July 22, 2010

Free Conservative Speeches & Lectures

If you are looking for audio and video resources with a right-leaning political perspective, look no further than this list of 20 free conservative speeches and lectures. For years we’ve been showcasing hundreds of free audio & video resources as a part of our Free Resource of the Day Emails, and from these we’ve whittled it down to the best material in our database, including archival recordings from past Republican National Conventions and some of Ronald Reagan’s best speeches. You’ll also hear from leading conservative thinkers, such as Dinesh D’Souza, Milton Friedman, Andrew Sullivan, Condoleezza Rice, and many others with strong opinions on how the country should be led. Whether you wish to learn more about America’s rich history of conservatism, or want to get an idea of where Republican leadership is headed in the 21st century, we think the links below will get you on your way:

1. A Time for Choosing (aka “The Speech”) by Ronald Reagan

Listen to this famous speech delivered by Ronald Reagan during the 1964 U.S. presidential election campaign on behalf of Republican candidate Barry Goldwater. In the speech Reagan delivers a powerful message against socialism and the expanding influence of the U.S. government in many sectors of American life. He also presents his case for using “peace through strength” to win the Cold War and defend democratic freedom against the expanding communism of the Soviet Union. This speech contains the backbone of Reagan’s political philosophy which he carried out as president into the 1980s. The speech is available on MP3 download and streaming audio through American Rhetoric.

2. The Role of Government in our Society with Milton Friedman

The Nobel Prize-winning economist Milton Friedman passed away a few weeks ago at the age of 94. Listen to a historical debate between Friedman and Democratic Senator Joseph S. Clark recorded in the early 1960s. Friedman comes through loud and clear in advocating his belief in laissez-faire capitalism and the disadvantages of government intervention. Friedman’s ideas on economics have become highly influential in America and throughout the world. This debate is available on MP3 digital download and streaming audio from the Intercollegiate Studies Institute. (The audio is a little rough at the start of this recording, but it improves and is understandable.)

3. 1964 Republican National Convention Address by Barry Goldwater

In this classic Republican speech, 1964 Presidential nominee Barry Goldwater lays forth many of the principles of modern conservatism. Goldwater is especially adamant in his stance for use of force against Communism with his statement “Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice”. He also confronts bureaucracy and centralization of government power as major problems facing the politics of his day. This speech is available on streaming audio and MP3 download from American Rhetoric.

4. Is This Still the Age of Socialism? by Alan Charles Kors

In this lecture from the Intercollegiate Studies Institute, award-winning professor and historian Alan Charles Kors delivers an impassioned denouncement of socialism and ponders why the United States and other liberal democracies do not denounce socialism with the same fervor that is used in attacking Nazism. Professor Kors points out the atrocities of socialist and communist regimes throughout the 20th century and how they cost many more innocent lives than Hitler’s Nazi government. He feels it is appalling that the crimes of Communist regimes are not taught along side the crimes of the Nazis in schools, and that the collapse of Communism is not commemorated with the same reverence as the victory over Nazi Germany. This lecture is available on streaming video and MP3 download from the Intercollegiate Studies Institute.

5. Conservatism by Karl Rove

In this speech from the John M. Ashbrook Center for Public Affairs, Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove addresses the Twenty-First Annual John M. Ashbrook Memorial Dinner and lays out the accomplishments of the modern conservatism movement. Delivered in early 2005, shortly after the re-election of President George W. Bush, Rove speaks a lot about the character of President Bush. Rove also lays forth some of the areas which he feels conservatives must push forward on such as spreading liberty, reforming welfare and social security, and committing to traditional conservative values. This hour-long streaming audio program is available from the Ashbrook Center.

6. Why America Is So Great by Dinesh D’Souza

Listen to Dinesh D’Souza’s lecture “Why America Is So Great”, as he discusses why he feels America is a great nation, and he defends the nation against its many critics around the world. This lecture is a brief introduction to D’Souza’s book What’s So Great About America. This 17 minute lecture is available on MP3 download and streaming audio from the Intercollegiate Studies Institute.

7. Winning the Cultural War by Charlton Heston

Charlton Heston delivers this dramatic speech against the political correctness that he feels is creating a new civil war in the United States. He cites extreme examples of the madness of our times and encourages students to practice civil disobedience against the oppression of political correctness that is plaguing our culture. This speech is available from American Rhetoric on streaming audio and MP3 download.

8. Decadence: Ancient and Modern by Russell Kirk

In this online audio lecture, Russell Kirk, author of The Conservative Mind, compares the decadence of our time to the decadence of the Greek and Roman civilizations that preceded us. Kirk tosses in a plethora of references to ancient cultures and it’s an amusing and interesting lecture.

9. In Depth: Francis Fukuyama

In this interview with political philosopher and author Francis Fukuyama, he discusses many of his books including America at the Crossroads: Democracy, Power, and the Neoconservative Legacy. Much of the discussion is over Iraq which Fukuyama opposed and he has since openly criticized Neoconservatives even though Fukuyama is a conservative himself. He fields many questions from callers across the political spectrum. This free interview is available on streaming video.

