Here’s a fascinating article from George Packer in this week’s New Yorker which tracks the arc of the conservative movement from Pat Buchannan in the 1960’s to the upcoming election. The article outlines the history of the movement and it’s politics of division, through it’s successes of the past 40 years to it’s current crisis.

It seems that it is a fairly widely held belief among conservative leadership that their movement is in serious trouble and has basically lost it’s steam. Most of them predict, As David Frum does, that the republicans will lose this next election, badly, and that the movement itself is caught up in rhetoric that is no longer relevant to the American people and that it’s not likely to change course anytime soon.

One criticism that some of those interviewed for the article put forth is that the Republicans have put all their focus into politics and winning elections and have followed through on their promise to “starve government”. While this tactic held value for the Regan era right wing, Americans today have become fed up with the ineffectiveness of the republican non-governing approach. They themselves freely admit that the republican response to Katrina was a striking final blow to an already failing stance.

The past 8 years have been like a nightmare to me and the thought that we are perhaps entering a new era in American politics brings me hope. The fact that even the most central to the creation of the conservative movement recognize that they have failed the American people and that it’s time for a change is even more encouraging.

For the past 8 years, the very concept of hope has been pigeon holed and discredited as a “threat to our national security” and a frivolous distraction. I don’t know about you guys, but I’m ready for a new day!