Robert Tracinski argued that at realclearpolitics.com that we're at 'The End of Buckley's 'Fusionist' Legacy'.
Not all of you may know what fusionism is. It's the concept that free market supporters, social conservatives, and foreign policy conservatives could fuse into a winning conservative coalition.
I tend to agree with him that the fusionism of the last few decades is over.
I disagree on the reasons.
- 1) The Free Market supporters in the Republican Party have lost a lot of their political influence. This part of the Party is just not a vote getter like it used to be. That's why so many Republicans are cafeteria conservatives when it comes to economics.
2) There's less overlap between the groups. In the 1990's and 1980's most Republicans were economic, social and military conservatives. Today many social conservatives aren't economic or military conservatives. Many military conservatives aren't economic or social conservatives. Many economic conservatives aren't social conservatives.
I think we're likely to see a Republican Party that focuses on fewer issues and is more flexible on policy because its holding together a fractious coalition. The Big Tent of the Republican Party is likely to get bigger and be less unified.