Conservatism, Not Populism

Some democratic principles rely on undemocratic institutions for their preservation.

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Dear Reader (and heroic muffin defenders everywhere),

I’m about to defend Trump-loving, MAGA hat-wearing right-wingers—albeit from a very specific charge. But first, I need to enter some things into the record.

First, I think Donald Trump—who is not and never was fit to be president—should have been impeached, removed, and barred from ever holding office ever again within 48 hours of the siege on the Capitol. As I have written at great length, he tried to steal an election. It was a failed self-coup—what they call in Latin America an attempted autogolpe. Months, if not years before the 2020 election, Trump started laying the groundwork for the claim that any defeat was illegitimate. He declared victory on Election Night not because he won, but because he clearly lost.

Second, I think the prominent Republican politicians and right-wing pundits who know this is true (and there are many of them) but strike a blasé or deferential attitude about it—“Trump’s gonna Trump”—are making a series of profound moral and intellectual errors.

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  1. Avatar photo
    Ben Connelly

    Jonah, this was good. The Hitler line made me laugh through the carrots I was eating. But I’d like to see a more rigorous rebuttal of the Bulwark piece. That article, while worth reading, had some very bad faith parts to it and unfortunately many non-conservatives won’t really understand enough to see through it.

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  2. Craig Owen

    Jonah, who are these people that are going to select the party candidates for us? That is an idea fraught with problems. I think some changes in the primary process are needed, but back to party bosses picking the candidates, no thanks.

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    Jason Gibson

    Mitch Daniels would be a good remnant guest

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    Ed P

    Former general and National security advisor Michael Flynn is now publicly advocating for a coup like in Myanmar.

    https://www.marketwatch.com/story/ex-trump-adviser-michael-flynn-says-myanmar-like-coup-should-happen-in-u-s-11622426143?redirect=amp#click=https://t.co/jWmat3wX0I

    Sorry about the moral panic guys. Weird that us liberals have become the dominant force for conserving our constitution while people we used to think of as conservatives find reasons to excuse the dismantling of our Constitutional governance.

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      Kmregan7

      Liberals have always wanted to conserve the Constitution. The idea that they didn't is one of those right-wing fearmongering tropes. I grant you though, that liberals have a different idea re: the 'living' constitution and such, but liberals have never wanted to just jettison it....

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    Man-Eating Cow

    Primaries are inherently undemocratic. No state permits all voters to vote in both primaries.

    So quit pretending they're an exercise in democracy, and let the parties do their job -- to protect a brand by seeking out the best candidates consistent with their policy bent.

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  6. Wanda

    I really enjoyed this. Yes I do not believe conservatism is the issue here. It is populism. I had never thought about abolishing primaries. This is a very interesting take. I can see this would be helpful especially at a local level where candidates sometimes do not have a challenger.

    I have however for a long-time thought we might get better results (i.e. better candidates) if all primaries required a majority winner. Thus when you voted you would pick your top 2 or 3, etc. depending upon how many candidates there are. I have often thought Trump would not have been the candidate if this had occurred.

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    Ryan O’Connell

    I’m continually dumbfounded by the volume of comments I’m reading on most of Jonah’s pieces that essentially amount to “ugh, why does Jonah keep defending conservatism?!”

    Guys, the Dispatch is a conservative outlet with high ideals. It’s basically aiming to be what National Review was 5 or 6 years ago before brownosing hacks like Victor Davis Hanson were allowed to spread Trump sycophancy as some kind of serious conservative thoughts.

    I can almost guarantee that VDH and Conrad Black’s trash is at least half the reason Jonah went solo. But I’d you can’t tell the difference between conservative thought and basic Republican apologetics, then this publication will co tonite to be over your heads.

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      Aylene Wright

      Jonah recently issued a Tweet thread rebuttal to a Tom Nichols thread that made a case for the "it was all a lie" argument, that basically conservatism was never more than a cover for selfish bigots to oppress others and nothing else. It's an argument put in book form by Stuart Steven's, and I have seen Charlie Sykes make as well. I also get the sense that David at least partially holds this view considering recent statements he's made about the Tea Party. I don't think David goes as far as "it was all a lie" but certainly "much of it was a lie".

      There used to be a time when there was more of a separation between conservatism and Republicanism. In a more relative than absolute sense, of course. Once upon a time, during the W years, the Weekly Standard was called the "in-flight magazine of Air Force One". But Steve could still credibly challenge W in the recent interview with "Your vice president said deficits don't matter!" Because it's possible to support an Administration without becoming a toady who never criticizes it. Even under Trump some people tried to do that, though they pretty much all failed. They either totally broke with him or went all-in.


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    Dina

    It’s irrelevant whether Republicans who believe the election was stolen are acting in good faith. There is still a great danger to democracy emanating from the Republican Party. A great number of elected Republicans and media personalities who know better refuse to tell their base the truth. They continue to downplay the January 6 insurrection.

    The Republicans set a dangerous precedent. They tried—and came close to succeeding—to overturn a free and fair election. What if they succeed next time? Or what if the Democrats decide to try it, now that it’s been tried once and was downplayed—and what if they succeed?

    The Republicans have set us on a path that very possibly ends in civil war or the end of democracy.

    Jonah, that’s why you’re wrong to say that Republicans are not anti-democratic. The cowardly leaders of the Republican Party both in government and media show they are anti-democratic by continuing to support the anti-democratic Trump, the election lie, and the downplaying of January 6.

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  9. Kevin P. Holsclaw


    Kevin P. Holsclaw
    Democracy and popular consent are a necessary condition to a flourishing polity. However, democracy is not a sufficient condition. The rule of law and constitutional protections for civil and political rights are also required. It is an irony of democracy that the Bill of Rights itself is designed to place limits on the popular will.

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    Nick H

    Why do we keep pretending that either side will be reasonable? The Democrats (and yes, this includes most media figures) are never going to publicly concede that even the most common-sense election reform is appropriate. They are 100% in on using every possible attack to "own the cons" and tie every negative perception to Trump, just like the GOP is fully in on owning the libs. Jonah bemoans that the left refuses to admit that the right can have different priorities for what is important in democracy, but that's been true for a long time now. It's not going to change anytime soon with the inmates running the asylum.

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