I have been gleaning some of the early platform from John Edwards. What has struck me is how similar these initial policy statements are to the work of the 19th century Conservative Prime Minister, Benjamin Disraeli and the movement in the UK Conservative Party which was pre-eminent in their governments of the 1950s and early 1960s.
First, it was the “big idea” of his campaign that set me off on this track. Compare and contrast:
Dear Friend,
Our opponents are constantly taking us in the wrong direction, drawing lines that divide our country into two different Americas:
* One America for those who have everything they need and one for those who struggle just to get by
* One America for those who do the work and one for those who reap the reward
* One America for those who pay the taxes and one for those who get the tax breaksYou know how this goes because you hear it every day.
But you and I believe in something different. We believe in One America. Where everyone gets an equal shot, a fair chance, a level playing field.
My family and my faith taught me that we must fight for people who don’t have a voice. Fight for good jobs, fight for seniors, fight for good health care, fight for a better day for all. That’s why Elizabeth and I launched the One America Committee, to bring vital support to Democratic candidates at the grassroots level, candidates who are fighting for One America.
With
Two nations between whom there is no intercourse and no sympathy; who are as ignorant of each other’s habits, thoughts, and feelings, as if they were dwellers in different zones, or inhabitants of different planets: the rich and the poor.
The second is from Disraeli’s novel “Sybil” which has the alternative title “The Two Nations”. It was the redress of these social inequities that was behind the “One Nation” movement in the Conservative party that was their philosophy before Thatcher.
The government which had this philosophy at its heart ran for 13 years. It electoral success was to a large extent due to the centerist nature of the ideals of social justice. It did not for example undo the National Health Service which could easily have happened with a more overly programme like Thatcher’s. She famously said “There is no such thing as society”.
This benevolent, if somewhat patrician, set of ideas is being re-examined as the new Conservative leader seeks to make them electorally sucessful.