COMPASSIONATE CONSERVATIVE Definition & Meaning

compassionate conservative

noun

a political conservative who is motivated by concern for disadvantaged people but supports policies based on personal responsibility and limited government:
George W. Bush ran for president as a compassionate conservative.

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Other 51�Թ� Forms

compassionate conservatism noun

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51�Թ� History and Origins

Origin of compassionate conservative¹

First recorded in 1980–85

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

When Arizona Sen. Barry Goldwater, a compassionate conservative who championed civil rights and environmental protections, announced his intention to run against John F. Kennedy in the 1964 election, Didion embraced his candidacy.

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In 2000, George W. Bush won with a "compassionate conservative" message that papered over the sadism that fuels anti-abortion and anti-LGBTQ politics with paternalism.

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Miami Mayor Francis Suarez painted himself as a forward-looking “compassionate” conservative.

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He calls himself a “pragmatic progressive,” a phrase reminiscent of George W. Bush’s “compassionate conservative.”

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George W. Bush offered himself as a “compassionate conservative.”

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