NYT Columnist Discusses The Need for Conservatism
Ross Douthat, New York Times columnist and co-author of “Grand New Party: How Republicans Can Win the Working Class and Save the American Dream,” spoke on Monday evening and Tuesday during assembly. His speech, “Why America (Still) Needs Conservatism,” detailed the history and future of the conservative movement.
Douthat graduated from Harvard University in 2002. Before becoming the youngest op-ed columnist in the New York Times, he was a senior editor for The Atlantic. He admitted in his talk that a large part of his career has become relaying conservative views while on the staff of more liberal publications. “I think it’s a good thing to do because a lot of times we have people who already agree with each other talking to each other,” Douthat said. “Talking to people who disagree with me is a blessing, not a burden.”
Religion instructor Kathleen Brownback, who helped organize the assembly, noticed that several people on campus read his column regularly. “We have always had several conservative speakers a year but wanted to take some time in this unusual election year to hear a thoughtful and reasoned approach to conservatism,” she said. However, many students felt it was uncommon to hear from a conservative assembly speaker. Upper Harrison Lian was happy to hear Douthat’s insight and his explanation of American exceptionalism in particular. He agreed with Douthat on the idea that the United States is “exceptional” because it was the first large constitutional republic, has the most free market and and is the most diverse nation in the world. “This was a rare opportunity to see a conservative speak,” Lian said. “In an overwhelmingly liberal school that also invites liberal speakers, it was a breath of fresh air to hear something from the other side.”
“I could connect with what he said on a personal level, and I learned a lot from his insights on the state of conservatism and the Republican Party.”
The co-heads of Exeter Political Union (EPU), seniors Ali Hassani, Abhijay Saran and Bonnie LaBonte, all believed a speech from a modern conservative was important for the community.
Hassani described Douthat as “a great choice” for an assembly speaker because he felt the conservative voices on campus were calling for more conservative speakers and it was important to respond to them. “It can be easy to be dismissive of a republican agenda because of the stigma against them in New England, but I thought Mr. Douthat had well informed Republican logic that was free from hate and discrimination,” LaBonte said.
Several students attended the evening talk as part of an assignment for the American Politics and Public Policy class, which is taught by history instructor Bill Jordan. Senior Rohan Upadhyayula said Douthat’s point about the establishment missing the demographic of lower class Americans highlighted a class discussion about how the Republican party will need to change “in order to survive.”
Senior Nick Moore, who is also in the politics class, disagreed with Douthat on the topic of the Democratic Party moving to the left. He thinks the Democratic Party's inaction on issues such as fracking, regulating Wall Street, support for the Trans-Pacific Partnership and a “more hawkish” foreign policy are all signs of the Party moving to the right. He did acknowledge that the Trump campaign proves the GOP is not representing the people well. “The Republican establishment needs to realize that the current system isn't working for everyone and the people want change,” he said.
Science instructor Frances Johnson attended the evening talk in hopes of hearing something new. “I think it is important to hear from a wide range of viewpoints,” she said. “You may become more clear on why you believe what you believe—or even change your mind.”
Several liberals were impressed by the speech. Senior Alejandro Arango, who is a co-head of the Democratic club, was interested by Douthat’s assertion that the Republican party can learn a great deal from the rise of the Donald Trump administration. Arango agreed that Trump’s success or the “nightmare of the Republican establishment” presents a large problem for the identity of the party. “I think both parties have much to learn from this election,” Arango said.
Co-head of the Republican club and senior Matthew Robbins agreed with Arango that there is a divide between “the DC elites and the regular voter” of the Republican party. However, he felt that Douthat was not empathetic with Trump supporters. “These people vote based off of experience, not off policy, which can be really hard for people like Exonians to understand,” Robbins said.
The main point that Douthat hoped students took from his speech was that the conservative movement can adapt to the political culture of the United State without losing its long-established morals. “Sometimes the conservative perspective is the wrong one, but not always,” he said.
Upper Oren Stern was grateful for the opportunity to hear a conservative speaker. “There has never been someone who has truly vocalized my own political beliefs,” he said. “I could connect with what he said on a personal level, and I learned a lot from his insights on the state of conservatism and the Republican Party.”