10. Shelby Steele on Why Barack Obama Cannot Win

Even though Barack Obama did win, author Shelby Steele provides some interesting criticisms of Obama and of the issue of race in America. In this talk delivered at Cody’s Books, author Shelby Steele talks about his book A Bound Man: Why We Are Excited About Obama and Why He Can’t Win. Steele contends that presidential candidate Barack Obama is a politician unto which people are projecting all of their various political hopes, but that Obama is not expressing his true convictions and if he does so, he risks losing the election. As a black conservative author, Steele points out the various masks that African-Americans have worn throughout the past century for white Americans and argues that Obama is also wearing the mask of a “black identity”. This talk is available on streaming video and MP3 download from FORA.tv.

11. The Conservative Soul by Andrew Sullivan

In this talk offered by the Cato Institute, blogger and author Andrew Sullivan discusses his book The Conservative Soul: How We Lost It, How to Get It Back. Known as a gay, Roman Catholic conservative, Sullivan confronts the conservatives in power today warning against the religious certainty on which their policies are often based. Political commentator David Brooks has read Sullivan’s book and gives a brief critique of it, noting that religion in the United States is not as uniform as Sullivan proposes. Listen to this talk available on streaming video from FORA.tv, and on MP3 download through the Cato Institute website.

12. Intellectuals Then and Now with Norman Podhoretz and Sanford Pinsker

In this streaming audio presentation from Boston University’s World of Ideas show, noted speakers Norman Podhoretz and Sanford Pinsker discuss the historical role of the intellectual in American society. Starting in 1952 and going to the present, these speakers explain how America became more hospitable in the post-war years to its artists and scientists. Both lecturers give arguments on how these intellectuals in turn have responded to America, and how their influence has shaped modern culture.

13. Condoleezza Rice at Princeton

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice delivered this keynote address at the 75th Anniversary of the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University. She puts the contemporary issues of foreign policy within the context of American history, especially in relation to post-World War II foreign policy and the Cold War. Rice affirms her conviction that the quest for democratic governance and political freedom in the Middle East is a continuation of the ideals exercised throughout American history. This address is available on streaming audio and MP3 download from the University Channel.

14. Federalist Society Audio Podcast

Listen to dozens of podcast from the Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies. These podcasts examine legal and political issues from a conservative or libertarian viewpoint with panels of diverse opinions addressing the issues. Currently on the feed you’ll find podcasts covering direct democracy, property rights, religion and the public square, America’s role in the world, morality & the law, controversies involving lawyers and attorneys, gay marriage, voting rights, and a whole lot of other issues. You’ll also be able to hear addresses from prominent conservatives such as Rudy Giuliani, George W. Bush, Clarence Thomas, and many others. Listen to and download these free podcasts from the Federalist Society.

15. Is Manliness A Virtue? by Harvey Mansfield

Harvard Professor Harvey Mansfield delivers a talk that is sure to get you thinking about the role of manliness in our society. Just as feminism has been studied and had a profound influence in the world particularly in the last half century, so too Mansfield believes that the virtue of manliness should be studied to determine what it characteristically is and is not. This lecture is available from the Intercollegiate Studies Institute and is available as on streaming audio and video as well as MP3 download.

16. Hollywood and the Three Lies by Michael Medved

In this streaming audio lecture released by the Ashbrook Center, film critic Michael Medved explains the three lies that he feels Hollywood has foisted onto American culture. He argues that the films produced in Hollywood reflect values that run counter to that of most Americans. Medved does feel this problem can be remedied, but this change can only come about if more audience members said “no” to something they don’t like.

17. Faith in America Address by Mitt Romney

In this speech which former Governor of Massachusetts Mitt Romney delivered at The George Bush Presidential Library on December 6, 2007, he focused on the role of religion in American life and politics. Romney speaks of the importance of religious freedom as being essential to American life. He talks about his own Mormon faith, emphasizing that as president he is not in office to promote any one faith, but to be the voice of the people he is representing. This address is available from American Rhetoric on MP3 download and on streaming audio & video.

18. George W. Bush: Farewell Address to the Nation

Listen to President George W. Bush’s Farewell Address to the Nation which he delivered last Thursday, January 15, 2009. In the speech President Bush refers to many of the major events which happened during the eight years that he was Commander in Chief. He talks about some of the tough decisions he made and the sacrifices that were made over the past seven years to defend America from another terrorist attack. And President Bush emphasizes that America must lead the cause of freedom abroad and never let down its guard. This 13-minute speech is available on MP3 download and streaming audio & video.

19. Myths, Lies, and Downright Stupidity by John Stossel

In this book forum from the Cato Institute, John Stossel (Co-Anchor of ABC’s 20/20) discusses his latest book Myths, Lies, and Downright Stupidity: Get Out the Shovel-Why Everything You Know is Wrong. In his entertaining, no-nonsense style Stossel advocates opening up K-12 education to the free markets because he feels American public schools are falling behind the rest of the world and competition would give school systems the necessary kick they need to get America’s schools back on top. This audio program is available on MP3 download as well as streaming audio and video.

20. 1980 Republican National Convention Acceptance Address by Ronald Reagan

The Republican National Convention is going on this week. Listen to Ronald Reagan’s address at the 1980 Republican National Convention. He confronts the major issues of his day including the energy crisis and the stagnant economy, and he offers his conservative ideas for resolving these issues. Reagan also addresses the threat of the Soviet Union and what his foreign policy platform is in regards to the Soviet Union. He ends his speech with a moment of silent prayer. This speech is available on streaming audio and MP3 download from American Rhetoric.

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