The Conservative Party: a parliamentary party

[Editor’s note: this is part three in a series of posts re-imagining the United States as a parliamentary government. To see the introduction piece to get a better idea of what this is and why I’m writing it click here. Part one described the new Democratic Party, part two the Republican Party. Everything included in this post is fictional, including quotes, motives, policies, logos, and strategies. However, I’ve done my best to imagine what could be based on the players involved and the circumstances provided.]

Where do we stand:

After the parliamentary realignment, a new party is formed as a home for "true" conservatives. With conservatism being replaced by Trumpism in the Republican party, some members choose to form a new center-right party, hewing to traditional conceptions of small-government and personal responsibility. A party of Reagan and Goldwater, this party finds a home for never-Trump Republicans who either used their platforms to support Democrats or just sat out the last four years. This party enters the 117th Congress with decent strength, but will they be able to retake the heart of the right-wing bloc?

The invisible hand of the market always moves faster and better than the heavy hand of government.

-Mitt Romney

Seats in the House: 40

Seats in the Senate: 8

Policy

The Conservative party is first and foremost an ideologically driven party. The "old guard" of the Republican party, the Conservatives believe in the Goldwater/Reagan ideals of small government and personal responsibility. This is the party for those who thought the Republican party was the home for conservatives. However, following the Trump transformation, these members could no longer see a true home for staunch conservatives in the Republican party. This party combines traditional conservative ideals with an added element of personalistic weariness. The last thing they want to see is the rise of another Trump like figure.

Anti-Trump

The Conservatives are the home for true conservatives who found themselves alone in the Trump era.
Filled with never-Trumpers and neo-conservative holdouts. This party would fit in perfectly in the Bush White House (many of them did).
Conservatism sans cult of personality.

Small Government

A return to the ethos of American conservatism: small government.
The Reagan expression that there's no more frightening sentence than "I'm from the government and I'm here to help" centers the ideological thinking of the party.
Less taxes, particularly for high income earners and corporations.
Fewer regulations and burdensome rules dictating what businesses can and can't do.
A desire to reduce overall government spending and tackle the ever looming budget deficit.
Welfare reform, tethering benefits to employment status, and the return of personal responsibility.

Foreign Policy

Because of the neo-conservative influences in this party, they believe in a robust and active America on the global stage.
America should be the world's arbiter and should use its power to spread democracy and capitalism.
Strong support for US lead multilateral trade organizations.
Support for traditional allies, particularly Israel and Western Europe.
Weary of traditional threats in Russia, Iran, North Korea but also China.

Environmental Policy

The Conservatives are more willing to accept the realitites of climate change. This party is attempting to break from the anti-science/anti-expert excesses of the Republicans and thus make clear their understanding of the world's environmental peril.
However, they feel that action is best left to corporations with only a light urging from governments.
They are willing to use green energies but only if those energies can be proven to be market effective in their own right and not with the extra support of government subsidies.

Immigration

In another divorce from the Republican party, the Conservatives are less immigration averse.
They want comprehensive immigration reform including the introduction of a meritocratic entry mechanism as well as supporting a path to citizenship for the children of illegal immigrants.
However, the party does not support a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants themselves.
They see the value in immigration but also have some compositional concerns about America's culture and norms.

Cultural Policy

Willing to recognize some level of institutional racism and biases but reluctant to cast America as a racist nation as a whole.
A high value placed on the concept of religious freedom, believing religious institutions should not have their behavior dictated by the government.
Supportive of the rights of gays and lesbians but far more critical of trans issues. The party is torn on the matter of trans athletes but are less concerned about bathrooms and access to other gendered facilities.
Above all, individual rights reign supreme. The state shall make no laws which trample upon the individual rights and liberties of American citizens to behave as they see fit.

the important players

Representative Liz Cheney (WY) and Senator Mitt Romney (UT) are the two most recognizable figures. They also represent how diverse political the party actually is. The split between Cheney's stalwart positions on individual liberty and small government and Romney's desire to use the state purse to achieve some public good shows that the Conservative party is not as cohesive as the name may suggest. However, both show just how connected to the mainstream of the 00s and early 10s Republican party this new Conservative group is. The daughter of a former Vice President and the 2012 Republican presidential nominee now sit as important players for an entirely new party.

Outside of leadership and active members, a host of former Republican lead figures show support for the new party. Former VP Dick Cheney moves into an advisory role with his daughter's move to lead the new party while the President he served under in George Bush also signals his support. The party also gains a number of prominent state level politicians. Former Republican Governors Larry Hogan (MD) and Charlie Backer (MA), both popular governors in Democratic states, leave the baggage of the Republican party behind and join the fledgling Conservatives.

Furthermore in the House, much of the coalition that moved to impeach Trump take the opportunity to jump ship and join the Conservatives with Anthony Gonzales (OH), Peter Meijer (MI), Adam Kinzinger (IL) and Jaime Herrera Beutler (WA). The party also takes with it some longer serving member of Congress including Mike Turner (OH), Kay Granger (TX), Patrick McHenry (NC), Sam Graves (MO), Mike Simpson (ID), and Mario Daiz-Balart (FL).

In the Senate, 8 former Republicans defect to the Conservatives making it the single largest loss for the GOP in that chamber. Tim Scott (SC), Todd Young (IN), Roger Wicker (MS), and Deb Fischer (NE) join bigger names like Benn Sasse (NE), Richard Burr (NC), Pat Toomey (PA) and the aforementioned Romney.

The road ahead

The path for the Conservative party seems clear: a conservative ideological message without the baggage of the Trump experiment. This party plans to resume the development of the party as if the Tea Party and Trump movement never fully apprehended the GOP. They are both free to continue a Goldwaterian march of conservatism without worrying about rouge tweets or far-right strays. What's less clear is the electoral appetite for the party. Will Republican voters choose a the less polarizing but equally polarized option at the ballot box? Or will they continue to identify with the GOP and leave the Conservatives out to dry?

The Conservatives are banking that there are enough 'sane' Republican voters who will be willing to support conservative candidates who don't resort to name calling or debasing reality. In part, they hope to win back the support of organizations like the Lincoln Project by appealing to right-wing bona fides all the while being virulently anti-Trump in their approach and rhetoric. This strategy is not without peril. Having never actually won any seats in a competitive election, this party is paddling through uncharted waters. Can they actually win over Republican voters? Is their best bet to appeal to traditional upper-income white voters or to target older Blacks and Hispanics with small c conservative values?

The party obviously views the Republicans as a major electoral threat but they also view them as an existential threat to the Republic. This will make any chance at unified opposition to a left-wing government more difficult as the Conservatives will work to differentiate themselves from their old brand while simultaneously opposing the most progressive excesses of the left-wing bloc. And should the party maintain into a positive election year for the right-wing, will they be able to put aside their differences with Republicans and work together to champion conservative causes? These questions will need to be answered as the party forges ahead into the parliamentary era. The future of Conservatism depends on it.

Coming Up

Next time I'll be looking at another new party, this time on the opposite side of the Trumpian sentiments: the America First Party.

Seeking greater conflict and exposure, the America First party seeks to extend the most extreme of Trumpian politics. A party built on brand and social media engagement, this group hopes to continue the listful far-right populism established by the Donald. Can they win over the same reluctant voters that gave him a surprise victory in 2016? Will the succeed in showing their audience that Republicans have perverted the image of Trump for their own gain? Can they find a home in the right-wing media universe and most importantly, will they win over the support of the man himself? Can America First get the endorsement of Trump or will Don Jr. be their claim to name?