Conservatives are often portrayed as sticks in the mud, bumps on the log, rain on the collective parade … should we go on?
And in some ways, that makes sense; the American political party that most often stands for conservatism (hint: it starts with G and ends with P) does sometimes sound less than Grand and not much of a Party, but definitely very Old.
But does conservatism still have something to offer men and women around the globe? And what does it look like in a world where everything is focused on the future?
Who are conservatives?
Conservatism is, in its most basic sense, the idea that there are lasting ways to live and love that don’t change with time. Though that sounds pretty simple, it often stands in the way of modern ideas about “progress.”
One of the most famous champions of conservatism was Russell Kirk. He loved the idea of tradition, which, for him, was not just a collection of old ideas.
“Tradition remains the principal source of our moral beliefs and our worldly wisdom,” Kirk wrote in “The Problem of Tradition.” When these ideas are handed down, it gives people a sense of “continuity,” something they can trust. And plenty of people do trust that something. In fact, Gallup reported in January of 2016 that conservatives are the largest ideological group in the US at 37 percent of the populations – while moderates boast a respectable 35 percent and liberals have stayed at 24 percent since 2014.
Many Americans hold a conservative stance, or, to put it simply, believe that the past is useful for living in the present. It’s pretty common sense, when you think about it. You use your previous experience when you decide where to get coffee (Remember that shop downtown?), where to meet guys (Ugh Tinder. Never again) or when to start on your essays (That all-nighter was … not fun).
But though conservatives won’t deny that some new ideas are helpful, they always ask the question, “But what do we lose in the process?”
Who are these crazy people?
Conservatives aren’t all old white dead guys (sorry, Mr. Kirk). A modern day conservative can look like …
Also, not Trump. Sorry. He’s just not. Don’t take him as a typical example of an angry backwoods Republican.
Point is, conservatives come in all shapes and sizes – even though conservative men and women under the age of 33 (the cut off for millennials) are much more rare. In fact, Pew Research found that, after surveying 10,000 Americans, four out of ten millennials are either mostly or consistently liberal while only 15 percent are mostly or consistently conservative. Perhaps not surprisingly, 50 percent of millennials are Democrats while only 34 percent support the GOP.
In fact, Pew Research Center‘s typology of the different “shades” of red and blue (conservative and liberal for those who don’t know the political rainbow), may shine some light on the more unusual combination of young and conservative. Besides Business Conservatives and Steadfast Conservatives who fall in the traditionally “red” political lines, a group known as the “Young Outsiders” is growing every year. According to Pew, these young voters lean conservative yet have more liberal views on social issues and environmental regulation.
Bottom line? Be careful who you’re nearby if you start complaining about conservatives. These days, there really is no such thing as a “conservative radar”!
What’s next?
A lot of arguing and decrying and debating, of course. What else is new?
Conservatives have some real beasts to wrestle with – political and social issues, technology, moral questions in genetic science, a staggering GOP … the list goes on.
It would be easy to claim that conservatism is the same as it has always been. But if conservatism is going to survive (and God help us if it doesn’t), it must adapt to the present and ask tough questions like, “Yeah, Twitter’s great, but are we forgetting how to write more than 140 characters?” That’s a classic conservative question, and one that can and must be asked.
Can conservative men and women reign in the progressives without raining on their parade? Probably not, but dancing in the rain is fun anyway – and conservatives do love nostalgia.
