Richard Spencer

January 26, 2009

Today was Bill Kristol?s last as a columnist for the New York Times, and he went out on a impassioned note?lamenting the end of Dubya?s ?conservative era? and fancying that Obama might ?reshape liberalism to be, as it was under F.D.R., a fighting faith, unapologetically patriotic and strong in the defense of liberty.? Put another way, he hopes Obama might become a neocon idol, which might actually happen?how many days was he in office before he was bombing Pakistan? 

Reading around, I?ve found that some are speculating that Kristol?s op-ed might signal that he and his pals will be returning to their liberal roots or, even less plausible, that Kristol?s piece reveals that he?s beginning to ?lose faith in the conservative movement. ?

This is all wishful thinking. 

First off, Kristol might be a ?right-winger? when it comes to bombing Arabs and Serbs and unconditionally supporting Israel; however, the whole reason he was hired at the Times in the first place was because he?s a lefty on social, cultural, and economic issues?notice that Kristol supported the bailouts and never touched on immigration and abortion during his tenure. And all of Kristol?s pro-Israel stuff was always more than acceptable to a large portion of the Times?s readership. So it?s silly to think that Kristol?s firing was either a great repudiation of the Right or else definitive proof that conservatives just can?t get ahead in the MSM, which, of course, professional conservatives love to complain about—one claimed,?There’ll be dancing in the liberal streets? once Irving’s son is gone. 

I had hoped that the election of Barack Obama might stir up strife, or even cause a crack up, within the Right. But this clearly hasn?t happened, proving, to me at least, that the conservative movement and GOP are far too collectively dumb to recognize what vermin like Kristol have done to them.

No groundswell against the war is imminent. There was, of course, a backlash against David Brooks and (to a lesser extent) David Frum during the election season, and they were both called ?liberals? and ?neocons.? But the grassroots and GOP hardliners attacked the Davids for bucking the GOP and bashing Sarah Palin?and not for war mongering or praising global democracy.   

Moreover, if the movement actually got rid of the neocons, then what would they talk about at all their meetings and on their websites and blogs? There’s only so much interest in tax cuts and ?the culture of life.” The fact is, in the wake of Bush, the movement/GOP isn’t interested in much outside national security and evil dictators.   

And why would Kristol dump the conservative movement? Since he?s closely allied with Sarah Palin, the grassroots will remain loyal to him. And if Kristol ever really had ?faith in the conservative movement,? it was only as a consolation prize to real political power and influence in the MSM. 

But just because Bill Kristol won’t be leaving American conservatism behind any time soon, that doesn?t that we shouldn?t!