The Alamo (1960)

Conservatives seem to have annihilation fantasies. Both versions deal with freedom vs. tyranny. The rights of individuals vs. the government. The original was produced by John Wayne. ‘nuf said.

Patton (1970)

Watch the flag scene. It was a shot at the height of the anti-war movement. This was Richard Nixon’s favorite film. Watching this movie makes one wish Patton could visit the Dixie Chicks.

Dirty Harry (1971)

San Francisco is fully of lawless long hairs. Clint Eastwood shoots them. End of problem. Law and Order vs. Lawlessness. Rule of Law vs. If it feels good do it. GI Generation vs. Baby Boomers. While liberals see all conservatives as Gordon Gecko from Wall Street, Conservatives see liberals as either Scorpio from Dirty Harry or the soldier that George C. Scott slaps in Patton.

Ghostbusters (1984)

The villain is an EPA bureaucrat. This is the counterpoint to Wall Street!

Red Dawn (1984)

The counterpoint to Reds. Commies are not our friends! Instead of beer hall rallies, it’s pistols on the American plains. The film is a two hour infomercial for the 2nd Amendment.

Forrest Gump (1994)

Gump contrasts the two versions of the baby boom generation. This film shows the negative side of the 60s and liberalism. Liberals die of AIDS and at the same time, hard work and perseverance can make anyone a shrimp millionaire!

Braveheart (1995)

Freedom is not free. Sometimes, you have to fight. Governments and kings can be the oppressor.

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003)

Tolkien was a conservative and this is loosely based on World War II. Classic good vs. evil. Listen to any of the monologues. They are straight out of the Churchill-Reagan files. This really fit the post 911 world and struck a chord with audiences.

Cinderella Man (2005)

Russell Crowe is embarrassed to be on government assistance. He works hard to get out of poverty and help his family. He even pays the government back.

300 (2006)

This might be the most conservative movie ever made. Leonidas (George W Bush) sees the coming Persian (Islamic Terrorist) threat and moves to stop it. He has to deal with traitors at home (liberals) and within his own midst (bureaucrats and the media). Leonidas and the 300 go down like the GOP in 2006 and 2008. The movie ends with a highnote as the Greeks unite to defeat Xerxes (Osama Bin Laden).

As the Founders' generation died off, people were leery of the next generation. Could America stay America without the Founding Fathers around to guide them? Here's the next generation of presidents starting literally with the next generation asJohn Quincy Adams takes office.

John Quincy Adams (1825-1829): Adams came into office under a cloud. The 1824 election was thrown to the House of Representatives. Adams won with the help of Henry Clay. Although no candidate won a majority of votes, Adams won less than Andrew Jackson. As a result, Adams felt he could not initiate any major policies since he did not think he had a big enough mandate and faced a very hostile Jacksonian Congress. Adams had no real accomplishments as president. George W. Bush used Adams as the example of what not to do in 2001. Bush decided to go after tax cuts, education reform, and a prescription drug benefit as opposed to sitting around like Adams. President Adams real legacy came after leaving office. Although, he was an accomplished diplomat, negotiated the Treaty of Ghent, the purchase of Florida, and the Monroe Doctrine, Adams should be remembered for his war on slavery. John Quincy Adams was the best ex-president in U.S. history.

Andrew Jackson (1829-1837): Jackson created the modern presidency. His detractors called him "King Andrew." Jackson vetoed more bills than any president to that point. He launched a war on the Bank of the United States and killed it. When South Carolina threatened to leave the union, Jackson threatened to destroy them. He also removed Native Americans from Georgia in violation of a court order. Jackson dramatically expanded executive power like no one before.

Martin Van Buren (1837-1841): Van Buren considered the presidency his reward for years of hard work. He worked his way up and helped form the modern Democratic Party. He maneuvered himself into the Vice Presidency by ingratiating himself with Jackson. Once he moved into the White House, he was as paralyzed by events as Jimmy Carter 140 years later. A major depression, sectional strife, and an inept chief executive marked Van Buren's stewardship. As a result, people began calling him "Martin Van Ruin" with the same contempt people in the 1930s appropriated Herbert Hoover's name for all things poverty.

William Henry Harrison (1841): Harrison ran the first modern presidential campaign complete with songs, spin, modern packaging of candidates, and a catchy slogan "Tippecanoe and Tyler too." Once elected, Harrison gave a ridiculously long speech in bad weather, caught pneumonia, and died one month later.

John Tyler (1841-1845): Virginian John Tyler was added to the 1840 ticket for regional balance. Although Harrison was a Whig, Tyler was a Jacksonian Democrat. This was strange since Whigs and Democrats were opposites on important economic issues. However, no Vice President had ever become President and they were supposed to disappear into a black hole for four years. Harrison's death created a crisis. Who's president? Tyler assumed the office himself and asserted the right of all Vice Presidents to become President when the Chief Executive dies. Additionally, Tyler opposed his new party's programs and began vetoing their legislation. He was evicted from the Whigs and the Democrats refused to have him back. He became a man without a party. The Tyler Years demonstrate the importance of having a president and vice president on the same page ideologically. After leaving office, Tyler supported the Confederacy during the Civil War.

James K. Polk (1845-1849): Polk took the U.S. to War with Mexico. Polk attempted to bully the Mexicans into surrendering California and the American Southwest. They refused and attacked American troops at the Texas border. The United States won the war handily and conquered all or part of California, Utah, Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Wyoming. This made up 42% of Mexico at the time.