The American Spectator : Comeback Conservatism

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Comeback Conservatism

By Ben Stein from the May 2010 issue

Bob Tyrrell is the man for whom the term "stand-up guy" was invented.

(Page 2 of 2)

Tyrrell notes, and of course it's true, that there are many kinds of conservatives. For example, there are neoconservatives who became disaffected by the radicalism of 1960s Liberals (the late Irving Kristol was their putative leader -- the phrase "neocons" is now used by extremists on both sides to really mean "Jewboys"...it is almost invariably salted with some serious anti-Semitism); "reformed conservatives," or RCs, who sometimes "ingratiat[e] themselves with the mainstream Liberal media by finding fault with conservatism"; our pals New York Times columnists David Brooks and Ross Douthat, again; and even "mini-cons" (see bow-tied journalist Tucker Carlson).

This brings us once again to Tyrrell's pet peeve, or what he views as the biggest impediment to conservatism flourishing once again: conservatives who "snipe" at each other to get ahead. Some examples of Tyrrell's conservative snipers include:

1. Former Reagan speechwriter Peggy Noonan, who reviewed Tyrrell's 1992 book, The Conservative Crack-Up, for the New York Times. Her review, Tyrrell writes, "was more a psychoanalysis of me than a review of my book." Tyrrell continues, "Peggy's sly disparagement validated another of my propositions about conservatives, namely: conservatives, particularly conservative writers, have remained marginalized by the political culture and left with only one expedient to stardom, which is to snipe at fellow conservatives."

2. "Reformed conservative" columnist David Brooks, who called Sarah Palin "a fatal cancer to the Republican Party." Tyrrell really does not like this man.

3. Conservative talk radio host Joe Scarborough, "an RC for the airwaves" who "has rarely manifested an interest in much beyond his own self-promotion."

Among the stories of sniping (which could have started to get depressing after a while), Tyrrell stays humorous and optimistic, never wavering in his belief that conservatism's prospects are bright. He tells a funny story about an annual dinner The American Spectator puts on for its writers and supporters, one of which took place right after the 2008 election. He wanted his fellow conservatives to be prepared for the "wilderness years," so he had his staff hand out 400 L. L. Bean catalogs to the dinner guests:

I urged my friends to settle for the offerings made available in the Bean catalog. Properly attired, we might not find the wilderness so bad. Sure, there would be poison ivy and wolves, clouds of mosquitoes and grim-faced members of the World Wildlife Federation stomping around on the mountain laurel, but there would be many instances of natural beauty. Once in the wilderness, I planned to pitch my tent close to that of the comely Governor Palin. She is very cute and can handle a shootin' iron....As it turned out, conservatism's wilderness years only lasted a few months, and I never did get an opportunity to taste Palin's sautéed elk.

In a deeply touching portion of the book we behold the great respect and admiration Tyrrell has for his close friend the late Bill Buckley, the conservative movement activist and legendary editor of National Review who died in February 2008. We also hear of the disdain Tyrrell has for Buckley's son, Christopher -- novelist, political satirist, and "reformed conservative." Tyrrell wallops Christopher for being disloyal to his father in both the flippant eulogy he gave at Buckley's heavily attended memorial service at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York and in his memoir. "He felt himself to be the neglected son, who, as the eulogy suggested and the book made clear, envied his father's superior talents," Tyrrell writes. Sad but apparently true.

Tyrrell's eloquent descriptions of Bill Buckley's achievements and quirky habits serve as a springboard into a discussion on the differences between the Nixon White House and the Reagan White House. While the Nixon White House shied away from the conservative movement, the Reagan White House embraced it (Reagan was a longtime National Review reader, Tyrrell points out).

Tyrrell urges conservatives to stop sniping, join forces, and become a real force for solidarity. And he's not talking about tea parties here, but rather those who travel in conservative intellectual circles:

[I]f the conservative counterculture is to vanquish the [liberal] smog, it has to start acting like a culture. There has to be intellectual activity shared among the conservative activists, personalities, and writers. The movement's members have to desist from their solipsistic leapfrogging and do what I urged upon Bill Buckley back in 1986, to wit, take an interest in each other's work -- at least when it is interesting. Moreover they have to assess each other and each other's work with a clear sense unclouded by the smog's vapors.

