Kamala Harris and the Road Not Taken: Conservatism's Federalist Path Forward

Conservatives often find themselves pondering those crucial junctures in history where alternate choices might have altered the course of events. In 2024, with Kamala Harris poised to assume the mantle of the presidency, we are confronted with one such moment. The rise o Harris isn'tt simply a testament to Democratic strength; rather, it is a reflection of what Buckley would refer to as Republican folly and I more specifically refer to as clusterfuckery. It's a poignant illustration of our tragic embrace of populism. In choosing Donald Trump, we did not merely select a flawed candidate but sacrificed the basic principles that once formed the bedrock of conservatism. As the fumes and smoke clear from the the GOP's ill-fated dumpster fire, we are reminded of Edmund Burke's timeless wisdom: within great trial lies great opportunity.

But lets not deceive ourselves. The restoration of conservatism will not come by platitude or sentimentality. It will require the steady, deliberate return to the moral and intellectual traditions that once distinguished our movement from the rabble of the radicals. Trumpism, that crude substitution of character for ideology, has led us to this defeat—but it need not define our future.