Entries

The Republican Party Is On The Precipice Of Irrelevance...

I believe the Republican Party is on the precipice of irrelevance if it cannot rebuild a respect for civil debate-including self-criticism. The formation of powerful ideas requires the push and pull of varying viewpoints testing and informing one another. The litmus test politics that has …

Written by Michael K Powell on Monday January 19, 2009

Economic Policy in the Rear-View Mirror - Grading the Bush Terms

It’s that time again. The term has ended and grades are due. The arrival of the Obama Administration is a natural moment to look back and assess the economic policy legacy of the Bush Administration, especially with an eye toward learning from mistakes of the past. At least in my mind, …

Written by Douglas Holtz-Eakin on Monday January 19, 2009

How Republicans Can Reconnect With Independents And Win In The Northeast Again

The 2008 election showed Republicans playing to an ever-shrinking base and in the process of becoming a regional party, without a single congressman in the entire region of New England – the party's historic home. Ten years ago, before the Bush/Cheney/Rove/DeLay-era, centrist Republican …

Written by John Avlon on Monday January 19, 2009

A Tuesday In Early December...

A Tuesday in early December was about as bad a day as I can remember at the high school I teach at: At least three violent fights had broken out – one resulting in a girl's head being smashed through the office window and another resulting in a boy being stabbed repeatedly in the face by a …

Written by Thomas Gibbon on Monday January 19, 2009

Welcome To FrumForum.com

Welcome to FrumForum.com, a new Web site devoted to Republican reform and renewal. We launch on a triumphant day for the United States, but a difficult moment for our party. All Americans of all parties feel pride in the swearing in of the first African American president of the United …

Written by David Frum on Monday January 19, 2009

The Village Smithy's Kalashnikov

You often read that a Pashtun village blacksmith can make his own AK-47. This is not quite right. Kalashnikov rifles are not high-technology devices. Invented in the 1940s in the Soviet Union, designed for durability rather than precision, as originally conceived they relied on technologies that a …

Written by J. Moses Browning on Wednesday January 14, 2009

The Right Time For The Right Books

From the spring of 2003 until the spring of 2007, I ran American Compass, a commercial book club that was part of the same company that operates Book-of-the-Month Club, Literary Guild, the History Book Club, andÑat the timeÑmore than 30 others. I'd been a senior editor at Bantam Books and HarperCol…

Written by Brad Miner on Wednesday January 14, 2009

The Kids Aren't Alright: Youthful, S/w/m Exuberant Seeks Conservative Party, Answers. Serious Inquiries Only.

I was born during Jimmy Carter's last week in the White House. As such, I mercifully can't/don't have to remember anything about the man, those wide-as-a-Buick lapels he wore, or the stagflation over which he presided. I also don't remember much about Ronald Reagan other than he had a warm, …

Written by Cheves Ligon on Wednesday January 14, 2009

My Generation And The Gop

Being a self-professed young Republican today is about as socially acceptable as walking into a music store and asking where the cassettes can be purchased. So bad news, fellow Republicans: our party's brand really is as in the toilet among the young as the dreaded Mainstream Media want you to …

Written by Alex Knepper on Wednesday January 14, 2009

Cultural Moderates And The Republican Coalition

Is it possible to be less than conservative on social issues and still be a part of the Republican coalition? Of course it is. Many voters, such as myself, vote GOP for the fiscal conservatism the party has traditionally espoused. The last several years has shaken that somewhat, but fiscal …

Written by David Kirkpatrick on Wednesday January 14, 2009

When They Win, They Win; But When They Lose

When they win, they win; but when they lose… It's always possible to win a battle and lose a campaign. Or to win the battle in such a way that the victor ends up so badly hurt, or so narrowly in charge, that in the long run it scarcely counts as a victory. Think of Bunker Hill. Think of …

Written by Allen Guelzo on Wednesday January 14, 2009

Lessons From The 2008 Election

Lessons from the 2008 election Andrew Gelman Before the election season began, the Democrats were expected to get something like 53% of the presidential vote this year and 55% of the congressional vote, giving them unified control of the federal government with a party that is ideologically …

Written by Andrew Gelman on Wednesday January 14, 2009

How Conservatives Can Win Back College Campuses

The Obama Campaign dominated college campuses this fall. There is no way around that. At my own campus, the University of Virginia, seeing Obama paraphernalia on my way to class became as common as seeing North Face fleeces. Thus, it was no surprise that voters under the age of 30 voted for …

Written by Karin Agness on Tuesday January 13, 2009

Two Books To Help You Understand America

Red State, Blue State, Rich State, Poor State by Andrew Gelman and The Big Sort by Bill Bishop are must-reads for understanding the inner workings of American politics. Good news: If you haven't already read any of the half-dozen books published about John McCain in 2008 -- or the many more …

Written by David Frum on Saturday January 10, 2009

Goldwater Was Right: Republicans Must Show Greater Tolerance Toward Gays

As the Republican Party seeks to rebuild itself in the aftermath of 2008, it must seek to build broader coalitions and embrace a wider audience. This is long overdue with regard to Republican policies toward gay issues; if the Party gravitates back to its tradition of inclusion and freedom, it …

Written by Jonas Stankovich on Thursday January 1, 2009

We Need An Elected Senate

The Conservative Party's Senate reforms have gone nowhere, but the Canadian Senate's members should compete for a popular mandate in order to govern. For two years, Stephen Harper pressed the provinces to hold elections so that he could appoint democratically selected senators. They ignored him. …

Written by David Frum on Saturday December 27, 2008

Obama's Daley Standard Time

We are moving toward a closer entanglement of business, finance and government than anything the United States has known since the end of World War II. We are moving toward a closer entanglement of business, finance and government than anything the United States has known since the end of World War …

Written by David Frum on Thursday December 18, 2008

No Exit From Bailout Politics

The federal government is taking ownership stakes in big banks and financial companies. Those stakes are likely soon to be joined by partial ownership of the automobile companies—and who knows what else? Entry into this new commitment is easy, but exit will be hard. It’s amazing how candid we get …

Written by David Frum on Thursday December 11, 2008

For Its Own Survival, Harper Government Will Have To Feel The Pain

Stéphane Dion’s bid for unelected power has collapsed, Parliament is prorogued, and the Conservatives will remain the government for now. But the position of Canada's Conservatives has suddenly become much more precarious. The crisis is over; the danger continues. Stéphane Dion’s bid for …

Written by David Frum on Saturday December 6, 2008

Only The Losers Will Survive Ottawa's Game Of Competitive Suicide

What is going on in Ottawa is a game of competitive suicide. Whoever “wins” this parliamentary power play destroys himself. Only the “losers” will survive. What is going on in Ottawa is a game of competitive suicide. Whoever “wins” this parliamentary power play destroys himself. Only the “losers” …

Written by David Frum on Monday December 1, 2008