Tyrrell predicts that conservatism's recovery will be through "an archipelago of public policy think tanks," aided by intellectual journals like his own as well as conservative new media, such as talk radio and the Internet. I personally think conservatism's return to political power will come as Americans learn just how untrustworthy the Chicago gang they elected are.

In the book's final chapter, Tyrrell lays out his agenda for the next conservative ascendancy, including his recommendations for financial reform, health care reform, and national defense -- but not before he comments on how Liberals, especially President Obama, don't believe in American exceptionalism: "To Obama, America is a failed state, and so he has traveled the world, apologizing for the delusions that he imagines have brought so much discredit to America's brief but admirable history." So Tyrrell urges conservatives to do the opposite -- to embrace the last item on his conservative agenda: American exceptionalism. Tyrrell believes we should be proud of it and, as part of a conservative agenda, revel in our uniqueness as Americans. He concludes the book with a call "for real hope and change," again reminding us conservatives that we need to be a culture, not just a party: "With the growth of the conservative counterculture, the prospects are good for conservatism now to do what it should have done in the 1980s and act not merely like a political party but like a political culture."

And I can well imagine a genial, beaming, florid-faced Bob Tyrrell telling us all of this at one of the great Spectator dinners, and adding, "And please, dear Lord, let it start with me."

I love this guy, and long may he run.

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About the Author

Ben Stein is a writer, actor, economist, and lawyer living in Beverly Hills and Malibu. He writes "Ben Stein's Diary" for every issue of The American Spectator.

Letter to the Editor View all comments (20) | Leave a comment

Siegfried X| 5.13.10 @ 7:43AM

If the Democrats win an election, we've lost a battle.

If the left takes over the Republican Party, then we've lost war.

Alan Brooks| 5.13.10 @ 10:25AM

"That was before New Jersey, Virginia, and Massachusetts -- yes, freaking Massachusetts -- brought forth The Resurrection. "

The 'problem' is the border states-- which you do not live near. The demographics have changed so much that '93 is not comparable any more.

Every problem we solve causes other problems.

And I think you know that, too. I am optimistic only concerning scientific progress-- NOTHING MORE.

Siegfried X| 5.13.10 @ 12:49PM

Demographics are meaningless. President Reagan did well among across the board, among all groups.

We will never know how a Reagan conservative would do in 21st century until we run one.

The Republican party said the same thing about Crist, that he obviously would get the most votes, and it was a waste of time to even have a primary.

MattZ| 5.13.10 @ 11:55PM

Trust me; I think the Republican party is headed any way but left.
I don't think there are even more than a handful of left-wingers in the Democratic party, so don't be too worried.
MZ

FakeEagle| 5.13.10 @ 7:55AM

"I personally think conservatism's return to political power will come as Americans learn just how untrustworthy the Chicago gang they elected are." It's true that the fool always shows his foolishness eventually. The problem is there are so many fools looking on for whom the display goes unnoticed.

Alec| 5.13.10 @ 8:17AM

"(...the phrase 'neocons" is now used by extremists on both sides to really mean 'Jewboys'...it is almost invariably salted with some serious anti-Semitism)" Mr. Stein, with all due respect, can you document that assertion? I don't believe it for a minute. It seems to me that this is the kind of ad hominem cant that is the essence of "the conservative crack-up" because it seeks to silence anyone who would question ideology by hitting them with a rhetorical club. I for one have begun to resent it.

Howard| 5.13.10 @ 9:30PM

Sir, you must travel in dignified company. I noticed several assertions during the 2003-2006 Iraq time frame constantly blaming the Jews/neo-cons for tricking America into fighting Israels war. I don't believe Bill Kristol gives a rats ass about Israel. But it's always easier to blame a straw man than examining all of the flawed intelligence that went into the Iraq plans and outcomes.

Publius| 5.13.10 @ 8:38AM

Well Alec, you certainly don't mind that "rhetorical club" when your bunch is wielding it.

Alec| 5.13.10 @ 11:30AM

"Tu quoque," eh? Well, IF that is true, that doesn't make it right, does it? In fact, I do not plead guilty. "My bunch" are my fellow Republicans, and if I don't mind, then I would not have written my previous comment. Mr. Stein writes, "Tyrrell urges conservatives to stop sniping, join forces, and become a real force for solidarity." To which I say, "Amen."

Ken (Old Texican)| 5.13.10 @ 9:56AM

Mr. Stein,
Thank you.

