William Shakespeare’s play “Romeo and Juliet” etched in the minds of people the world around the famous phrase, “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell just as sweet.” Shakespeare was making the point that calling someone or labeling something is arbitrary. It is the intrinsic qualities of the person or thing that matter.
A couple of weeks ago, two conferences were happening at the same time. Both shared similar names, but the essence of them could not have been more different. The first one, which happened down in Florida and included remarks by a famous former president, you probably heard of. The second most likely escaped you.
The preamble for conference No. 2 read: “For some time now, the conservative movement has been in the throes of an identity crisis. Fealty to party and politicians has completely obscured the values that give substance to our public associations. Today in America, who you support has become more important than what you believe. As a result, the terms ‘conservative’ and ‘Republican’ are now mere team names that have lost all meaning.”
