The Republican Family Just Got a Lot Bigger

NR exists to hold out a lantern, and to help guide this movement in the Trump era.

(Piroschka Van de Wouw, Brian Snyder/Reuters) Dear Friend of NR, Perhaps each of us could pick out a time in the past when, if you squinted, conservative principles were well connected to conservative policy ideas, when our thought seemed secure in itself, triumphant in the Republican Party, and even regnant in the American polity — with only occasional irritable mental gestures from the Left interrupting us. Maybe it was back when we could force a Democratic president to declare the era of big government over. Maybe it was Bush's bullhorn moment standing atop the rubble. Or the Tea Party revolt against Barack Obama. Such moments of triumph did not herald an era of consolidation, but a dissolution and disintegration to come. The cold splash of reality is healthy for conservatives, I say. It helps motivate us to rebuild for the future. And so we are asking for your help, as part of our fall webathon, as we set about to doing that work. SUPPORT NR Conservatives can't fool themselves any longer. We are at best a majority stakeholder, maybe a legacy stakeholder, in the Grand Old Party. The leader of that party is Donald Trump, a populist, who married into the party for convenience. He's bringing in converts that challenge and threaten the old family dynamics. They include former moderates like Elon Musk and liberals with a grudge against the progressive establishment like Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The movement of which we are a part is searching for moments in history that resemble our own — perhaps the Eisenhower era? What we know is this: that the coming years will require us to go back to first principles, to put ourselves deep in history, not to find some slogan or political formula to be dusted off — but as an anamnesis, a meditative and pious act of bringing forth the deep wisdom from the past to bear on the present. National Review exists to hold out a lantern in the dark, to help our readers — and each other — to grope through the long night, and to find steadying wisdom of our forefathers. SUPPORT NR It will require from us the great virtues of our predecessors in the enterprise: the magnanimity, courage, and generosity of Bill Buckley; the cutting brain power of James Burnham; the synthesizing intellect of Frank Meyer; the swagger of Willmoore Kendall. And, as in their time, the chemistry among these elements should lead to explosive disagreement and thrilling debate. That's healthy. National Review has been able to carry forth its mission, because we have avoided the dangers and intrigues of media corporate mergers, and the fickle moods of billionaires. We do this by relying on support from our readers. For conservatism to find rebirth, the first posture we and our readers must take is one of gratitude. I'm grateful for everyone who contributed to National Review, as a writer, editor, or patron. I'm grateful for my colleagues' and readers' patience, for their occasional indulgence. I'm grateful for your patronage. So is everyone at National Review. If you are grateful for what we do, please, help us to reach our goal of $150,000. Thank you again. Cheers,   Michael Brendan Dougherty Senior Writer National Review SUPPORT NR No longer wish to receive NRPLUS notifications? Adjust your preferences.  NATIONAL REVIEW 19 West 44th Street, Ste. 1701 New York, NY, 10036