Eisenhower, Conservatism and Civil Rights

A very interesting article on Dwight Eisenhower's actions regarding Civil Rights. Ike probably hasn't gotten the credit he's due in this regard but then again - Eisenhower in general hasn't been given the credit he deserves.

I also found this bit very interesting:

One of the interesting attributes of [Edmund] Burke's legacy is that he espoused a set of broad principles, but refrained from endorsing a specific ideology. That is, Burke didn't have a conservative philosophy so much as he had a conservative mindset. He saw conservatism not as an agenda of issues but as an approach with which to deal with issues as they developed.

Emphasis added. I've long thought that the best candidates don't fit preconceived labels but instead address issues as they arise in a careful, common-sense way. Of course there would have to be a grounded moral compass from which the decisions arose. Ike fit that profile but so did Harry Truman. I think the candidate who bests fits the above will be the one to earn my vote in 2008.