# Your Mount Rushmore of post-1976 American Conservatives **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [February 18, 2021, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-mount-rushmore-of-post-1976-american-conservatives/933253 "2021-02-18T21:25:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2021, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-mount-rushmore-of-post-1976-american-conservatives/933253/41 "2021-02-20T03:10:37Z")
> [@SingleMalt](#): > > I think a “Mt. Rushmore of Conservatives” built on the highest hill in Florida would still be low enough to piss on. I envision these carvings on the slopes of the Pits of Hell. I’m sure Dante saw them. ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2021, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-mount-rushmore-of-post-1976-american-conservatives/933253/42 "2021-03-03T22:42:41Z")
Sebatien Gorka Corey Lewandowski Strom Thurmond Chris Cantwell ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2021, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-mount-rushmore-of-post-1976-american-conservatives/933253/43 "2021-03-03T23:41:39Z")
If we’re going to pick someone in the Trump administration who’s not a Trump, I’d start with Stephen Miller. ---
**Author:** ![Bootb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19b73/32.png) [@Bootb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bootb)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2021, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-mount-rushmore-of-post-1976-american-conservatives/933253/44 "2021-03-07T06:04:52Z")
I’m going to go in a somewhat different direction. Thomas Sowell Antonin Scalia Rush Limbaugh Newt Gingrich ---
**Author:** ![Icerigger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icerigger/32/432_2.png) [@Icerigger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icerigger)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2021, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-mount-rushmore-of-post-1976-american-conservatives/933253/45 "2021-03-07T14:33:44Z")
What! No William “Why the South Must Prevail” Buckley. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2021, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-mount-rushmore-of-post-1976-american-conservatives/933253/46 "2021-03-07T15:30:04Z")
I would say that Buckley is more of a pre-1976 conservative myself. Post-Reagan, especially post-Buchanan, he increasingly became irrelevant. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2021, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-mount-rushmore-of-post-1976-american-conservatives/933253/47 "2021-03-08T02:05:07Z")
AFAIAC, conservatism is whatever voters on the right side of the political spectrum make it to be. None of this “Trump isn’t really a conservative” nonsense. Anyway, my list is of those post-1976 people who’ve done the most to drive conservatism to where it is today. Reagan Rush Newt Trump Alternate: Roger Ailes Tough call as to whether to include Ailes and bump one of the others. But which? ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2021, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-mount-rushmore-of-post-1976-american-conservatives/933253/48 "2021-03-08T02:17:03Z")
My list (revised): Mitch McConnell Rush Limbaugh Antonin Scalia Karl Rove ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2021, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-mount-rushmore-of-post-1976-american-conservatives/933253/49 "2021-03-08T14:33:39Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > And for what it’s worth, I’m pretty sure I’ve read that the highest hill in Florida is a garbage-dump landfill. Considering the amount of garbage we produce in this country, would not be surprised in the least. I once heard that the highest natural hill in Florida is in a freeway in the panhandle somewhere. It’s 300-some feet high. Looking it up on Wikipedia, the altitude and location are right, but the part about the freeway is not. Anyway, Miami and maybe other cities have skyscrapers taller than that hill. ---
**Author:** ![puddleglum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puddleglum/32/137_2.png) [@puddleglum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puddleglum)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2021, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-mount-rushmore-of-post-1976-american-conservatives/933253/50 "2021-03-09T01:27:23Z")
Reagan Most influential conservative ever Gingrich Most influential conservative legislator Scalia Best supreme court justice ever Rush Most influential media member ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2021, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-mount-rushmore-of-post-1976-american-conservatives/933253/51 "2021-03-10T22:57:36Z")
mmmmm best ever, yummy. Sarah Palin X 4 ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2021, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-mount-rushmore-of-post-1976-american-conservatives/933253/52 "2021-03-11T13:15:47Z")
I’m going to make a distinction between fascists and conservatives, recognizing that the Republican Party is much more the former than the latter. Those who believe in fascism but not conservatism don’t make my list. Mitch McConnell: broke the Senate and gave us a right wing judiciary Roger Ailes: father of the media bubble. Jerry Falwell: weaponized evangelical Christianity Antonin Scalia: shaper of a generation of right wing judges ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2021, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-mount-rushmore-of-post-1976-american-conservatives/933253/53 "2021-03-12T23:08:58Z")
James Buchanan Pat Buchanan Sidney Powell Carter Page ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2021, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-mount-rushmore-of-post-1976-american-conservatives/933253/54 "2021-03-14T01:39:23Z")
> [@Guest-starring\_Id](#): > > mmmmm best ever, yummy. > > Sarah Palin X 4 Don’t stick your dick in the crazy. ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2021, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-mount-rushmore-of-post-1976-american-conservatives/933253/55 "2021-03-14T01:48:55Z")
Actually “best ever, yummy” was snerking on a certain SC justice lurking nearby. Yes, incredibly regretting, now, not making those two sentences separate posts. Thank-you for smacking me into reality. 🤢 ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2021, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-mount-rushmore-of-post-1976-american-conservatives/933253/56 "2021-03-15T21:27:47Z")
Barry Goldwater Karl Rove Louie Gohmert Donald Segretti ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2021, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-mount-rushmore-of-post-1976-american-conservatives/933253/57 "2021-03-20T02:06:52Z")
Milo Yiannopolous Kim Davis George Wallace Dr. Stella Emmanuel ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2021, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-mount-rushmore-of-post-1976-american-conservatives/933253/58 "2021-03-21T00:29:35Z")
Gingrich, Reagan, Limbaugh, Trump They all changed the GOP and their voters in their own ways. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2021, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-mount-rushmore-of-post-1976-american-conservatives/933253/59 "2021-04-02T20:11:01Z")
Probably not John Boehner: > **[What John Boehner gets \*exactly\* right about Fox News | CNN Politics](https://www.cnn.com/2021/04/02/politics/john-boehner-roger-ailes-fox-news/index.html)** > > In an explosive excerpt from his forthcoming memoir, former House Speaker John Boehner calls Texas Sen. Ted Cruz a nasty name, refers to lots of Republicans elected in 2010 as "morons" and admits that President Barack Obama had little reason to find... ---
**Author:** ![SingleMalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/singlemalt/32/3961_2.png) [@SingleMalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SingleMalt)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2021, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-mount-rushmore-of-post-1976-american-conservatives/933253/60 "2021-04-02T20:23:55Z")
On the other hand, Matt Gaetz is now a contender! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-mount-rushmore-of-post-1976-american-conservatives/933253.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-mount-rushmore-of-post-1976-american-conservatives/933253.md?page=4)