These are "dark times" for the Republican party, David Frum told a List Auditorium audience last night, but one way into the light is a less polarizing stance on social issues.
Recognizing homosexuality as a "reality" and calling for a "workable consensus" on the abortion debate, Frum - a former speechwriter and special assistant to President George W. Bush - maintained a moderate tone throughout much of his lecture.
Frum, who worked in Bush's White House in 2001 and 2002, criticized the former president for leading "his party to the brink of disaster" in his latest book, "Comeback: Conservatism That Can Win Again," which Frum signed copies of in the List lobby.
Frum told The Herald before the lecture that a cultural shift toward self-expression and individualism in the 1970s has become "part of the reality that conservatives have to adapt to." He added that the shift was not the product of one political ideology.
"The same force weakened the traditional family and also weakened trade unions," he said.
Though he called the election of Barack Obama as the first black president "remarkable and gratifying," he said the president's Chicago background was a stronger indicator of his political identity than his race. Referring to that city's reputation for "abuses of the political process," Frum said that the "idealistic young people who rallied to Barack Obama" can expect to be shocked at the degree to which political practices remain unchanged in the Democratic party.
The Republican party suffers from a "thin bench of talent" because of its stringent screening of potential candidates, he said.
Frum told The Herald that Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal '91.5, a rising Republican star, is "obvously one of the leading candidates" for the 2012 and 2016 Presidential elections.
Frum kept the his tone light in the short lecture, comparing the Republican party's aggressive stance on social issues to the fictional guitar amp in the movie "This is Spinal Tap," which had 11 volume settings while most have ten. "We're at 11," he said.
Frum, who said he identifies as pro-choice, said Republicans often view social issues as binary rather than on a spectrum. Republicans can maintain their positions on immigration, abortion and gay rights while moderating their tone, he said.
National efforts toward a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage, he said, tended to offend those who do not support the ban without great effect on those who support it.
On abortion, Frum said Republicans should adopt "realistic goals that don't disavow principles but settle for what is achievable."
Frum praised the Obama administration for appointing Larry Summers to head the National Economic Council, and he called for a renewed focus on competence and ethics in the Republican party after the "steady stream" of ineffective officials in the Bush administration.
To combat the current economic downturn, he suggested that tax cuts - particularly a suspension of the payroll tax - would be the best way to go. Obama's $787-billion economic stimulus plan would pay for the suspension of the payroll tax for a year, he said, and cutting the tax would be a "powerful and fast" method of economic stimulus that would put $120 per week into the pockets of American workers.
He also advocated the creation of a national health insurance market with simplified and nationally standardized rules. Currently, each state writes its own insurance policies, Frum said, adding that creating a national market will require "swallowing traditional ideas about federalism."
Frum also said the Republican party faces a challenge of identity on environmental issues. Credibility on environmental issues has become crucial to the viability of candidates for national office, Frum said, just as knowledge of national security was important for their predecessors. Conservatism should adopt an "environmental ethic" that respects the quality of life of property owners, Frum said.
Republicans can also learn from Obama's rhetorical style, Frum said, adding that the president employed a conciliatory style not seen since the Reagan days. But he said he felt Bush was more willing to compromise with opposing viewpoints on matters of substance.
The lecture was a kickoff event for the Rhode Island Republican Jewish Coalition, the newest chapter of the national organization, said Stacy Silverman '08, the chapter's president. It was co-hosted by the Brown Republicans and the Rhode Island Young Republicans.
