Practical Conservatism? Why not just conservatism?

Ed Morrissey wrote a ‘how we go forward’ column today, suggesting that what we on the right need to embrace what he calls ‘practical conservatism’:

…Republicans need to start considering an advent of practical conservatism.

In practical terms, the entitlement programs we have cannot be dismantled, as Randian purists would prefer. Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security are too popular for repeal, and more importantly, deliver a level of living standards on which millions of Americans rely — standards that would plummet in these programs’ absence. Instead of denying that, practical conservatism would embrace that — because on the trajectory of current policy, these programs will utterly collapse at some point. There is, after all, nothing compassionate about a default, or about sticking succeeding generations with the bill for benefits we enjoy in the present.

Conservatives have good ideas for reforming these programs, and practical conservatives can point to the massive pain that failure will cause future generations. The same is true of programs such as food stamps and other programs that lift the truly needy, but which need to be better targeted so that those who can lift themselves will have to do so.

If nothing else, the past few months should have made it clear that in practical terms, talking about “the 47 percent” and “makers versus takers” won’t win elections for Republicans. It’s in our nature to care about the poor and struggling among us, and that impulse speaks well of Americans. Practical conservatism would also embrace this impulse and form policy around the goals of a robust but practical safety net that doesn’t require massive borrowing, ensuring that limited resources only go to those truly in need while building a fair and free economy that creates true prosperity across all income classes. Practical conservatives would take a lesson from the mid-1990s welfare reform and Jack Kemp’s outreach to urban centers with conservative economic proposals aimed specifically at improving lives of the working class voters that Republicans have consistently lost over the last several decades.

Interestingly enough, at least in the short-to-medium term, conservatives aren’t calling for the repeal of any of these entitlements except Obamacare. Last I checked, we are desperate on the right to reform them so that they work better and stop bankrupting us. Isn’t that what Romney/Ryan espoused?

If we ever expect the electorate to accept free market changes to these entitlements, we can’t be seen as embracing the socialist-nanny state programs. We have to be able to communicate free market principles and why they will make these entitlements work better for the people on these programs. We need to be clear and articulate about what will make this country grow and expand prosperity for the masses, and why the path we’re on is taking us in the opposite direction of prosperity and is killing us.

In order to do that we have to communicate our conservative principles. Or as I’ve said it before, we have to be willing to tell people the truth about everything, whether it be the Democrats or our fiscal situation. And we haven’t had a candidate willing to do that in a long time.

We need to stop moderating our conservative message and start speaking our conservative message, articulately. We need to talk about why this country is better for all people when there are more producers. We need to be able to communicate that prosperity doesn’t trickle down, but that in reality it is a rising tide that lifts all boats when more contribute to society.

We need to convince more people of our dire future if we don’t change course, but then we need to inspire people with a vision that we as Americans can fix the huge problems that that we face, and we can do it together because that’s what makes us great. America stands tallest when all her people are standing. We fought for our freedom when we were barely a people and we defeated the giant that stood before us. And we can do it again.


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