Almost two weeks after Republicans lost badly in elections in Georgia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Virginia, many GOP leaders insist there is no problem with the party’s policies, its message or Donald Trump’s leadership.
Trump says Democrats and the media are misleading voters who are concerned about high costs and the economy. Republican officials aiming to avoid another defeat in next fall’s midterms are encouraging candidates to embrace the president fully and talk more about his accomplishments.
Those are the major takeaways from a series of private conversations, briefings and official talking points involving major Republican decision-makers across Washington, including inside the White House, after their party’s losses Nov. 4. Their assessment highlights the extent to which the fate of the Republican Party is tied to Trump, a term-limited president who insists the economy under his watch has never been stronger.
Conservatism has never been about avoiding change. It has always been about preserving the unearned privilege of the ruling class. In England, the enclosures of the commons and the Highlands clearances were both radical changes, starting almost two centuries ago.
But initially, conservatism was protectionist, since the rich mainly got their money through land ownership, But after the Industrial Revolution, when many fortunes were made from manufacturing and trade, conservativism gradually shifted to supporting free trade (originally a Liberal idea).
It’s not a consistent ideology, really. It’s just “whatever it takes to serve the rich.”