Right Fights

The most important election this year is the presidential election. A strong case can be made that the second most important election is the one that will occur on April 27, when Pennsylvania Republicans will decide whom to nominate for the U.S. Senate: the incumbent senator, Arlen Specter, or the conservative challenger, Congressman Pat Toomey. For conservatives who generally support President Bush but are concerned about the Republican party’s drift under his stewardship, the Specter-Toomey race, and a handful of other primary elections, offer the opportunity to make a midcourse correction.

This is important for conservatives, because we are in the middle of one of our seasons of discontent. Conservatives are always tempted, in such moments, to throw up our hands in disgust. Here and there one hears calls for conservatives to sit out the November elections. The question that the Pennsylvania campaign—and a few others—raise is whether conservatives are prepared to do something constructive about their dissatisfaction.

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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Presidential Election

The most important election this year is the presidential election. A strong case can be made that the second most important election is the one that will occur on April 27, when Pennsylvania Republicans will decide whom to nominate for the U.S. Senate: the incumbent senator, Arlen Specter, or the conservative challenger, Congressman Pat Toomey. For conservatives who generally support President Bush but are concerned about the Republican party’s drift under his stewardship, the Specter-Toomey race, and a handful of other primary elections, offer the opportunity to make a midcourse correction.

This is important for conservatives, because we are in the middle of one of our seasons of discontent. Conservatives are always tempted, in such moments, to throw up our hands in disgust. Here and there one hears calls for conservatives to sit out the November elections. The question that the Pennsylvania campaign—and a few others—raise is whether conservatives are prepared to do something constructive about their dissatisfaction.