The Blog Formerly Known As Vote '08

McCain presidency or no McCain presidency, the conservative movement has suffered some major setbacks in the past year, or even the past 8 years. The fascinating dialogue is among those conservatives who get that & have already started the conversation. & make no mistake - this is healthy, & will get conservatives back to their goals quicker, even with the outcome of the presidential election still undetermined.

Let’s listen in to a few folks:

Ross Douthat:

“You know, part of me actually wishes that John McCain had started talking about Bill Ayers, the Annenberg Challenge, Rashid Khalidi, and how the Global Poverty Act will line the pockets of Hugo Chavez. (Maybe in his answer to one of the questions about the economy - why not?) Because that way we wouldn’t have to hear - as we will hear, from McCarthy and others, for months and years to come - that the biggest problem with the McCain campaign was that it just wasn’t willing to really takes the gloves off and call Barack Obama a terrorist sympathizer.”

Kevin Drum:

“Actually, it’s worse than that. If McCain loses, as he’s almost certain to, we’re going to see two reactions. First, Steve Schmidt wasn’t nasty enough. In the future, Republicans need to return to their Lee Atwater roots and really teach Americans what liberal treachery is all about. Second, we told you a RINO couldn’t win. The conservative base will be convinced for years that the big problem with McCain was that he was trying to be a pale shadow of liberal Democrats. (Sarah Palin will be conveniently forgotten, or else finally seen for the tokenism she really is.) The nation still hungers for genuine conservatism, they’ll say, and they knew McCain was a phony all along. If only the party had nominated a Romney or a Huckabee the public would have swarmed to their cause.

This is delusional, but it’s probably good news for Democrats. It means the GOP is going to be riven by factional warfare for years, with moderates unable to get a purchase on the party apparatus because of the McCain albatross hanging around their necks. Eventually, like Britain’s Labor Party in the 80s, they’ll find their Tony Blair, but in the meantime they’re likely to double down on the most strident possible social conservatism, convinced that the heartland will respond if only they regain the true faith. Ronald Reagan, who was more pragmatic about these things than any of them ever give him credit for, will be rolling in his grave. And Democrats, at least for a while, will go from strength to strength.”

Isaac Chotiner:

“..consider what the state of affairs will be if Obama takes the oath of office on January 20. McCain will be a losing presidential candidate, and one who is rapidly advancing in age. Rudy Giuliani has become somewhat of a punchline (if for no other reason than that he ran one of the worst primary campaigns of the modern era). Colin Powell retains a certain cachet, but is hardly identified as a Republican anymore; it even seems worth asking whether he presently identifies himself as one. Condi Rice remains inexplicably popular, but the stain of Bush will not wear off easily. Regardless, it is hard to envision much of a political future for her. Arnold has enraged much of the California GOP, and probably will not run for the senate; it is more likely that he would serve in an Obama administration. And then there is Jeb, who remains a compelling figure but is (probably) permanently stigmatized because of his last name (although it would be interesting to see him try and capture the GOP nomination in four years).

So where does that leave the party? Well, there is Mike Huckabee, there is Mitt Romney, there is Sarah Palin, and there is an ever-dwindling supply of senators and governors. It goes without saying that a political party is defined by more than its five or ten brightest stars, but all these figures were tremendously helpful to the Republican Party throughout this decade, and for various reasons they will all be sidelined. Should McCain lose, this is simply another problem for the GOP.”

Andrew Sullivan:

“Those of us who consider ourselves conservatives will have a responsibility to try and constructively repair the GOP if they self-destruct. It will take work and some mutual forgiveness….We may have a long time to debate it.”

FURTHER READING: A great discussion of the different factions in the Republican party, & Sarah Palin’s place in them. (via Kleinheider)

What do you think?

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