Daniel McCarthy, editor-in-chief of Modern Age and former editor at The American Conservative, dives into American conservatism after Trump. He discusses the shifting coalitions within both major parties and the impact of demographic changes on conservatism. McCarthy reflects on the origins of current conservative divisions and the roles of figures like William F. Buckley and Russell Kirk. He also examines how evangelicalism has shaped the Republican Party and how conservatives can adapt in a changing cultural landscape.
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insights INSIGHT
Political Realignment
Trump's 2024 victory signifies a new era in American politics, marked by realignment.
This realignment includes racial depolarization and shifts in class-based voting patterns.
insights INSIGHT
Trump's Appeal
Trump's appeal lies in his disruption of traditional political norms and his rejection of policies like interventionism and free trade.
Voters also sought a return to normalcy after the Biden years, rejecting wokeism and inflation.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Democrats' Missteps
Despite Biden's perceived weakness, his struggles stemmed from broader Democratic Party tendencies.
Voters rejected the Democratic Party's approach, recognizing Kamala Harris's shared responsibility for the Biden administration's shortcomings.
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Written in 1951, God and Man at Yale is a critical examination of Yale University's undergraduate education by William F. Buckley Jr., who had just graduated from the institution. The book argues that Yale's faculty were undermining the university's founding ethos of Christian humanism by promoting atheism, collectivism, and Keynesian economics. Buckley criticized specific courses and professors for their hostility to religion and individualism, suggesting that this was a betrayal of the values held by Yale's alumni. The book is considered a seminal work in the American conservative movement and had a significant impact on Buckley's career and public profile.
The Conservative Mind
Russell Kirk
Published in 1953, *The Conservative Mind* is a landmark book that gave shape to the postwar conservative movement in the United States. Russell Kirk's work chronicles the history of conservative thought, starting with Edmund Burke and John Adams, and continuing through to 20th-century thinkers like Santayana and T.S. Eliot. The book defends traditional conservatism, emphasizing the importance of preserving ancient wisdom present in institutions, culture, and government, and expresses a distrust of 'progress' that seeks to dismantle these repositories of the 'permanent things.' Kirk's vision of conservatism is rooted in the 'moral imagination' and the Burkean conception of society as an organic, sacred order, advocating for slow and cautious change rather than radical reforms[1][4][5].
On this episode of Unsupervised Learning Razib talks to Daniel McCarthy, editor-in-chief of Modern Age. Former editor-in-chief of The American Conservative, his writing has also appeared in the New York Times, USA Today, TheSpectator, TheNational Interest and Reason. McCarthy also helped run communications for the 2008 Ron Paul campaign and was a senior editor at ISI Books. He earned a Ph.D. in classics from Washington University in St. Louis.
First, Razib and McCarthy discuss the outcome of the 2024 presidential election, and the realignment of coalitions on both right and left, and what these realignments might presage for both parties’ future. McCarthy also outlines the long march of anti-war conservatives who organized themselves around The American Conservative in the first George W. Bush term, their eventual move into the mainstream and poll position in the discourse under Donald Trump. Razib asks about the origins of modern conservatism’s divisions, going back to William F. Buckley’s founding of National Review in the 1950’s. McCarthy also talks about Russell Kirk’s role in the development of post-World War II conservatism, which included the founding of Modern Age, a more intellectual and philosophical publication than National Review. Razib asks McCarthy how the Right will evolve in a changing America, with a diminishing white majority and a more post-Christian mainstream.
This episode is live on Substack 14 days before it premieres on Youtube. For early access, feel free to explore it there.
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