My Place On "The Right."

Who knows, maybe Crunchy Jack Kemp Conservatism will become a thing.

I recently listened to the audio version of Matthew Continetti’s excellent book “The Right: The Hundred-Year War For Conservatism.” I highly recommend this book. You also might be interested in Continetti’s conversation with Dan Senor, or the AEI event introducing the book.

The book starts with the Harding/Coolidge administration and traces important figures and movements in conservatism since the 1920’s. Perhaps you won’t be surprised to learn many of the things Republican politicians say today have been said before.

Ecclesiastes 1:9 says

What has been will be again,
what has been done will be done again;
there is nothing new under the sun.

This has been true within conservatism over the past hundred years. Indeed, the nationalist/populist movement Trump kicked into gear isn’t new. It has more influence on the right than perhaps it ever has, but it’s ideas aren’t new. Pat Buchanan expressed some of the same views as Trump. The original American First movement in the 1930s, and the old Paleo Conservatives have much in common with today’s America First political candidates and the MAGA faction of the GOP. There is nothing new under the sun.

The challenge for the Right at this moment, in my opinion, is to figure out how to put together a coalition and issue set capable of winning elections, nationally and locally.

Oddly enough, there are indications the GOP could be attracting a more diverse coalition that could provide it with ballot box victories in the near term. A diverse GOP is something I’ve been hoping for since I first became active in my local Party in 1997. Polling shows Latinos are leaning toward the GOP in larger numbers than perhaps ever before. Other polling shows young African-American men are leaving the Democratic Party. These polls present a tremendous opportunity for Republicans. I hope they put forward a positive agenda, rather than expecting Democrats to continue driving these voters away.

I’ve long respected Jack Kemp, the former Buffalo Bill turned Congressman. Kemp championed a hopeful, diverse, conservatism focused on economic opportunity for all. I find this much more appealing than nationalism or populism, and certainly more appealing than the fusion of the two so popular on the right these days. Adopting Kemp’s tone, optimism, and focus on economic opportunity, could bring disaffected former Democrats into the GOP.

I would call myself a “Jack Kemp conservative” mixed with “crunchy conservatism” as described by Rod Dreher back in 2006. While I don’t drive a VW Bus, I do drive a Nissan Leaf, with a Brian Kemp for Governor bumper sticker proximately affixed. This elicits some strange stares, and strong reactions from some, which I find immensely entertaining.

While the nationalist/populist movement is dominant among Republicans presently, it likely won’t be for much longer. This MAGA movement might provide a few solutions to problems our nation faces, but people are growing tired of all the fighting. Politicians who do nothing but fight aren’t very effective and eventually will leave their constituents feeling frustrated. New thinking, and new solutions to problems are needed, and soon.

Who knows, maybe Crunchy Jack Kemp Conservatism will become a thing.