I sent this defense of Tea Party conservatism off to a NYT Leftie this morning and thought I’d share it here:
Dear Sir:
Regarding a mention of something you said in the NYT: “George Lakoff of the linguistics department at the University of California at Berkeley argues that “conservatives believe in individual responsibility alone, not social responsibility. They don’t think government should help its citizens. That is, they don’t think citizens should help each other,” which I found here -> http://campaignstops.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/11/13/the-gulf-of-morality/
You are my countryman, sir, and so, I regard you, by default, as honorable & having good will. Knowing that, I am none-the-less struggling to understand this all too common feeling on the left, and finally, must express genuine hurt at your sentiment. Lucky you! I have picked you to defend my “side.” 
(Quick bio: I am 46, a career music radio broadcaster/wife & mom to an autistic/an Aspie myself/MA resident/former Dem now Tea Party)
Please allow me to briefly defend my position.
1. It is NOT true that Tea Party/Conservatives (distinctly different from GOP) have absolutist positions on gov’t helping citizens. That is a manufactured piece of propaganda from the left. Belief in LIMITED government is NOT belief in NO gov’t. That would be ANARCHY, which is what OWS embraces. That is NOT who we are, nor even close to what we believe. You can’t accuse us of being fuddy-duddy Founder-lovers AND anarchists at the same time! I plead guilty to the former, but NOT to the latter!
2. Re: Social safety-net programs: Just because a thing is not constitutional doesn’t make it evil or in need of banishment. Mature adults can make an intellectual distinction between original intent, and where we are in 2011 America.
There is nothing, zip, nada, zero in the constitution about redistributing wealth from one American to the other, despite the modern embrace of the “general welfare” clause. Until the Progressive era corrupted it, “general welfare” was understood, quite clearly, to refer to the nation, as a governmental organism, not the human organisms that populate it. This is demonstrably, provably clear from any honest reading of the Federalist papers, and our founding documents, and many, many presidential vetoes of well-intended but extra-constitutional legislation during our first 100 years. Please, PLEASE reacquaint yourself with this, as surely you knew it or know it and have forgotten.
Still, now that we have social safety net programs, it’s quite impossible to “put the toothpaste back in the tube! So please, understand: NOBODY wants them GONE. We just just think they need REFORM. That’s ALL. I wish you folks would STOP this PATENTLY dishonest meme!
3. It is demonstrable fact that conservatives are the most philanthropic. There’s no disputing this. And as to the “evil, selfish” rich, of both parties: Even the most casual pondering proves this out: The FORD Foundation, CARNEGIE Hall, every city in America has HOSPITAL WINGS funded by wealth, every university in America has buildings funded by wealth, etc…
Prior to the New Deal era, you would see letters to the editor of America’s newspapers saying that they “knew” that all was needed was for their fellow Americans to be asked to give to a specific thing and they would do it, hence the letter being published. Remember, back then, they didn’t have electronic media yet, and the “not-knowing” was the great frustration. Obviously people knew there was poverty in their midst, but in order to mount a philanthropic cure of any size, they needed the reach of their newspapers and they DID make use of them and they DID help each other! I have no doubt that in today’s internet age, we would do the same, and better – and THAT’S ALL WE ARE SAYING. Let the social safety net programs be returned to state/local control as much as is practical. It’s much MUCH harder to say “no” to someone when you might run into him at the grocery store, right? Doesn’t that make sense?????
We just really, REALLY believe in the goodness of each other. We believe in America and Americans.
I seems that the Left does not.
I hope you will consider going to a Tea Party meeting someday. I promise you will be warmly embraced.
Annie Fields
