Whether it’s Rockefeller Republicanism or Democratic Progressivism, Left-wing politics has failed. Americans have had it with Big Government at home and Interventionism abroad. Filling the void is Middle American Conservatism.
The winds of change are blowing. A political rebellion is brewing. The 2012 Republican presidential nomination is taking place within historic times: the decline and fall of big-government liberalism. President Obama’s attempt to transform America is finally creating a powerful backlash. The Obama presidency lies in rubble; failure has been its defining characteristic. The country is facing an economic crisis. Unemployment is high. Growth is anemic. Gas prices are sky-high. America is choking on its debt. We are bogged down in three failed wars. Mr. Obama’s popularity is plummeting. The liberal regime – once dominant – is tottering.
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Yet, at last, the Republican race is heating up with two rising stars. The dark horse is Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota. She clearly won the debate in New Hampshire. Mrs. Bachmann is articulate, telegenic and feisty. She is a populist conservative who champions God, country and family. She is closely aligned with the Tea Party movement, and is serious about slashing deficits and controlling spending. She is a devout Christian, who is staunchly pro-life, pro-family and pro-gun rights. Moreover, Mrs. Bachmann is a nationalist in foreign policy. She opposes the Libyan intervention, rightly demanding that constitutional checks and balances be reimposed upon Mr. Obama’s war-making powers. With the exception of Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, she has the best grasp of one seminal reality: America can no longer afford the welfare-warfare state. The era of nation-building and global democratic revolution is over.
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The other potential major candidate is Texas Gov. Rick Perry. His top aides are signaling that he is clearly thinking about running. If he does, Mr. Perry would skyrocket to the top of the heap, smashing most of his GOP rivals – including Mr. Romney. He is the anti-Romney – an authentic Texan, who has a long record of achievement and proven conservative governance. Mr. Romney talks a good game; Mr. Perry actually plays one. The rap against Mr. Perry is that he looks and sounds too much like former President George W. Bush. He has the same twang and cowboy swagger. After the disastrous Bush years, the country does not want another Texan Republican in the White House, say his critics. Maybe.
Yet, Mr. Perry has one trump card: Texas. Under his leadership, the economy has boomed. As the country remains mired in a deep recession, Texas is growing. It has created more private-sector jobs than any other state. He has reined in public spending, restored fiscal responsibility, removed regulatory red tape, maintained flexible labor markets and stood up to the unions. There is no state income tax. He is a real Reaganite. He has combined pro-growth policies with flinty social conservatism.
Bachman and Perry represent a rejection of Compassionate Conservatism. They both represent a Neo-Reagnite world view. Realistic Cation abroad and Free Markets at home. Progressivism in either its Republican or Democratic form is dead. Long live Conservatism in all its flavors!
