Don’t Count Out the Conservative Hawks Just Yet

The prevailing media consensus is that the GOP is fast becoming the party of neo-isolationism and retrenchment. There is some truth in this, but while the hawks may no longer be able to count on the party base’s steadfast loyalty, they are not going the way of the dodo anytime soon.

It is difficult to separate a prudent hawkish outlook from American conservatism. Unlike progressivism, conservatism is not an ideology, but a product of tradition, reason, and the particularities of place. The conservative does not pursue a utopian world; he works in and with his reality. “Most conservatives are fundamentally hawks — the question is merely to what extent,” says Carrie Filipetti, who served at the State Department as deputy assistant secretary for Cuba and Venezuela during the Trump administration and is now the executive director of the Vandenberg Coalition. “We have to make choices that reflect the reality we have, not the reality we want. And the reality we have is that doves on the left and right play directly into the hands of the Chinese Communist Party. . . Russia . . . and Iran.”

JP

About the Author

John Pietro

John Pietro is an ISI journalism fellow serving as an editorial assistant at The Spectator World.

Featured Tags

The prevailing media consensus is that the GOP is fast becoming the party of neo-isolationism and retrenchment. There is some truth in this, but while the hawks may no longer be able to count on the party base’s steadfast loyalty, they are not going the way of the dodo anytime soon.

It is difficult to separate a prudent hawkish outlook from American conservatism. Unlike progressivism, conservatism is not an ideology, but a product of tradition, reason, and the particularities of place. The conservative does not pursue a utopian world; he works in and with his reality. “Most conservatives are fundamentally hawks — the question is merely to what extent,” says Carrie Filipetti, who served at the State Department as deputy assistant secretary for Cuba and Venezuela during the Trump administration and is now the executive director of the Vandenberg Coalition. “We have to make choices that reflect the reality we have, not the reality we want. And the reality we have is that doves on the left and right play directly into the hands of the Chinese Communist Party. . . Russia . . . and Iran.”