That’s what Yuval Levin advocates in a brilliant mini-essay at National Review Online: “[C]onservatives need what conservatism says societies always need: to be ourselves but better.”
Between his fine piece and a good one by Erick Erickson at Red State, which again explains to our moronic consultant class that we need to actually explain our ideas to voters, there is enough wisdom for conservatives to start the rebuilding process. It will be long, tough process, because we are in a worse position than most seem to think, facing a ruthless and corrupt foe who is bent on using the power of the national government to destroy conservatism forever. To survive, and eventually to prevail, we will indeed need to be ourselves (in terms of principle), but better.
