1/20/01 9:30 a.m.
Behold, the New Conservative Century
We’re winning.

By Joel C. Rosenberg, president of November Communications, Inc.

top. Take a deep breath. Relax. Smile. We're winning — for a change.

Amidst the fatigue and battle-weariness of the past year — a grueling primary and general-election campaign, the six-week-long election night, the scuttling of the Linda Chavez nomination, and the racial and religious attacks on the character of John Ashcroft — it would be easy to forget what Inauguration Day represents.

The beginning of a new conservative presidency.

The renewed conservative control of the U.S. House and Senate.

The dawn of a new conservative century.

Remarkable. In an age of widespread elitist intolerance for the conservative, the Republican, and the evangelical Christian who speaks openly and convincingly of how he was once lost but has now been found and saved and changed for the better by the love of Jesus Christ, our new president is all three.

In an age of cynicism that an American president and his family can set an example as good and honorable and decent people, our new president is a loyal and loving son to a father who served his nation in war and in the White House, as a World War II fighter pilot and as the 41st president of the United States. Amidst such cynicism, how moving, how refreshing, to see the former president publicly and frequently well up with tears of genuine affection and love and heart-felt pride when he speaks of his son who will succeed him as the 43rd President of this remarkable, enduring nation.

In an age of widespread suspicion among conservative activists that they will be immediately heaved over board after helping navigate a Republican ship into a White House port, how encouraging to see the president's top political strategist — Karl Rove — recently attend two closed-door, off-the-record sessions of conservative strategy meetings in Washington, D.C. One was a weekly meeting held for years by economic conservative Grover Norquist of Americans for Tax Reform. The other was a weekly meeting held for decades by social conservative Paul Weyrich of the Free Congress Foundation. Imagine being considered an actual political base, not a wing to be lopped off in mid-flight.

Think about it for a moment. Conservatives have never celebrated the "triple crown" of winning control of the White House, the House and the Senate, however narrowly.

We have never seen ideological conservatives simultaneously set to control the Justice Department AND the Department of Health and Human Services AND the Energy Department AND Commerce AND the Interior Department AND the Labor Department AND a school-choice advocate in the Education Department AND an advocate of fundamental tax reform and personal retirement accounts to save Social Security at the Treasury Department.

Never. Such is the cause for our celebration. We are leaving the wilderness and entering the political promised land. And rather than be anxious and suspicious and cynical (as we conservatives are wont to be), we should be happy. Let us display a bit of "irrational exuberance" for our friend, Mr. Greenspan, and the other drab and dour brahmins of the beltway.

I was a Democrat when the GOP last held an inaugural back in 1989. I actually voted for Dukakis. It's hard to admit. But it's true. When I was young and irresponsible I was young and irresponsible.

But the great thing about America is that you can change. You can switch sides — convert. And I did. And I am not alone. Millions of Americans have become Republicans amidst the conservative revolution that swept the nation but not the White House in the 1990s. And this is just the beginning. And it is cause for celebration.

The world has changed. The Evil Empire is no more. Bill Clinton will no 0longer preside. A spiritual awakening is sweeping our nation. Free-market democratic capitalism is sweeping the globe. This is good. And it is cause for celebration.

So some of us are having a party. Not just a huge, blowout party celebrating President Bush's victory, though it is certainly that. A party celebrating the tremendous success of conservatism — and particularly the new ideas, new leaders and new media that have so dramatically transformed the political landscape.

Behold, the dawn of the new conservative century.

Thus was born a "ball with buzz." Organized by the Committee for Western Civilization. Sponsored by The American Spectator magazine, the Leadership Institute, and Pfizer. Held at the Embassy of Uzbekistan. And now so overbooked — more than 600 confirmed guests for a party that was planned for a mere 250 — that no further reservations are being taken. Yet the calls and e-mails for tickets keep pouring in.

Confirmed guests for this evening of celebration include cyber-scribe Matt Drudge...author and columnist Peggy Noonan...Human Event's Ann Coulter...National Review's Rich Lowry...National Review/CNN Capitol Gang's Kate O'Beirne... National Review's Ramesh Ponnuru... Wall Street Journal's John Fund...author and techno-futurist George Gilder...UPI editor John O'Sullivan... Weekly Standard's Bill Kristol...Fox News Channel's Fred Barnes...Limbaugh Letter managing editor Diana Schneider...and former Rush Limbaugh producer James Golden (a.k.a., "Bo Snerdley").

Also expected are new RNC chairman and Virginia Gov. Jim Gilmore...Bush adviser Karl Rove... Cheney adviser Mary Matalin...Bush lawyer Ted Olsen...Judge Robert Bork...Dick Gilder...Ed Feulner — and a surprise guest — FBI Director Louis Freeh.

Few of these were political players back in 1989. But today they are. Why?

Because out there in the political wilderness conservatives chose to work rather than wander. Our financial donors served as venture capitalists. Our think tanks served as ideological incubators. Our media entrepreneurs built vast new communications networks transmitting our new ideas via airborne radio signals, via underground fiber optic cables and via space-based satellites.

We built it, and they came. But let us remember what we forgot during the Gingrich Revolution of 1995. We have not won, not yet. We have merely won the right to continue the dialogue with the American people, many of whom are still hesitant, if not hostile.

Nevertheless, we have won a hearing. Now we must deliver.