The Next Conservativism

Paul Weyrich is trying to create a new breed of Conservativism. Like many of his colleagues he can see that the current brand of Conservativism, i.e. Neo-Conservativism has largely died in the sands of Iraq (although Kristol and Limbaugh, are still hoping for a rebirth and an invasion of Iran and Syria). The problem with Neo-Conservativism is that it tried to accomplish stuff.

Politics, however, is about acquiring and using power. Does that mean conservatives should not engage in politics? No, because that would allow radicals to take total power and use it to destroy us and everything we believe in. Rather, it means conservatives have to think carefully about how to use power when they obtain it. They have to use it cautiously, prudently, and in measured quantities, just as they would use any other explosive.

There is, I believe, a way the next conservatism can think about political power that can help prevent its abuse. We should use it defensively, not offensively. By using power defensively, I mean we should use political power, success at the ballot box, to prevent government from ramming schemes, ideologies, social engineering and other radical "improvements" down the American people's throats.

This doesn't sound very inspiring, but it might be the key to the next couple of years. President Bush may have screwed up so badly, that the best Republicans can hope for is putting the brakes on Republicans.

Weyrich, however, doesn't word this properly. His prose is a bit too restrained to rally the troops; he needs to focus on the core Republican principal he is arguing for; screwing Democrats. The goal of the Republican party should be to fight Democrats efforts to create a just and fair society. While that doesn't sound much more inspiring to me, it will fire up the Republican Base. Because if their is one thing that unites Republicans and Conservatives, it's disdain for Democrats.