Lamar? Come On!

WHEN Lamar Alexander was still an asterisk in most polls he scored an inside-Washington victory. Socialite and conservative activist Arianna Huffington, taken by recent Alexander speeches, hosted two meetings in December for the candidate and several “compassion conservatives,” including Weekly Standard editor Bill Kristol, welfare guru Marvin Olasky, and Bradley Foundation head Michael Joyce. They discussed how to make “civil society” themes a bigger part of Alexander’s campaign. A few weeks later, in a speech to the Heritage Foundation—written with extensive help from Mrs. Huffington—Alexander unveiled his “citizenship agenda for a rising, shining America.”

It was music to the ears of Huffington and Co. Over the last few years they have been urging a restoration of “civil society”—the rich array of institutions like churches, schools, families, and even trade unions that mediate between the individual and the state—as the key to alleviating the nation’s social problems. Cutting government, in their view, is not enough for the country or the GOP. So when Alexander expanded on a thoughtful, Burkean message of civic revival, this slice of the conservative intelligentsia swooned.

About the Author

Rich Lowry

Rich Lowry is the editor in chief of National Review.

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 Lamar Alexander was still an asterisk in most polls he scored an inside-Washington victory. Socialite and conservative activist Arianna Huffington, taken by recent Alexander speeches, hosted two meetings in December for the candidate and several “compassion conservatives,” including Weekly Standard editor Bill Kristol, welfare guru Marvin Olasky, and Bradley Foundation head Michael Joyce. They discussed how to make “civil society” themes a bigger part of Alexander’s campaign. A few weeks later, in a speech to the Heritage Foundation—written with extensive help from Mrs. Huffington—Alexander unveiled his “citizenship agenda for a rising, shining America.”

It was music to the ears of Huffington and Co. Over the last few years they have been urging a restoration of “civil society”—the rich array of institutions like churches, schools, families, and even trade unions that mediate between the individual and the state—as the key to alleviating the nation’s social problems. Cutting government, in their view, is not enough for the country or the GOP. So when Alexander expanded on a thoughtful, Burkean message of civic revival, this slice of the conservative intelligentsia swooned.