Abby McCloskey: The GOP doesn't need a new playbook. It needs conservatism

Never in my lifetime has there been an easier political post-mortem. It's obvious what caused the GOP's midterm wipeout. The harder question for Republicans is what comes next. And no, it's not just ending the war in Iran - although that would help.

The Republicans who remain in office are not only in a lame-duck, choose-your-own adventure policy vacuum. They are also wading through the floodwaters of a largely self-inflicted blue wave. Democrats now control the drainpipes, complicating matters for Republicans keen for a quick escape.

The GOP cannot flip policy levers and undo the experience of the last two years, any more than Democrats could flip the script after COVID lockdowns and Biden's absenteeism. It's going to take time to rebuild trust and demonstrate a different way of governing. This cannot happen in the next two years, but it can start.

Vice President JD Vance outlined his four objectives on X: "1) End the war 2) Focus on cost of living/inflation, 3) Put America First, 4) Change our relationship to Israel." To be sure, he's doing a delicate dance, as vice president to an administration roundly rebuked in the polls while simultaneously trying to chart his own 2028 presidential pathway. But these don't cut in deep enough. Conspicuously missing is a sense of responsibility. Not to mention corruption.

Corruption is the fatal sin of MAGA, the golden crown atop its excess and overreach. Members of the Trump administration have enriched themselves in the most blatant of ways. But corruption isn't only about money; it's about power. And this administration has bypassed Congress to operate largely out of the executive branch, labeled anyone in the way of their agenda an enemy and eschewed accountability for its actions. The American people had enough: 91% of voters listed corruption as a crucial or major factor for their vote, according to NBC exit polling.

I'm concerned that given the overwhelming nature of their midterm victory, Democrats might face similar temptations for excess and overreach. It is unlikely to manifest in triumphal arches or crypto empires, but it might in vindictiveness and spite.

Although some of the newcomers are more pragmatic than that, such as Texas Senator-elect James Talarico, the next Congress will also include Democrats of a more ideological stripe, ready for revenge. "We're going to toss out subpoenas like Mardi Gras beads," said New Jersey Representative Analilia Mejia, who was reelected to fill the seat she won in a 2025 special election.

But what the midterms showed is that Americans want - and need - a check on power. A check on the unilateral power that has raised costs, gotten us into wars, bypassed laws and sowed division. And that doesn't mean investigations wrought with partisan fever or imposing one's own partisan vision on a divided nation. It means demonstrating a radically different way to govern.

For that, might I suggest revisiting small-c conservatism. Edmund Burke, the father of conservatism, called it "a condition of unchangeable constancy, through the varied tenure of perpetual decay, fall, renovation and progression." We could use that conservative spirit right of restraint about now - across both parties.

It starts with the Republicans who remain in office showing ownership and steadiness. The war, the erratic tariffs, the deportations of otherwise peaceful people; these weren't thrust upon the GOP. They were a chosen path that raised costs and created fear and disorder. They were also the exact opposite of a limited government agenda.

Not enough Republicans spoke out against them. Those who did waited until they weren't facing reelection. This is the party's chance for a hard reset.

Let this not get lost in the blue wave: In the exit polls, nearly three quarters of voters identified as either moderate (41%) or conservative (33%). Moderates voted for Democrats over Republicans by a two-to-one margin. Also according to exit polls, 24% of Republicans thought Congress wasn't providing enough checks on the president.

There's an open playbook for the GOP with respect to what comes next, but it should start with Republicans advocating to reduce the executive branch's footprint. It's harder to reduce the cost of living than politicians will admit; but ending the war and getting rid of tariffs will help.

Conservatism as a governing strategy isn't limited to Republicans. The new Congress has a chance to show restraint, to chip away methodically at big problems instead of roiling the system in explosive investigations and impeachment.

The federal debt is out of control; both parties have made it so. Form a bipartisan commission to come up with a serious plan to spend within our means. Somewhere between open borders and deporting breastfeeding mothers, there's a compromise of safety and compassion. Find it and put it into law. On healthcare policy, there is a compromise somewhere between a government-run system that delays treatment and our current broken system. Universal catastrophic coverage could protect families when the unthinkable happens. Reinvest in America's long-standing institutions - the arts, universities and scientific research labs. Respect what's stood the test of time and have a healthy suspicion for the new hot thing, in this case, artificial intelligence.

Both political parties have spent a decade trying to move mountains, and it's caused division and wreckage. Maybe for the next two years, we try conservatism on for size.

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This column reflects the personal views of the author and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Abby McCloskey is a columnist, podcast host, and consultant. She directed domestic policy on two presidential campaigns and was director of economic policy at the American Enterprise Institute.

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