John O'Sullivan has authored a thought-provoking article for National Review Online.
His basic argument is that the conservative interest is sometimes served by giving the other guys a chance in office.
He cites 1920s Britain as an example of this:
"In 1923 when there was a three-way split in parliament with no single party having enough votes to rule alone, George V asked the Labour Party to form its first government with the argument (I quote from memory) “Labour must have its turn.” The king’s decision inflicted a bad government on Britain for less than two years. But it reconciled the working class to the British system of democracy (in the difficult economic circumstances after the Great War) and it demonstrated to everyone that British democracy was not a façade for class rule that the Marxists claimed. Ultimately it meant that the Britain which went to war in 1939 was a socially united country."
He then makes the case that the election of Senator Obama - this November - might (the full article adds important qualifications) be in the long-term interest of America:
"It seems possible and even likely that a victory by Barack Obama would be the climax of this long policy of fully integrating black and minority America into the nation and putting the querulous politics of race behind us. As I have argued elsewhere, the mere fact of a President Obama would strengthen and stabilize America just as a Polish pope undermined Soviet rule in Eastern Europe. Black and minority America would be fully integrated into the nation as the British working class was fully integrated into the British political nation by George V. Americans would feel better about themselves and the world would feel very differently about America. The conservative interest, as defined above, would therefore smile upon a vote for Obama."
I cannot agree with John O'Sullivan about this year's election. The 2008 choice is about American resolve to defeat enemies in Iraq. It is about whether America prevails against al-Qaeda or retreats behind do-nothing, multilateral institutions like the United Nations. John is right to say that McCain is not a 100% reliable conservative but this is not the election for America to rest and heal. This is the election that will decide if important work is continued or aborted.
