The Goofy Politics of George Bush

‘POOR AUSTEN,” said F. E. Smith of the lack-luster British Conservative politician, Austen Chamberlain. “He always plays the game— and he always loses it.” The epigram does not quite fit George Bush. About him one would have to say: “He always loses the game even when he wins it.” He is the kind of gentlemanly competitor who fights hard to win but who then hands the cup to his defeated rival to show no hard feelings. Thus, Mr. Bush’s first term has been a set of variations on the theme of “Conservative Votes, Liberal Victories” (not wholly coincidentally, the title of a book by Patrick J. Buchanan.)

To say this is to make a judgment not only about Mr. Bush, but also about the political situation of the moment. There are occasions, for instance wartime, when a bipartisan outlook is the right and sensible one. There are times when a broad consensus unites major politicians of all parties—for instance, the long consensus in the U.S. over the “containment” of the Soviet Union. But American politics today is more akin to a religious war (or to a number of overlapping religious wars) than to an Establishment game of Ins and Outs. The main battle is, of course, that between liberalism and conservatism. The problem for liberals is that their decline has reached the point at which their hold on power is seriously threatened. The problem for conservatives is that George Bush is apparently unaware of the fact and of the opportunities it offers.

About the Author

John O’Sullivan

John O’Sullivan is a senior fellow at National Review Institute and a contributing editor of National Review.

Featured Tags

‘POOR AUSTEN,” said F. E. Smith of the lack-luster British Conservative politician, Austen Chamberlain. “He always plays the game— and he always loses it.” The epigram does not quite fit George Bush. About him one would have to say: “He always loses the game even when he wins it.” He is the kind of gentlemanly competitor who fights hard to win but who then hands the cup to his defeated rival to show no hard feelings. Thus, Mr. Bush’s first term has been a set of variations on the theme of “Conservative Votes, Liberal Victories” (not wholly coincidentally, the title of a book by Patrick J. Buchanan.)

To say this is to make a judgment not only about Mr. Bush, but also about the political situation of the moment. There are occasions, for instance wartime, when a bipartisan outlook is the right and sensible one. There are times when a broad consensus unites major politicians of all parties—for instance, the long consensus in the U.S. over the “containment” of the Soviet Union. But American politics today is more akin to a religious war (or to a number of overlapping religious wars) than to an Establishment game of Ins and Outs. The main battle is, of course, that between liberalism and conservatism. The problem for liberals is that their decline has reached the point at which their hold on power is seriously threatened. The problem for conservatives is that George Bush is apparently unaware of the fact and of the opportunities it offers.