I don't want to really "conserve" what we have right now in government. Is it time to change monikers?

Perhaps we could call ourselves "Restorationists".

I would love to see governmental interference in our lives rolled back to somewhere before LBJ.

C'mon, you and Mr. Tyrrell need to help us coin a new moniker for both us and the communists, (pardon the shorthand).

S.L. Toddard| 5.13.10 @ 12:25PM

"In a fight of any kind, verbal, physical, ideological, he is the guy you want at your back and at your side, too"

What, I wonder, would *neocon* game show host and Hollywood showbiz shmoozer Ben Stein know about "physical" fights?

Neocon, neocon, neocon, neocon, neocon, neocon, neocon, neocon, neocon, neocon, neocon, neocon, neocon, neocon, neocon, neocon, neocon, neocon.

NavyBrat| 5.13.10 @ 12:45PM

"What, I wonder, would *neocon* game show host and Hollywood showbiz shmoozer Ben Stein know about "physical" fights? "

Really, Doddard? And you're what, an aikido champion? Goose step yourself elsewhere, fool.

"Israel is an alien state."...SL TODDARD

Yes, Herr Toddard. We know where YOU stand.

S.L. Toddard| 5.13.10 @ 5:53PM

That statement is incontrovertibly true. Israel is an alien state. You poor people are no better than the illegals streaming out of Arizona in your ignorance of the English language. How sad.

a·li·en (ā'lē-ən, āl'yən)
adj.

1. Owing political allegiance to another country or government; foreign: alien residents.
2. Belonging to, characteristic of, or constituting another and very different place, society, or person; strange. See Synonyms at foreign.

Northern Rebel| 5.13.10 @ 12:29PM

Tex:

I have been using the term "Constitutional Conservative" to describe myself, and to distinguish those of us from faux conservatives such as the doddering old fool from Arizona.

Which reminds me:

McCain is running in a heated primary against J.D. Hayworth, and Sean Hannity, who calls himself a Reagan conservative, has this RINO codger on every night, enabling his reelection.

When you go online to Fox to complain, there is no vehicle to send an E-Mail. I can understand Greta sucking up to the senile bastard, because she doesn't claim to be a conservative.

I am disappointed in Sean, because he seems to care more about his ratings, than helping America rid itself of this hypocrite, who arrogantly disregards our Constitution.

If anyone figures out how to get through to Hannity, I would encourage everyone to give him hell, and tell him to at least give Hayworth equal time. Every appearance on Hannity's show by this contemptable former great American is equal to a campaign ad.

S.L. Toddard| 5.13.10 @ 12:31PM

Hannity knows that no matter what he does, "conservatives" will keep watching, just like no matter what the GOP does, "conservatives" will keep voting Republican.

Troll Watch| 5.13.10 @ 4:30PM

The turd returns. He should leave Hannity alone for a year for damning him to hell based on the Debbie Schlussel . It was a rich moment for those of us who witnessed it. Apparently the turd is a shill for a neocon nut job. Well I guess they have the nut job part in common.

Ken (Old Texican)| 5.13.10 @ 4:43PM

HI SL,
I see you have been released from the psychiatric ward.
WELCOME BACK!

Now, put your spurs and SS insignia back in the closet. You are not allowed to kill Jewish folks, or incite other people to kill them...or desert a pretty good ally.
Stay on your medications. We miss your posts. heh.

Die_Rechte_Ecke| 5.13.10 @ 10:25PM

Socialist Retard (aka S.L. Toddard)
By your own definition of alien, that makes you one. Your allegiance to your troll kingdom of Islam0-Euro-Socialist-Kos-land where the Obma unicorns prance with the satyr supreme court nominees proves my point.
And when it comes to fighting - I know you got your associates in Ninja arts from New England Community College and all, but no one here takes you seriously. And I doubt we'd ever "feel" threatened by YOUR physical presence. It's like flatulence - sure it has an impact but stinks nonetheless. Or perhaps that was you talking? I cannot tell.
Look - we love to have a court jester - and you foot the bill - but more as the village idiot.
Fall off the wall again, please. It cracks me up.

Die_Rechte_Ecke| 5.13.10 @ 10:30PM

Ken (Old Texican)
Dude - I love the idea. If Libs want to call themselves, "Progressives," and toward what that means who knows; I think that Conservatives do need to re-name themselves "Restorationists."
Great thought!