Conservatism is Not Dead

I have found that it can be hard to have hope in our society today. Ideologies run rampant throughout our everyday institutions. The children of our nation are put on a path to learn critical race theory ideas that teach that the Western Christian tradition is something to be deconstructed and destroyed in favor of their own personal “realities.” These facts can paint a bleak picture. However, I do not believe that this is the end of American Christian culture based on the classical liberal philosophy of the West. The foundation of America is too strong for such an ignominious end, and here are some reasons why I believe this. 

The first piece of evidence showing America’s continued adherence to conservative principles is the defeat of Joe Biden’s vaccine mandate by The Daily Wire. The mandate stated that companies with one hundred or more employees would be forced to take the vaccines or be fired. It was proposed on November 5th, 2021, and just a few months later, was struck down on January 13th, 2022 after vigorous opposition by The Daily Wire . The government cannot perform overreaches of power without the people rising up to fight back. A solid conservative media company representing a petition of over a million people defeated a corrupt federal bureaucracy. This is a remarkable precedent for the future of the conservative movement. 

Now you may be thinking: Is this an isolated event, or proof of a larger movement? Conservatives still have to deal with the lack of a space within which to project their messages. They are fired from their jobs or are censored on social media when they speak out. While this is true, it is not as bad as many say. One of the largest conservative news outlets in America, Fox News, has had the single highest-rated news show for twenty years. They continually dominate the news media in terms of ratings and depth of content. The conservative side of the story is being told and the conservative movement does have the ability to speak up about their principals. 

Another destructive piece of evidence is the mismanagement of the American government and its foreign policy by Joe Biden. The economy is still underperforming in regards to job growth. The Russian sharks circle their prey in Ukraine, and China is rising. Biden’s declining ratings reveal the American people’s disappointment. He managed to botch the Afghanistan withdrawal in the most spectacular way possible. He mishandled his covid response by confused and disjointed messaging, not to mention fielding an unpopular vice president. Conservatives should feel confident that Biden’s mandate is gone going into the midterms, and he will be buried in a landslide of red.  

More near and dear to the hearts of Republicans in Virginia is the man of the hour, Glenn Youngkin. Youngkin conquered a state which Biden won by ten points. He carried the day easily, breaking the arguments of the Left by focusing on two things criminally underrated in the Republican playbook: the people and the culture. He did this by emphasizing the rights of parents to control their children’s education. He attacked critical race theory for the pseudo-science that it is. He understands that many Virginias want abortion to be outlawed. They want the culture of America to be restored to its former glory. In short, they want America to be great again. 

Glenn Youngkin was able to tap into a strategy that former President Trump brought to the surface. A new generation of Republican policies and political players are on the way. They will see the success of people like Glenn Youngkin, and they will emulate it. Another example of this new mentality is the maverick Florida governor Ron Desantis, who is positioning himself for a presidential run. These men are blazing a new path through the establishment, and many conservatives are inclined to support them all of the way to the top. 

The conservative movement cannot lose hope. No matter how bad it looks, conservatives must remember that they cannot see everything. We have a chance to bring America back from the brink of disaster. We have agency in history’s grand story. We need to fight. We have the tools we need. We merely need to have the courage to take action. 

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and are not subject to be taken as Regent University’s stance on matters.