Conservatism’s New Terms

by The Editors

The First Things Podcast, Episode 27. Also featuring: Boston’s re-frocked priest; Pence’s rules; and the downsides of radical inclusion. Continue Reading »

17 Apr 2017

Nationalism and the Elections of 2016

by Mark Movsesian

Although traditional conservatism has been on the winning side in recent political contests, it has been a junior partner in a larger project: the revival of nationalism. Continue Reading »

8 Dec 2016

Recalibrating the Culture War in 2016

by Darrell Bock

We still live in a contested environment. The candidate who flouted political correctness won. But his victory does not necessarily represent a victory for religious conservatives. Continue Reading »

29 Nov 2016

The Failure of the Conservative Intellectuals

by David Randall

An intellectual doesn’t have to play that particular game. He can think and write about art or anthropology; contemplate Euclid or Euthyphro; or even argue for what he takes to be the truth of politics, rather than seek out political victory. Continue Reading »

2 Nov 2016

Where I Was Wrong Part II: Iraq

by Pete Spiliakos

Perhaps no error looms larger in contemporary American politics than Iraq. Continue Reading »

27 Oct 2016

David Frum's Memory

by Mark Bauerlein

If you need a reason for why a fair portion of conservative voters were disenchanted enough with the Republican Establishment to head over to Donald Trump's place, take a look at the final paragraph of David Frum's cover essay in the September issue of Commentary, “Is It 1968?” Continue Reading »

5 Oct 2016

Disraeli's Romanticism, Trump's Nationalism

by R. R. Reno

Were Disraeli reincarnated as a Republican politician, our establishment would very likely find him as distressing as they currently find Trump. Continue Reading »

16 Sep 2016

The Conservative Lawyers versus the Never Trumpers

by Hadley Arkes

I yield to no one in my recoil from Donald Trump. But for anyone who shares the perspectives of the Republican Party, far more is involved here than aversion to an implausible candidate. A conservative should have an interest in repealing and replacing Obamacare, a program that tends inexorably to the political control of medicine. Continue Reading »

16 Sep 2016

Does the Goldwater Comparison Really Hold Up?

by Geoffrey Kabaservice

Goldwater by 1964 was the unquestioned leader of the emerging conservative movement. Trump, by contrast, has channeled a populist impulse that has yet to become a movement. It’s true that his candidacy has resonated deeply with a segment of the population and has similarities with other right-wing, anti-immigrant movements in Europe. But at this point he heads a personal, candidate-centric campaign. Continue Reading »

13 Sep 2016

Phyllis Schlafly and the Conservative Movement

by Mary Ellen Bork

Phyllis Schlafly, who died on September 5, was the bane of feminists: a one-woman powerhouse of articulate conservative political positions, who relentlessly defended faith-and-family issues from liberal onslaughts. Continue Reading »

7 Sep 2016