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Reform Republicanism

James Forsyth

Thursday, 31st January 2008

On the stump, John McCain likes to tell voters “judge me by the company I keep” before rattling off a list of key supporters and a look at who is backing McCain is revealing. McCain has attracted the support of, what you might call, the reformist hawks. Rudy Giuliani, Arnold Schwarzenegger, former Homeland Security Head Tom Ridge, Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, Florida Governor Charlie Crist, 9/11 Commission Chair Tom Keen and South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham all represent a strain of Republicanism which emphasises the reform agenda of the radical centre and a values-led, interventionist foreign policy.

It is this strain of Republicanism which has the broadest—if not the deepest—appeal. It is noticeable that with the exception of the Bush family and disillusioned Democrat Max Cleland, McCain has recruited the entire prime time speaking line up of the 2004 Republican convention—the side of the party that the Bush campaign wanted to emphasise to undecided voters. Indeed, McCain has improved the line up as his disillusioned Democrat—Joe Lieberman—has significantly more clout than Cleland.

The question is how much does McCain, if he is the nominee, try and refashion the party. This probably comes down to who the Democrats nominate. If it is Hillary Clinton, McCain won’t need to do that much to rally the old school social conservatives behind him as with the exception of Arkansas, the south isn’t going to go to Hillary. So, McCain would be free to pick another reformist hawk as his VP and try and peel off states such as Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Washington. If it is Obama, this would be far more of a risk for the Republicans as he could put several Southern states in play because his candidacy would result in unprecedented African-American turnout and because he has considerable appeal to independents.

A McCain Hillary match up would result in a Republican party that is different from what it has been in the Bush era. It would still be pro-life, McCain’s record on that issue is unambiguous, but it wouldn’t give as much prominence to social conservatism. It would offer a reform conservatism domestically, rather than the compassionate conservatism that Bush has pushed. While on green issues, it would be a party that pushes ambitious technological solutions rather than questioning the science. It is no accident that McCain chose to accept Schwarzenegger’s endorsement at a solar energy plant.

For British Conservatives this is good news as this is a policy agenda that translates. If the Cameroons are smart, they will observe the 2008 McCain campaign as a laboratory and testing ground for their own election agenda.