Conservative of the Future?

REPUBLICANS around the country stood up and cheered for George Allen when he was elected governor of Virginia in 1993. For the GOP, this wasn’t just another race: It was a huge morale boost twelve months after losing the White House. Virginia is one of the few states that elects officials in odd-numbered years, which means that every other November it receives rapt attention from the political classes anxious for something to talk about. Allen’s victory snapped a streak of three straight gubernatorial losses for Virginia Republicans, and gave the national GOP reason for hope at a time when Democrats seemed ascendant. Immediately there was widespread agreement that Allen, a charismatic conservative, owned a bright future.

Now he’s running against Sen. Charles Robb. This is one of only three contests this fall in which Republicans have a clear shot at a Senate seat currently held by a Democrat. (The others are in Nevada and New York, although the latter is starting to look out of range.) With GOP candidates limping along in Delaware, Florida, Minnesota, and Washington State, it’s not inconceivable that either Dick Cheney or Joe Lieberman will spend plenty of time on Capitol Hill next year breaking tied votes. Virginia may act as a bellwether: If Allen’s returns early in the evening of November 7 don’t look good, Republicans around the country should brace for disaster.

About the Author

John J. Miller

John J. Miller, a former national correspondent for National Review, is the director of the Dow Journalism Program at Hillsdale College. He is the author of A Gift of Freedom: How the John M. Olin Foundation Changed America.

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REPUBLICANS around the country stood up and cheered for George Allen when he was elected governor of Virginia in 1993. For the GOP, this wasn’t just another race: It was a huge morale boost twelve months after losing the White House. Virginia is one of the few states that elects officials in odd-numbered years, which means that every other November it receives rapt attention from the political classes anxious for something to talk about. Allen’s victory snapped a streak of three straight gubernatorial losses for Virginia Republicans, and gave the national GOP reason for hope at a time when Democrats seemed ascendant. Immediately there was widespread agreement that Allen, a charismatic conservative, owned a bright future.

Now he’s running against Sen. Charles Robb. This is one of only three contests this fall in which Republicans have a clear shot at a Senate seat currently held by a Democrat. (The others are in Nevada and New York, although the latter is starting to look out of range.) With GOP candidates limping along in Delaware, Florida, Minnesota, and Washington State, it’s not inconceivable that either Dick Cheney or Joe Lieberman will spend plenty of time on Capitol Hill next year breaking tied votes. Virginia may act as a bellwether: If Allen’s returns early in the evening of November 7 don’t look good, Republicans around the country should brace for disaster.

About the Author

John J. Miller

John J. Miller, a former national correspondent for National Review, is the director of the Dow Journalism Program at Hillsdale College. He is the author of A Gift of Freedom: How the John M. Olin Foundation Changed America.