E.J. Dionne Declares Conservatism Dead
I published this post at my own blog yesterday, which created quite some debate, so I thought I should publish it here as well.
E.J. Dionne writes:
Why can’t the left get any respect?
Whenever you use the word “left” in American politics, you feel almost compelled to add quotation marks. Today’s left is not talking about nationalizing industry, abolishing capitalism or destroying the rich. What passes for “left” in American politics is quite moderate by historical standards.
Still, cliches die hard, so you hear such 20-year-old questions as: “Are Democrats moving too far to the left?” or “Will Democrats abandon the center?”
This approach is about abstractions, not concrete political problems, and it misses the dynamic in American public life, which is the move away from the right and a discrediting of the conservative era. The political “center” of today is not where the “center” was even five years ago.
That’s why every leading Democratic candidate for president chose to appear at this week’s “Take Back America” conference organized by the Campaign for America’s Future, the leading group on the party’s progressive end. This included Hillary Clinton, whose roots in the centrist politics of the Democratic Leadership Council run deep. Clinton not only knows how much political energy there is on the left; she also knows where public opinion has moved, particularly on the Iraq war.
Conservatism as an ideology has only been discredited in the eyes of those who did not believe in conservative ideology to begin with. I find it hilarious to see progressives declare how conservatism has had its chance but how – sadly – it has proven that it does not work, etc.
Those who actually know something about traditional conservatism, however, know very well that Bush has not governed like a conservative. He has governed like a Big Government (and Big Business) Republican, not as a small government conservative. The mistake American conservatives made – of course – is that they stood by Bush, even when it had become crystal clear that Bush is anything but a conservative.
But – that does not mean that conservatism as an ideology has failed. It has not. It has not had a real chance.
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15 Responses to “E.J. Dionne Declares Conservatism Dead”
Conservatism is dead because the percentage of the population who would benefit from a small government conservative government is so much smaller than the percentage of the population who will benefit from a large government, nanny state.
Sounds just like the argument the neocons’ gave for why their plan for spreading democracy in the ME failed, lol. I am convinced that no ideology will work in its purest form- only a hybrid will- because America is a hybrid society- 1/3 conservative, 1/3 moderate/indie, 1/3 liberal.
lol uh Kim: at my own blog people dealt with that argument.
I’m sure conservatism as an ideology hasn’t failed, but it’s certainly been damaged by it’s association with the Bush regime. I believe Dionne is on the mark when he observes:
What passes for “left†in American politics is quite moderate by historical standards.
This is obvious to those of us who’ve been around for half a century or more.
To superdestroyers comment I would add this: Conservatism would benefit greatly from not being perceived as primary enablers of the corporate nanny state.
Well, America runs in cycles- we had a conservative cycle in the ’50′s, liberal cycle in the 60-70′s, Reagan came in on the backlash to the freewheeling era that preceded him. By the 90′s Americans were ready for something new- so the Clinton era ensued. Now there is a huge backlash of dissatisfaction with the failure of conservatives to rule competently under George W. Bush- the trend Dionne is talking about. Americans are moving to the left, because conservatism has failed them. The GOP is splintering over immigration and the war, and candidates will be forced to run away from Bush while using his help to get re-elected.
That’s not to say that in 8-10 years the pendulum won’t swing the other way, but for now this is the trend.
agreed.
No ideology fails before it’s been implented.
This is an argument built out of bubbles.
There are arguments defending the ideology of the Roman Empire. Apparently failure came from straying too far from the core ideas.
I have an ideology at the core of which is the proposal that we install guardian angels instead of humans as our representatives in government. It has never been implemented, and, therefore, has never failed.
Of course he’s conservative. Tax cuts, relaxing environmental regulation, putting conservatives on the Supreme Court.
If fact, the only thing unconservative Bush has done, the Iraq war, is one of the few things conservatives still cheer for him over.
It does not matter what conservatism as a workable idealogy is not dead. As a political possibility in the future on of the U.S. it has failed.
The 50′s were not conservative when you realize that the top margainal tax rate was over 90% and the legacy of economic central planning left over from World War II still dominate the goverment.
However, for conservatism to be relevent, there has to be enough people to support the philosophy. In the future, there will not be enough people will to support it.
The other problem conservatism has is that it takes things away without giving as much back. In the short term, conservatism cannot win against a political movement willing to provide “free” healthcare, education, and housing.
Conservatism degenerated into a liberal bashing cult. Conservatives need to drop Limbaugh and get back to their Wm. F. Buckley roots of an intellectual movement.
grognard,
You forget modern conservatism’s alliance with the religious right. It gets them some hard core votes but is finally really alienating the moderates enough to have a major effect, especially after the Schiavo fiasco.
The problem with the Buckley conservatives is they went 40 years out of power and did not affect anyting between1950 and 1980 and did not get the House back for 40 years.
If the Republicans go back to being the Country Club Republicans, they will be irrelevent starting tomorrow because there is definitely not enough Country Club types to be relevent in politics let alone win elections.
I agree with Grognard and Jim S on this one: go back to the roots of Buckley and break with the religious right.
Ahhh, lovely. All these “antidotes” to what is wrong with conservatism. Let’s see – break with the Christianists; reconnect with the common sense/Buckley wing, etc. etc. Why, I think those people are called –
Democrats.
Sorry folks. George Bush is conservative. His pop is conservative, Ronnie Ray Guns was conservative. You either own it, or not. You don’t like what American conservatism has wrought? Then you’re not an American conservative.
Me, I never was, so I have no such cognitive dissonance to deal with.
LMAO Mike your comment gave me a good laugh, thanks for that.