FrumForum | Building a Conservatism that can win again

The Obama Illusion

Barack Obama faces a heavy burden of expectations from the rest of the world. Barack Obama faces a heavy burden of expectations from the rest of the world, just as strong> Shrum has said

Written by David Frum on Thursday November 27, 2008

Obama's Power Play At State

Obama talked of change. But in politics, some things never change. One of those things is the hard reality of power. We must be getting close to Christmas—even strong> Shrum Stover at Yale

Written by David Frum on Thursday November 20, 2008

Republican Resilience, Democratic Dilemma

While Republicans lost in 2008, they did not lose nearly so badly as might have been expected. As Republicans rebuild, they need to take the measure of their strengths as well as their weaknesses. In the euphoria of Democratic victory, Shrum seems to have read my last column with something less …

Written by David Frum on Thursday November 13, 2008

Rahm Emanuel: The Man From Delta

Friends and enemies agree that the key to Rahm Emanuel’s success is his legendary intensity. Within seconds of the news of the appointment of Rahm Emanuel as White House chief of staff, all Washington was quoting an anecdote from an article in last year’s Rolling Stone : Friends and enemies …

Written by David Frum on Friday November 7, 2008

Republicans Face Fraught Choice Between Two Roads To Revival

In the wake of yesterday’s bruising result, the Republican party faces an excruciating and divisive choice between two very different futures. In the wake of yesterday’s bruising result, the Republican party faces an excruciating and divisive choice between two very different futures. The …

Written by David Frum on Wednesday November 5, 2008

Latkes And Caviar, Doughnuts With Champagne!

Instead of making our kids “feel Jewish” by requiring them to glumly sit out the biggest holiday extravaganza of the year—or, worse, taking part in it—let us relearn the wisdom of the rabbis and reinvent our own midwinter holiday. “Daddy, can we hang lights for Hanukkah?” “No, of course not! …

Written by David Frum on Saturday November 1, 2008

McCain's Campaign Of Opportunities Lost

Over-attached to old policies, Republicans could not develop an interesting new platform for McCain. The president of the country was massively unpopular. His party was hammered by scandals. The economy was bad, unemployment was rising and polls showed worrying levels of public pessimism. The …

Written by David Frum on Saturday November 1, 2008

Sorry, Senator. Let's Salvage What We Can.

There are many ways to lose a presidential election. John McCain is losing in a way that threatens to take the entire Republican Party down with him. A year ago, the Arizona senator's team made a crucial strategic decision. McCain would run on his (impressive) personal biography. On policy, he'd …

Written by David Frum on Sunday October 26, 2008

The World Needs Pricier Oil For Its Own Good

In this week of financial panic, we can already begin to see hope for economic recovery. In trading Friday, the price of oil fell below US$65 a barrel, down from US$145 only four months ago. This dramatic price collapse will act like a massive global tax cut. Along with the huge monetary …

Written by David Frum on Saturday October 25, 2008

President Obama's Challenge

Shrum is right: This is no time for Democrats to go wobbly. After Election Day—that’s the time to go wobbly! As Republicans have learned, governing isn’t nearly so carefree as campaigning. Soon it will be the Democrats’ turn at the controls. Beginning on November 5, …

Written by David Frum on Thursday October 23, 2008

Harper Confronts Economic Crisis As A Lonely Conservative On World Stage

You probably know this old joke: A mother and her son are walking along the beach. Suddenly a giant wave roars into shore, engulfs the boy and carries him out to sea. The woman bursts into prayer: “Lord I have always been a good woman, given to charity, prayed every day, shunned every …

Written by David Frum on Friday October 17, 2008

Early Winter For Republicans

Sometimes campaigns and candidates make the difference. Very possibly, a different campaign or a different candidate could have won the presidency for the Democrats in 2004. (Most Republicans cited Dick Gephardt as the Democrat they feared most, John Kerry as the candidate they feared least.) Not …

Written by David Frum on Thursday October 16, 2008

Pakistan Is The Obstacle To Advances In Afghanistan

Talk to the Taliban? That’s the big policy question everybody asks about Afghanistan. After an eight-day NATO-sponsored tour of the country, I can report that the best minds at work on the country all give the same answer: “Maybe later. Not now.” Here’s why: 1) The …

Written by David Frum on Saturday October 11, 2008

Mccain Self-destructs

I compare this election to a job interview. The employers (that’s you, Mr. and Mrs. America) are sick to death of the current job holder (that’s my team, the GOP). They are itching to fire us. But they cannot do it until they have found a plausible alternative. Now if the alternati…

Written by David Frum on Thursday October 9, 2008

Mccain's Problem: All Tactics, No Message

Things were looking bleak for Bob Dole in the spring of 1996. The veteran Republican Senate leader had locked up the Republican presidential nomination in early March. Now came the tough part: the general election fight against President Bill Clinton. The United States was prospering in 1996, and …

Written by David Frum on Saturday September 27, 2008

The Meltdown Message -- The Party's Over, Here Come The Bills

What should a free-market believer think about the plan for a government bailout of the U.S. mortgage market? Try this analogy: You have a white carpet in your upstairs hall. The normal rule is that nobody can wear shoes on the carpet. But the house is on fire -- and the baby is upstairs. Will …

Written by David Frum on Saturday September 20, 2008

Obamas Hesitation Blues

Is it 1932 yet? That’s what many Democrats are hoping! In the wake of this week’s market turmoil, you see smiles on the faces of three groups of people: short sellers, vulture buyers, and Democratic strategists. Wall Street has laid an egg, as Variety famously quipped in 1929, and that …

Written by David Frum on Thursday September 18, 2008

Nothing Beats A Solid Record

A few days after Prime Minister Stephen Harper called a federal election, a Canadian broadcaster wistfully compared the campaigns on the two sides of the border: "It's like sitting alone in a tiny attic apartment listening to a wonderful party roaring below." I snorted. "No it's not. It's like …

Written by David Frum on Saturday September 13, 2008

The New (softer) Face Of America's Pro-life Movement

Whoever imagined that we would see a Republican convention rapturously applaud an unwed teen mother? Yet that is just what happened on Wednesday night in St. Paul. At the conclusion of Sarah Palin's triumphant speech, the Alaskan Governor welcomed her family onto the stage: her husband, her five …

Written by David Frum on Saturday September 6, 2008

Palin's Working Class Appeal

Few things enrage Democrats more than the consistent Republican success in branding Democratic presidential candidates as overprivileged snobs. And this year, it is happening again. John McCain may be the son and grandson of admirals, married to a woman with a fortune usually estimated at …

Written by David Frum on Wednesday September 3, 2008

Entries