It's Not So Bad

Facing a Flawed Election with Hope and Perspective

Thirty-five days out from the presidential election, I find the cloudy weather of the Northeast perfectly encapsulates the country’s current mood. It’s frustrating to live through what is, in my opinion, among the worst presidential matchups we’ve been offered. The status quo may be so detestable that, once again, the nation chooses to elect the shaker-upper-in-chief, relegating us to four more years of divisiveness, borderline malignant narcissism, and pseudo-conservative governance. I don’t want any of my fellow conservatives to be surprised if Trump again tries to ram through amnesty for 2 million illegal immigrants, spends more than the preceding president, or necessitates more big government bailouts as a result of foolhardy tariffs.

In offering an alternative to this, Kamala Harris would like to remind us, first and foremost, that she grew up “in a middle-class family.” Having dual-employed Ph.D. parents—a father who was an economics professor at Stanford and a mother who was a biomedical scientist—hardly qualifies as “middle class.” After that, she’ll promise that, while the nation has had transformational leadership for the last four years, only the incumbent vice president is the “hope and change” candidate suited to solve all the problems that haven’t been solved in those four years. There’s nothing to indicate that Ms. Harris would be an effective president. At the risk of sounding cynical, she is, at best, an empty vessel, devoid of any rigid ideological moorings and unrelenting in the pursuit of power. This makes her very dangerous at the helm of a Democratic trifecta—and potentially moderate if tamed by a Republican Congress.

The modern progressivism Ms. Harris previously adhered to—when it suited her—rooted in baby boomer ideals and revitalized by Bernie Sanders-supporting millennials has run its course. Wokeness, for lack of a better word, is exhausted. As we look to the future, we are witnessing, among many of the electorate, support for a revival of classic liberalism: an emphasis on free markets, personal liberty, and intellectual openness. As Ambassador John Kenneth Galbraith once said, “Liberalism is resurgent. One reason is that more and more people are so painfully aware of the alternative.” With the excesses of the progressive left having gone too far for the liking of most Americans, we will likely see a return to more traditional moorings in both parties.

The right faces similar challenges. The cadre of Trump-adjacent politicians—Kari Lake, Mark Robinson, and others—are not the ideological heirs. Mr. Trump has little interest in politics and policy and won’t drive any change like Barry Goldwater. They lack a guiding philosophy, a coherent vision for conservatism beyond the cult of personality they orbit. As I’ve written before, their fates are intertwined with Mr. Trump’s: should he lose, fade into obscurity, or leave office, they are likely to turn on one another in a cycle of betrayal, much like the permanent revolutionaries of Soviet Russia. We’ve seen this before. Edmund Burke once cautioned, “A state without the means of some change is without the means of its conservation.” Without a clear ideological compass, the right risks being led astray by those who seek power for its own sake.

However, let’s not deceive ourselves—this election matters—every election matters. But American history cannot, and will not, be defined by a single president's term. We have endured far worse. From the bloody Civil War that tore us apart to the economic crises that left us in despair to the triumphs of two World Wars, America has always emerged stronger. Our innovation, resilience, and unparalleled standard of living are a testament to the enduring spirit of the American people. As General Patton famously said in his typical brash style, “We're not holding a goddamned thing. We're advancing constantly, and we're not interested in holding anything.” Crass though it may be, Patton perfectly encapsulates the indomitable American way of life: keep pushing forward, no matter the challenges.

So here we are, staring down a month of joyless politicking and four years of inevitable disappointment. But there is hope. We will march forward, learning, growing, and adapting as we've always done. One hopes we can finally close the chapter on this era of fear and loathing and begin anew. As Winston Churchill reminded us in the darkest hours of history, “If you're going through hell, keep going.”

And so we will.