It is the best and the worst of times for conservatives. Those who believe in fiscal responsibility, smaller government, individual freedom, strong defense, and reverence for Western traditions and American customs have won back both houses of Congress. Republicans enjoy strong majorities of the state legislatures and governorships. President Obama’s approval ratings in the polls regularly fall below 45 percent. The public seems to tire of politically correct demagoguery, the dumbing down of every issue into a matter of the noble people versus the selfish individual.
Most polls suggest that far more Americans see themselves as conservative than as liberal. Red states run much smaller budget deficits despite having lower taxes. Few Americans believe that states such as California, Illinois, and New York, or cities such as Baltimore, Chicago, and Detroit, are paradigms of 21st-century good government. Abroad, statism — whether the crony-state capitalism of China or the paternalistic socialism of the European Union — is in crisis.
Comments