Thalasar Ventures

I originally was going to make this post the top ten conservative characters on television. Given how few conservatives there are on television, I had to expand the post to include the top ten conservatives on television of all time. Please note older television shows often were apolitical but hardly left leaning.

I also will include an explanation why I think the character should be included in my list.

1. Ward Cleaver (Leave it to Beaver). Ward Cleaver was a clean cut family man who took care of his family and served his country in World War II (He was a Seabee). From hisTVLand bio
   

   Ward Cleaver is a responsible businessman and an even more responsible parent. He is generally even-tempered, though he occasionally blows his stack with the kids or at the office when Fred Rutherford pushes him over the edge. An exceptional TV dad, Ward doesn’t gloat when he’s right about something, and will always admit when he’s wrong. He loves his family, and shows it by being attentive and levelheaded.
   Ward grew up on a farm and had a grandfather who was a Civil War hero. He became president of his fraternity at State College (which he attended with bride-to-be June Bronson) and was an engineer with the Seabees during World War II.

2. Matt Dillon (Gunsmoke). Gunsmoke ran twenty years with Matt Dillion as the sheriff of Dodge City. Matt was a no nonsense man with a strong sense of justice.
3. Andy Griffith (The Andy Griffith Show). Andy Griffith was a widower who took care of his family as best he could yet at the same time was an easy going individual. From his Wikipedia entry
   

   Andy had a different moral code than the average law enforcer. He did what he thought was right, and that sometimes meant he had to lie to protect the feelings of his friends and loved ones, which he saw to be more important than brazen honesty in certain situations.

4. Joe Friday (Dragnet). Plain spoken and direct Sargent Joe Friday is the epitome of a true conservative in action.
5. Horatio Cain (CSI:Miama). I bet you didn’t even know that Horatio Cain was a conservative did you? That’s because simply put he is one of the most well rounded conservative characters on television. He’s Catholic. He’s anti-abortion (gleaned from numerous subtle comments on the show and one not so subtle comment about about a woman killing her baby by getting an abortion). And his strong devotion to his family is quite apparent and it’s also apparent he would give you the shirt off his back if you needed it. Christian charity shouldn’t be confused with fuzzy liberalism.
6. Malcom Reynolds (Serenity) – Mal was on the losing side of the war but he was on the right side as far as I am concerned. Few other characters demonstrate the libertarian value system as well as Mal.
7. Rev. Eric Camden (7th Heaven). Despite the feel good nature of the show, Rev. Camden has a clear set of family values.
8. Admiral William Adama (Battlestar Galactica). If the human race is under attack and on the run from a race of ruthless machines, there’s only one man I want running that show and that’s Admiral William Adama.
9. Jack Bauer (24). Jack is on the list but only just barely. Sure he’s patriotic and tough but his disdain for law isn’t conservative at all. But he’s on the list at #9 to prevent the inevitable protests that he should be here.
10. Ben Cartwright (Ponderosa). The father of four boys (yet another widower on the list) Ben Cartright was another straight ace and pretty helpful guy and owner of a rather large spread of land. Check out these quotes from the IMDB
    

    Adam Cartwright: Let’s go back to the Ponderosa, Pa. This isn’t any of our affair.
    Ben Cartwright: We can’t ignore the rest of the world. We’re the only stabilizing influence in the country.
    Ben Cartwright: You and your education.
    Adam Cartwright: Education is progress! Now what have you got against it?
    Ben Cartwright: I don’t have anything against education – as long as it doesn’t interfere with your thinking!

    This list is my personal list, your might vary. I tried to limit the number of Westerns but it’s inevitable that the list is going to lean Western heavy. I am pretty happy about my #1 though. Add to the list and let me know who should be added or taken off the list!