Conservatives Should Not Ally with Progressives Against MAGA Populism
Source: https://www.facebook.com/americanspectator/. "Forthcoming Ideological Battle on the Right? | The American Spectator | USA News and Politics." March 11, 2026. spectator.org
The Gist
The author argues that conservatives shouldn't team up with left-wing progressives to fight against Trump supporters and populists. Instead, he says conservatives should stick together as one big coalition that includes all the different conservative groups, just like Reagan did successfully in the 1980s.
Conclusion
Conservatives should reject Michael Strain's proposal to form a coalition with progressives against MAGA populism and instead maintain a 'broad church' conservative coalition that includes all traditional right-wing factions, including MAGA supporters
Premises
- Trump's policy record has actually aligned with traditional conservative principles in most areas, including deregulation, education reform, and reducing government bureaucracy
- MAGA populism represents a legitimate faction within conservatism that has won three consecutive Republican presidential nominations, demonstrating its political viability
- Progressives prioritize equality as an end goal rather than a means, making them likely to subsume any conservative allies rather than form genuine partnerships
- The Reagan-era fusionist conservative coalition that combined Declaration ideals with Constitutional institutionalism was the only truly successful right-wing political coalition in modern times
- Excluding major conservative factions like MAGA populism would be divisive and counterproductive, violating the principle of maintaining a 'broad church' coalition
Assumptions
- Political coalitions require inclusion of all major factions to be successful
- Trump's personal attributes are separate from his policy achievements
- The Declaration of Independence alone is insufficient as a foundation for conservatism without Constitutional principles
- Progressive ideology is fundamentally incompatible with conservative governance
- Historical precedent (Reagan coalition) provides a reliable model for future conservative success