Are There Any Tories On Tory Hill?
In a few months, the Marquette University Law School community will pack up and move to its new building, located on Tory Hill. Perhaps this is a good time to consider whether any actual “Tories” will reside there. This is doubtful, because American political thought does not have a history of embracing the Tory philosophy. Nonetheless, in today’s political climate, we all might benefit from hearing an occasional Tory point of view.
The Republican Party in America currently stands at a crossroads. There has been a great deal of debate within the political punditry concerning whether the Tea Party movement is a positive or a negative development for the Republican Party. Some observers have noted the friction between the rage being expressed by Tea Party activists at the government bailout of the financial markets and at the expansion of government regulation of the health care sector, on the one hand, and the more business and government friendly track record of establishment Republican officials on the other. This friction was most evident last month, when conservative activists rejected the establishment candidate put forth by party leaders for the 23rd Congressional District in New York, split the Republican vote, and delivered the seat to a Democrat.
Similarly, Sarah Palin’s book tour has engendered speculation about her future political plans. Some have applauded her anti-Washington and anti-big government philosophy as reflective of the public‘s current attitudes. In the wake of the Administration of President George W. Bush, who spoke like a “States’ Rights” Texas governor while simultaneously expanding the federal government in the name of education and national security, many conservatives look to the former Alaska governor as someone who might actually govern in accord with a political philosophy that promotes decentralized government. However, other observers have questioned whether Sarah Palin’s appeal extends beyond regional and rural areas of the country.
Democrats have their own problems.