Conservatism's Identity Crisis
“Neo-Con,” “Alt-Right,” “Evangelical,” “RINO” (Republican in Name Only), “New-Right,” “middle of the country” — these are some of the titles pundits have given a segment of the country on the broadly-defined “political right.” You may have found yourself surprised to have been lumped into one of these categories by someone who doesn’t even know you.
These days, “conservatism” has broadened its tent to subsume many more circles in the Venn-diagram of political ideologies, paradoxically pairing those who “heil Hitler” with those who hail Jesus.
Many “purists” are concerned with the undoing or undefining of Conservatism on a whole, as some open our doors to atheists, pro-prostitution libertarians, or those who identify as LGBTQ. These concerns are not unfounded, but if William F. Buckley had a crystal ball, he wouldn’t mourn the fate of the right in 2019.
Consider that, as the conservative tent widens, it is not us losing ground, but left-leaners moving right. The more members we can access; the more opportunity we have to influence outsiders to our ideas; the more centrists rub shoulders with conservatives—the more likely it will be for those outsiders to be “red-pilled,” as it were.
It’s no mystery that Kanye was influenced by Candace Owens, who was influenced by Thomas Sowell or some other noble conservative thought leader. Through generations of mentorship, leaders like Sowell have brought even the furthest-leftists over to the woke-right side.
A political ideology is not a kind of “theology” that it is worthwhile to be an idealist about. Blind allegiance to any set of doctrines can lead to tyranny. Furthermore, there is no one set of “official” tenets of conservatism that all must agree upon to claim the mantle. Who has been given the authority to compile such a list, anyhow? There are broad strokes that unite the right, but no two conservatives agree on every issue. There is far too much nuance to paint broadly.
The breakdown of “pure” conservatism is merely a boogeyman. “Real” conservatives know who they are, and are ready to disown and call out any in their party who oppose core principles. Real conservatives are armed with truth and knowledge. Because it’s rooted in reality and thrives in truth. Conservatism has a steadfast patina of pedigree that allows it to survive whatever those impostors can throw at it.
After all, conservatism is a large tent. What was once a staunch alternative to liberalism is now the true liberalism—where people are free to be left alone to think how they please or worship in communion. There is no other political ideology like ours.