Miers and Conservatism

Editor: Peggy Noonan's "The Miers Misstep" in the October 6, 2005 Wall Street Journal is the most perceptive article I've read on the Harriet Miers nomination. I urge all to read it whether one is for or against Miers. See especially the middle section, where she says: "The headline lately is that conservatives are stiffing the president.... But the real story continues to be that the president feels so free to stiff conservatives."

Yes, that is the real story, and in my opinion the answer won't please conservatives: They are bought, and will stay bought. The Democrats have their Afro-American constituency that they know will always vote for them--so they feel free to take them for granted. And the Republicans have their Conservo-American constituency that they know will always vote for them--so they feel free to take them for granted.

Is this Harriet Miers nomination the issue that will cause the conservatives to break their chains? I seriously doubt it. In 2006, I doubt that one in 20 conservatives will desert the GOP, because they have bought into the "lesser of two evils" framework. And even fewer will desert in 2008, with the presidential race, because the Democratic candidate will be Hillary--the devil incarnate.

If your Pavlovian reaction is to pull the lever for "the lesser of two evils," the greater of those evils always being defined as the Democrat, why in the world should you expect to count for anything with the Republicans? Politicians always go after the undecideds.

The real action will come from somewhere else on the political compass. We can't predict for sure because we don't know what unforeseen events like Katrina will impact the system, but at this point I would guess that the new action will center around some sort of "moderate," "bipartisan," "fiscally responsible" (ha!) coalition led by Senator John McCain. Conservatives will be further marginalized, and they will deserve it, because they sold their soul to the Republican Party.

David Franke

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