The Demise of the Conservative Movement

Since the end of Ronald Reagan’s second term, the Republican Party establishment has subtly denigrated and deliberately diminished the influence of the conservative movement within their ranks. Despite the fact that conservatives are by far the largest faction within the party, this strategy has been successful as there was no one of the stature of Reagan to assume the leadership mantle of the movement, and, as the political system of this nation can only function with two political parties, there is no alternative political party. Over the past 28 years, by manipulating the nominating process and controlling political contributions, the party elites have made certain that no viable conservative could win the presidency or assume a major leadership role in Congress. As the Democratic Party has increasingly embraced a policy of unabashed socialism, those that would have been considered liberal (or just moderately socialist) over the past three decades have been migrating to the Republican Party, finding a home among the so-called establishment. Thus when the Democrats won the presidency and initiated a variety of statist programs (most notably under Barack Obama) there was little or just token opposition to them.

The Tea Party movement came about not only as a reaction to the policies of Obama but the spineless response of what was supposed to be the opposition party. It was this faction together with the overall conservative movement that dramatically altered Congress in two mid-term elections, giving the Republicans control of both houses. However, the vitriol directed at both the Tea Party and conservatives by not only by the Democrats and their lackeys in the media but from the Republican establishment was not only astonishing but beyond the pale. The true colors of the party leadership were on display for all to see. That arrogance and obstinacy, together with the abject failure to stop the Obama agenda while conditions for the nation’s lower and middle class continued to deteriorate, has eventuated in a very volatile Republican electorate. Oblivious to this reality, the party elites have again attempted to stack the deck against any genuine conservative winning the presidential nomination. They did so by making certain in the early stages of the process that nearly all the states favorable to a conservative candidate, many with open primaries and all with proportional delegates chosen, were on the schedule. As there are always a number of conservatives running, this strategy assures that no one conservative would come out with a significant lead, leaving the chosen candidate to do well in the later winner-take-all states which, coincidentally, are generally favorable to so-called moderates or the ones hand-picked by the establishment. However, in the Unites States of 2016, these well-laid plans, successful in the past, have failed miserably with the entrance of Donald Trump into the race, as he has inadvertently taken advantage of the process set up by the party elites. As a nationally known celebrity with a near clinical case of narcissism as well as the willingness to, without compunction, play on the angst of the Republican electorate, he has been able to assume the lead in the primary process and become the odds on favorite to win the nomination, despite winning on average just 35% of the votes cast. There are, unfortunately, some who claim to be conservative who have become enamored with Donald Trump. They are deluding themselves into believing what they belittled when Nancy Pelosi said of Obamacare: “We have to pass the bill. So you can find out what is in it.” They now are essentially saying they are willing to elect Trump on the premise that he has to win in order to find out who he is. Donald Trump is not a conservative by any stretch of the imagination. He is the embodiment of a progressive in the mold of Bill Clinton or Chuck Schumer and would govern the same way. If he is the nominee and wins the general election, the Republican Party will become the Democratic Party of the 1980’s and 90’s as the Democrats assume the role of the nation’s socialist party. However, in the general election the Democrats and their media sycophants will portray Trump and all his myriad personal flaws and ever changing positions as a stereotypical “conservative” who hates women, and is a racist as well as a rapacious and immoral businessman. As Trump’s personal unfavorables are so high, it is highly unlikely he can beat any Democratic candidate this fall, thus leaving the nation at the mercy of unfettered socialism. In either scenario, with the nomination of Donald Trump the conservative movement is destined to be cast into the wilderness for perhaps a generation, as there will be no vehicle, i.e. political party, in which they can assume control of the levers of power. This nation will be well on the way into fully evolving into a Euro-Socialist Democracy. The ideals of individual freedom, economic opportunity and government of and by the people will just be slogans chiseled in marble at various national monuments. The Republican Party elites will have succeeded in casting out conservatism from their midst, but at the cost of eliminating any opposition party and eventuating the further decline of the United States.