The Long Goodbye: Camelot Lost

THE conservative moment in American politics was fun while it lasted, but it’s over. Social democracy is enjoying a modest revival throughout the industrialized world. That, at least, has been the message of countless magazine essays and newspaper op-eds over the last two years. Christopher Caldwell, one of the most perceptive political observers around (and a conservative), recently argued in The Atlantic Monthly that an increasingly affluent public will increasingly reject a GOP dominated by Southerners and led by eccentric college professors. Other articles have claimed that Bill Clinton’s formula of cultural moderation combined with governmental activism on behalf of the middle class could define a dawning political era. (I’ve written a few myself.)

But Clintonism has underappreciated weaknesses. It may not have a lasting political impact, partly for this reason: it is incapable of inspiring idealism in young people. This is important because much of the work of politics is, strictly speaking, irrational. Unless you believe strongly in a candidate or cause, you’re unlikely to spend your time going door to door, still less to make a low-paying career in activism. People had that kind of belief in Barry Goldwater and Eugene McCarthy, George McGovern and Ronald Reagan. These men brought thousands of bright, ideologically motivated kids into politics—where many of them remain to this day.

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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THE conservative moment in American politics was fun while it lasted, but it’s over. Social democracy is enjoying a modest revival throughout the industrialized world. That, at least, has been the message of countless magazine essays and newspaper op-eds over the last two years. Christopher Caldwell, one of the most perceptive political observers around (and a conservative), recently argued in The Atlantic Monthly that an increasingly affluent public will increasingly reject a GOP dominated by Southerners and led by eccentric college professors. Other articles have claimed that Bill Clinton’s formula of cultural moderation combined with governmental activism on behalf of the middle class could define a dawning political era. (I’ve written a few myself.)

But Clintonism has underappreciated weaknesses. It may not have a lasting political impact, partly for this reason: it is incapable of inspiring idealism in young people. This is important because much of the work of politics is, strictly speaking, irrational. Unless you believe strongly in a candidate or cause, you’re unlikely to spend your time going door to door, still less to make a low-paying career in activism. People had that kind of belief in Barry Goldwater and Eugene McCarthy, George McGovern and Ronald Reagan. These men brought thousands of bright, ideologically motivated kids into politics—where many of them remain to this day.