9/11 changed everything.

Even those who paid little or no attention to politics started reading newspapers and tuning into all news channels. Most wanted to “talk to someone” about their experience—and to be assured that life in America would go on.

Two things resulted from this need.

A whole group of radio talk show hosts attained celebrity status.

And the extremes on both sides of the political spectrum became “1984” tyrants.

It began slowly…a turf war over ideology. The Conservatives blamed the Liberals for decades of appeasement…the Liberals blamed Bush.

Then in 2005, starting with the Miers’ nomination, Conservative celebrity talk show host drunk with the power of being able to tell the White House who to appoint to the highest court in the land, went on to join their liberal counterparts in trying to control our war time president.

It didn’t matter that Bush and his party had turned over a post 9/11 economy…kept our nation from any more attacks…or appointed hundreds of solid judges. They wanted what the press has always wanted…what they believe with their entire soul is their “right”…the ability to sway public opinion and in so doing…control Congress and the White House and through the White House, the third branch of power: the courts.

They demanded what conservative icons like Reagan and Gingrich could only promise…promises they KNEW Bush and the GOP could NOT deliver, not in our system of government and not with a slight majority in Congress.

I have covered many of these Conservative Utopian demands in my previous articles; so I won’t go into that now. To understand what happened to the “new” converts to Conservatism, one has to understand who they are, how they may have perceived the events of 9/11, the GOP, and then what drove them back to their comfortable previous status.

There were some Democrats that “turned”—and to be fair, they embraced the Republican dogma with the same pure loyalty that they held for the ideas of social justice of the liberal camp. As the hard liners got more vocal; ex-Democrats found the seemingly racist, intolerant, and socially unjust conservative ideals…confusing at best…affirming of previous stereotypical held views of Republicans at worst.

Some ran back to the party that at least pretended to be “nice”. Others just added the guilt of deserting one party for another that seemed far worst--to all their other neurosis.

Then there was the 3rd party wannabes—who ran to the political party that was closest in their ideology and the most likely to win the war against this threat to the American way of life.

But power can sometimes corrupt. Especially if power is unearned.

Into the calm, REASONABLE world of Republican winners, the 3rd party wannabes infused their far right losing ideals of absolutism. Compromise with the opposing but just as powerful Democrats were considered a “betrayal of Conservative principals”…what they meant of course was that it was a betrayal of libertarian/Buchananism/far right extremism.

Their hard line came across as unyielding with no room for anyone who disagreed—in fact, anyone who dared, got attacked with a fervor reserved for the religious unbeliever. And as their fervor rises, so does their frustration…they are sounding more shrill and unhinged as more of their conservative utopia slips from their grasp.

The last, most important group of converts, are the “Independents” Many are liberal on some issues…conservatives on others. An event like 9/11 forced many of them to put aside their liberal tendencies to embrace the only side more likely to bring their comfortable world back.

I think it amazed many—I know it did me—to learn just how much they had in common with the Right. Many were small business owners that while appreciative of government subsides, understood intellectually that at some point, SOMEBODY has to foot the bill. Most tended to be religious and a good portion of Independents held family and friends as important to their well being.

These people had always felt uncomfortable with programs meant to address racism, like “affirmative action”, being…well race based.

They really thought they had a right NOT to accept the gay life style…to pray in public and say “Merry Christmas” instead of “Happy Holidays”. They liked being patriotic and thinking that cops, firemen, and soldiers were heroes. They even enjoyed seeing old glory being respected again.

But Independents have a very big fixation about…their independence. They dislike being told what they have to believe in order to “be” a Conservative. The push to hurdle the base under one tent of thought pushed many Independent converts right out the door. How many articles…posts…comments…contain accusations of “not being TRUE Conservatives” not just toward politicians, but to anyone who disagrees with their point of view?

Many Independents were schooled in the liberal system of tolerance and the idea of “unwashed”, “criminal”, and “welfare benefit sucking” Mexicans makes many 9/11 converts more than a little uncomfortable. The vitriolic rant from the absolutist is literally driving those more civilized inclined away.

Then there is the spin…most Independents had very little time for the Left’s spin and paid it not more than a glancing look. In the first years of the post 9/11 era, Independents took the time to actually listen to the rhetoric. For most, especially those in communication and/or sales, it was rather amazing how power words like “choice” can give permission to decide life or death over a baby or “affirmative action” can take negative racism and make it sound positive.

When the Right also started doing it…the spin took on an even uglier tone as it was covered with hypocrisy that was difficult to dismiss. “Intellectual disagreement” made disloyalty to one’s party almost a patriotic duty. “Support” was something “Kool-aid drinkers” did and implied mindless brainwashing. “Conservatism” got a capital “C” and “Republican” became a dirty word.

Name calling was brought to a new high as acronyms got tossed about… “RINO” were given to those not towing the absolutist ideology…despite the fact that the absolutist, themselves, frequently denied being Republican…thus were in fact…themselves…Republicans In Name Only.

The absolutist took whole pages out of the Liberal playbook and was never original in their spin…and many Independents found their poor adaptation unworthy of their continued support.

But if I had to point to the one piece of “play” the absolutist did that drove the largest group of 9/11 converts out of the tent that gave the White House and Congress to the GOP…it would be the “Conservative police” that came out of their intolerance closet and began demanding a ban on anyone that disagreed with their views. For Independents, debate and discussion is the core of their being…it formulates, strengthens, and validates their ideals.

To most Independence…if the cost of “Conservatism” is their right to independent thought and opinion …it is a price far too high to pay.

For 2 long years, the RINO media and their absolutist minions sent a message to 9/11 converts…tow the line or leave.

In 2006, they left.