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Panel Detail:

Wednesday, April 29, 2009
9:30 AM - 10:45 AM

What's the Grand Old Party to Do? The Future of the Conservative Movement

Moderator:

William Bennett, Former U.S. Secretary of Education; Author, America: The Last Best Hope

Obama Derangement Syndrome is a real thing. Just ask moderator William Bennett, author of America: The Last Best Hope, or any of the other panelists assembled to discuss the future of the Republican Party.

Kathryn Lopez of the National Review Online called it "Obama Chaos Syndrome." Not only do Obama's personal talent and charisma obscure his liberal agenda, but he also has enacted so many liberal policies that the conservatives have not yet figured out what to focus on.

Byron York of the Washington Examiner said some of Obama's critics had discredited themselves by calling him a fascist and a socialist and misusing these terms.

Political analyst Amy Holmes blamed conservatives for being "hyper respectful of the president" and the media for "over-cheerleading the president." But Jonah Goldberg of the Los Angeles Times saw a clear rationale for this. Obama "was the clear winner, which gives him a legitimacy that Bush and Clinton didn't have with their opposition."

Andrew Breitbart of Breitbart.com and the Washington Times saw a larger liberal conspiracy at work. "The left declared war on George Bush and marketed Obama as the magic pill." Then once in office, they put conservatives on the defensive by going after Rush Limbaugh.

So what is the GOP to do? Holmes stressed the need for Republicans "to nurture new and diverse voices." Lopez suggested the party "look at the state level and look in business" to find new faces.

Beyond people, are there issues the GOP should focus on? Asked Bennett, "Do you double down on the economy?" "Yes," said York, "that is the only bet." "If the Republicans can't win back the economy issue, they might as well be a Star Trek convention or a Civil War reenactment group," Goldberg said.

There was division among the panelists as to where to place to the blame for the GOP's poor electoral results in 2006 and 2008. York blamed the Republicans themselves. Referencing the Iraq War and the poor response to Hurricane Katrina, he predicted that "the Republican Party made some enormous mistakes and they may have to pay for them for a while."

But Breinhart blamed liberals. "They control ABC, NBC, CBS, Oprah and Ellen . . . They turned Sarah Palin into the next George Bush . . . They can demonize anyone."

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