It is an interesting undertaking to understand American Conservatism. People often throw the term around with only minimal understanding of what constitutes conservatism. I recently reviewed a speech on the subject by John Fonte of the Center for American Common Culture, a division of The Hudson Institute . Allow me to offer a quick summary of Dr. Fonte’s remarks.

There really is not one Conservatism. There are three strands of Conservatism.

First, there is Modern American Conservatism which was dominant from the mid-1950s to the end of the Cold War. The main proponents would include William F. Buckley, Ronald Reagan, and Charles Krauthammer. This version of Conservatism united traditionalists who were concerned with virtue, and classical liberals who were concerned with liberty. This Conservatism was strongly anti-Communist.

Next, there is Freedom Conservatism, which had traction starting in the 1990s to the second decade of this century. The main proponents here would include George H. W. Bush, George W. Bush, Paul Ryan, and Nikki Haley. This conservatism departed from Modern American Conservatism in that it embraced globalization at home and abroad, and supported NAFTA as well as China’s entry into the World Trade Organization. This conservatism favored a great increase in immigration (presumably legal immigration) and was warm to the notion of dual citizenship. Under George W. Bush, this brand of Conservatism adopted the goal of establishing and supporting democracy in every nation and culture throughout the globe. This type of conservatism, under Paul Ryan, vied for amnesty for illegal immigrants. While the Freedom Conservatives claim to believe in many things that any Conservative would support (e.g., individual rights, private enterprise, the rule of law, equality of opportunity, secure borders, etc.), they have also opened the door to admitting Left-wing influencers into their ranks, such as Bulwark Editor Charlies Sykes who is a die-hard Biden supporter, and Avik Roy of the Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity, who is unabashedly a hater of Donald Trump and anything supported by National Conservatism described below. Also, it is noteworthy that when the FreeCons issued a statement spelling out their philosophy, they conspicuously left out any mention of God or virtue. They also seem to think that some forms of DEI are harmless and acceptable. FreeCons view the current political struggle against the progressive-left as an argument over policy. Freecons see these divisions as a family argument between two forms of liberalism: progressive liberalism and conservative liberalism.

Finally, there is a National Conservatism, which is currently in vogue and whose main proponents would include Jeff Sessions, Donald Trump, and Victor Davis Hanson among others. This brand of conservatism is a revolt and a rebuke to the Freedom Conservatism and seeks a more modest immigration and a humble populism. National Conservatists, or NatCons, seeks a restoration of the virtues inherent in patriotism and courage, honor and loyalty, religion and wisdom, congregation and family, man and woman (focusing on the binary reality of sex, a reality that has been jettisoned by the progressive Left). NatCon theory favors national sovereignty over the authority of international institutions such as the United Nations. NatCons also favor the constitutional rule of law over the oligarchical rule of judges and administrators. NatCons favor a free enterprise economy. NatCons are comfortable with religion having a place in the public square. And NatCons maintain strong support of the traditional family structure, including the normative family practice of raising children. Finally, NatCons uphold an education policy that affirms patriotism and which repudiates the contemporary academy which teaches that America is systemically racist. NatCons embrace a color-blind approach to civil rights that opposes special treatment for any group regardless of outcomes. NatCons view the political struggle against the progressive-left as an existential war for the soul of America.

When considering the original Modern American Conservatism championed by Buckley and Reagan, National Conservatism comes much closer to that ideal than does American Conservatism.

Now you know.

And that, my friends, is the latest elephant in the room.