Recent congressional losses, President George W. Bush’s unpopularity, and bleak generic ballot poll numbers have conservatives fearing the “liberalization” of America – a move toward [bold mine-DL] secularization, the growth of government, stagnation, mediocrity and loss of freedom. ~Fred Thompson

They would do well to fear, since the administration has either actively promoted or successfully brought about at least four out of those five.  I appreciate Thompson summing up what has been happening over the last seven years, even if he doesn’t seem to understand that these things have already occurred.  It is telling that Fred Thompson, whose presidential campaign was the epitome of reheated 1990s talking points, should respond to the claim that conservatism is ailing, since his lackluster campaign was in some ways a perfect symbol of its loss of imagination.  So much of what Thompson says sounds right, but there is no hint of applying the principles he talks about so often to the present day.

Update: In case it has to be spelled out, I would draw attention to what Thompson actually says in this paragraph.  When he refers to conservative fear of “liberalization,” he is referring to a fear of a process that may be about to begin, and he then defines that process as a “move towards” the things he lists.  You fear things that have not yet happened.  The unfortunate thing about Thompson’s statement is that several of these things have happened on Bush’s watch and I don’t seem to recall Fred Thompson being in the vanguard of the resistance, and yet Thompson treats these things as approaching woes that are to be combated.  There’s really no other way I can see to read what Thompson said.