Missed Opportunities

WHEN George W. Bush became president, the Right was in a precarious position. Both conservatives’ failures and their successes were conspiring against their future.

Six years previously Republicans, led by Newt Gingrich, had taken control of Congress and embarked on a program to eliminate Cabinet departments and rein in entitlement spending. That program failed: The public sided with Bill Clinton on such matters as Medicare funding. On the other hand a largely Republican-designed welfare reform was enacted. This achievement, however, blunted Republican attacks on big government. Once federal activism was no longer seen as subverting middle-class values, it rose in popularity.

About the Author

Ramesh Ponnuru

Ramesh Ponnuru is the editor of National Review, a columnist for the Washington Post, and a fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.

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WHEN George W. Bush became president, the Right was in a precarious position. Both conservatives’ failures and their successes were conspiring against their future.

Six years previously Republicans, led by Newt Gingrich, had taken control of Congress and embarked on a program to eliminate Cabinet departments and rein in entitlement spending. That program failed: The public sided with Bill Clinton on such matters as Medicare funding. On the other hand a largely Republican-designed welfare reform was enacted. This achievement, however, blunted Republican attacks on big government. Once federal activism was no longer seen as subverting middle-class values, it rose in popularity.