor is now up against Lindsey Graham, the Republican incumbent, who in the current Congress (to date) has scored a mediocre 56 percent in THE NEW AMERICAN'S "Freedom Index," a congressional scorecard that rates all members of the House and Senate based on their adherence to the Constitution. Conley often refers to Senator Graham as "McCain's Mini Me" and "Grahamnesty" (a moniker coined by Rush Limbaugh). Graham was one of the key Republican senators who tried (unsuccessfully) to push through the McCain-Kennedy immigration reform (read: amnesty) bill last year.

If a Democrat running to the right of the Republican seems a bit odd, it should be kept in mind that the Republican Party has been moving to the left. In fact, many Republicans are "neoconservatives" who promote a corporate-socialist-internationalist agenda under the banner of Republican conservatism. Neoconservatism has become so prevalent within the Republican Party that some conservatives have left the party in disgust. For example, former GOP Congressman Bob Barr migrated to the Libertarian Party and is now the Libertarians' presidential nominee. Pastor Chuck Baldwin is running for president under the Constitution Party banner. And Bob Conley, the engineer-pilot-pragmatist, with a signature flattop haircut, thinks he has a better idea: run and actually win as a Democrat. Since his plan has worked so far, we caught up with "FlatTop Bob" to flat out ask him, "What's up?"

THE NEW AMERICAN: With your conservative views, why are you running as a Democrat and how were you able to win the Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate in South Carolina?

Bob Conley: I had a simple opening message for voters, "I'm the Democrat your grandfather voted for." The "Blue Dog" is the wave of the future. The New Democrat is the Old Democrat. You can campaign and win as a Democrat on a pro-life, pro-Second Amendment, traditional values, fiscally conservative platform. The 2006 elections proved this. Jeffersonian ideals can still win in the party that Jefferson founded. Outside of a few elitist, urbanite white folks, the message of Ted Kennedy doesn't play in South Carolina--even among rank-and-file Democrats.

TNA: You have described yourself as a "Jeffersonian Democrat." How do you define that term?

Conley: A Jeffersonian Democrat believes in small government; he believes that the government that governs least governs best. Like Thomas Jefferson, I believe that government power must be limited and that those entrusted with exercising that power must be held in check. As Jefferson put it, we must not put confidence in man, but "bind him down from mischief by the chains of the Constitution."

TNA: You have also called yourself a "Larry McDonald Democrat." What's a Larry McDonald Democrat?

Conley: A champion of the Constitution. Larry McDonald, a member of Congress from Georgia, was a modern Jeffersonian Democrat. He served in the U.S. House from 1975 until 1983, when he disappeared on Korean Airline Flight 007. Dr. McDonald was a traditional Southern Democrat, and was the most conservative member of that body. In fact, he was chairman of the John Birch Society.

TNA: You mentioned earlier that a Democrat who's pro-life, pro-Second Amendment. pro-traditional values, and fiscally conservative can win. What are a couple of the other issues you are campaigning on?

Conley: The U.S. has suicidal immigration problems that must be fixed; amnesty is not a solution, and will only exacerbate the problem; the importation of foreign nationals to take Americans' jobs and drive down wages must stop. I'm running against the occupation of (not war in) Iraq. We need to end the occupation now.

TNA: How fast is "now"?

Conley: As rapidly as is consistent with the safety of the troops. Complete redeployment may take three, six, or nine months, but must begin now. I would be surprised if the process takes more than a year.

I also support our veterans. Compare our treatment of our honorable veterans to how we treat dishonorable bankers on Wall Street with subsidies and bailouts. Corporate welfare has to end. I'm a reemergence of the traditional Democrat: think William Jennings Bryan.