Which way forward for conservatives?

There seems to be a great deal of angst among conservatives right now. It seems every day I hear another call in to Glenn's, Rush's, or Sean's talk shows asking for advice on the clear way forward for the conservative movement. The situation is clear - without a truly conservative candidate as the nominee of either major political party for the presidency, a congressional delegation that just doesn't seem to get it, and the loss of what have been historically staunch Republican seats in that body, the future certainly looks grim.

Isn't it amazing how much different things can look after a decade? Why it seems like only yesterday that the Democrat's were dealt a stinging defeat in the 2002 mid-terms that seemed to spell the defeat of the Democrat Party itself. Then came the triumphant defeat of John Kerry in 2004, accompanied by a victory for the defense of the definition of marriage. My how the Republicans have snatched defeat from the jaws of victory!

Indeed, it's hard for conservative principles to shine like "the latest thing"- that is, until having to live several years under the malaise of misguided liberal policies. Then, it seems, every politician wants to be called a "conservative", and take advantage of the ill will of the electorate towards their political opponents.

Right now, of course, the dynamic seems to have shifted in the other direction, with the electorate early on throwing their support behind an untested candidate lacking any significant managerial experience, or much less specific experience for that matter, only reconsidering when it was too late. Perhaps that's our glimmer of hope, not that it shines very brightly.

I don't think that America has completely lost it's way. I don't believe that the conservative movement is dead yet. The majority of the Republican party still supported the conservative primary candidates in overwhelming majorities over John McCain, divided as they were among who that leading conservative candidate should be. Even among the Democrats, especially after the success of Operation Chaos, large numbers in the later states shifted heavily away from the more radical candidate, to Hillary Clinton, who, and I can't believe I'm saying this, was the more traditional, mainstream candidate.

So let's not lose heart. Our principles are grounded firmly in history, in economics, and frankly, in the Truth. It's not our principles that have failed. It was the failure to stand firmly upon those principles, forsaking popularity in the press, avoiding the tempting lure to be part of the "cutting edge" of new and "progressive" government programs designed to pander to specific influential voting blocs that would ensure re-election, and more influence.

We must instead nominate candidates who not only claim to share our ideals, but have some experience in working to defend them, finding new ways to expose their relevance in our communities and society. The temptation to compromise our principles away is very powerful, as has been made glaringly evident over the past decade. I have watched Republicans win powerful majorities both in state governments and in the Congress, only to betray their principles for short-sighted appeasement, and lose the faith of their once passionately loyal constituency. Yes, we were right after all, character really does matter.

So I exhort you conservatives; do not let your shoulders fall; do not let defeat creep into your psyche; do not give into the temptation to concede ground to your ideological opponents. Their are good conservative men raising their profiles on the field of political battle right now. Men of character like Governor Mike Huckabee, Governor Sarah Palin, Governor Bobby Jindal, and Ken Blackwell, just to name a few. These are men and women whose belief in conservatism has been tried over and again, and reinforced by success. They are standing up to adversity, inviting it some cases, and moving the ball forward.

So find that local candidate who shows promise, and get behind them. Or if you think you've got what it takes, step out into the fray yourselves. But never, never lose heart.