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“fiscal conservatism.” That slogan, however, seems to have no content apart from signifying that fiscal conservatives cater to different special interests than fiscal liberals. No evident change in policy is advanced, as would be a rejection of the idea of a permanent national debt, for example. Nor is there any evident challenge to the use of fiscal policy as a tool of social manipulation among “fiscal conservatives.”
If there are significant differences they appear to be of the order of those Washington pointed out: namely, these candidates reflect differing party bases. Such a lack of contrast presents the voter with a rather stark choice. If the voter is pro-choice on abortion, for example, he can choose either of two candidates who agree with him. What, then, would be the deciding point? Or, if the voter is opposed to abortion, how would he choose between two candidates with whom he disagrees?
The answer President Washington suggested would seem to be the same for both voters: namely, choose the principled candidate, the one who offers greatest integrity. For it seems that, if one must lose in any case on the matter of principle, one ought at a minimum to assure that his representative is trustworthy. Similarly, even when one can attain what one desires in the way of principle, the chances are greatly enhanced that an honest officeholder will indeed speak in the same voice after election as before.
The point is that the Republicans cannot become a genuine majority party - they cannot effect a true “realignment” of voter sentiment - unless they forcefully present a clear alternative set of political principles, and stop defining themselves in relation to the political presumptions of the Democrats.
President Reagan’s Republicans have failed in this key respect. That accounts for their disarray. It also explains why Mr. Reagan will not run in 1988. For he can see, as President Washington saw, that in this circumstance trying to save his Party from itself would only result in making himself the victim of its defects.
William B. Allen is professor of government at Harvey Mudd College in Claremont, California, and is a Reagan appointee to the National Council for the Humanities.
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