In 1998, Republican House Majority Whip Tom Delay said that when the president “has cheated on his wife, he will cheat on the American people. When you have a president that can’t tell the truth about his mistakes and own up to them, he won’t be able, to tell the truth to the American people” (Edsall, 1998). During this same time, presbyteries, conventions, synods, and other gatherings of the American church came together to demand that the President resign for cheating on his wife and lying to the American people. This is because, according to the Right, the leaders of the United States must live up to “moral standards,” and the American people “have a right to demand [it from their] leaders.” (Neuhaus, 1999, p. 76). This was the Christian Right, the Republican Party, and the Conservative media industry. However, the idea of character being king was assassinated in 2015. Today, Conservative media uses the same logic that Democrats did during the Clinton Impeachment. No longer is character or morality a requirement or something to be valued. Instead, the Right has adopted the impeachment defense of Democratic Sen. Tom Harkin of Iowa that being a failed human is acceptable if the human being is “a good president” (Neuhaus, 1999, p. 77). The collapse of Conservative media left a gap on the Right that Dispatch Media has attempted to fill. They have done this by attempting to continue in the ‘Buckleyian’ tradition of giving a balanced approach that holds both sides to account to deontological ethics.
Tommy Lascelles, Queen Elizabeth II’s private secretary, stated, “in the small things that the rot starts. Do the wrong thing once, it’s easier to do it again” (Smith, 2017). This rot can be seen in the current iteration of ‘conservative’ media. They no longer express gratitude for what is good and works. They have forgotten that ethics is deontological, meaning true at all times and places. They no longer view with gratitude societal goodness with the intent to build upon it. Instead, this new form of ‘conservatism’ is pragmatic and utilitarian, believing that things are only valid and applicable if it helps accomplish the mission (Levin, 2014). This new ‘conservatism’ employs utilitarian ethics, arguing that people who find political leaders’ behavior wanting are beta males (Johnson, 2015, p. 4; Redacted, 2016). The new ‘conservative’ media, instead of checking the veracity of their statements, stokes anger and resentment and encourages their readers and listeners to “crush” and “kick” the “asses” of those who disagree with them (Grynbaum et al., 2021). This concerns those who are believers and commanded to “turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it” (The English Standard Version, 2001, Psalm 34:14).
Some on the Right saw this ethical slide as an issue and decided to do something about it. To begin the work of transforming and calling the Republican organization back to its historical ethics and morality, they began the Dispatch. It began in 2019 with the express goal of bringing back tradition and doing the work of journalism by verifying the veracity of individual’s claims and the news of the day (Calderone, 2019). The mission runs counter to many on the Right who write and say things for the ‘clicks.’ However, it is ethical as it focuses on bettering others by not encouraging or promoting unfounded and unnecessary rage, and they institutionally and intentionally adhere to universal deontological morality (Johnson, 2015, p. 320).
The founding principles of Conservatism are loyalty to the Founders and the Constitution, the ideals laid out by Edward Burke, William F. Buckley, and Sir Roger Scruton (to name a few). For national continuity, there must be a widespread acceptance of living in a rules-based order (Goldberg, 2022). To facilitate, empower, and help transform the Conservative movement, the Dispatch ensures those who work with and for them adhere to not just the law of the land but also to civility and decent behavior. This enables all to model these rules and be an example for others to follow (The English Standard Version, 2001, II Cor. 3:2; Johnson, 2015, p. 322). To accomplish this, the Dispatch only brings on board those who engage in reasoned, intelligent, and honest discussions. This ensures that all “share the ethical standard,” and thus, all will “support the group’s mission value” (Johnson, 2015, pp. 322–23).
To conclude, many in the Republican Party organization and Conservative media have lost connection to the roots of Conservatism. Utilitarian and pragmatic ethics have become the lingua franca of the Right. While this may achieve its goals in the short run, it damages the national character, the citizen’s soul, and is bluntly unbiblical. Christians have a higher calling to answer to a Sovereign above the President and understand that this is not our world — our world is in the next life. Thus, believers understand that everything that is said and done is held to account by the Sovereign of the Universe (The English Standard Version, 2001, Matt. 12:36). Therefore, to promote a resurgence of national character, the founders of the Dispatch have worked to remind those who call themselves Conservatives what that means and its responsibilities. The Dispatch has chosen the road that is long, thankless, but dreadfully crucial for the nation’s sake. President George H.W. Bush stated the mission of the Dispatch best when he said that each of us must:
Listen to your conscience. Don’t be afraid not to join the mob — if you feel inside it’s wrong. Don’t confuse being “soft” with seeing the other guy’s point of view. Avoid self-righteously turning on a friend, but have your friendship mean enough that you would be willing to share with your friend your judgment. Don’t assign away your judgment to achieve power (Bush, 2014, p. 105).
References:
Bush, G. W. (2014). 41: A Portrait of My Father. Crown.
Calderone, M. (2019, October 8). Trump Critics on the Right Join the Media Wars. POLITICO. Retrieved October 29, 2022, from https://www.politico.com/news/2019/10/08/trump-media-dispatch-bulwark-041121
Edsall, T. B. (1998, March 28). Clinton ‘Seems to Have No Shame,’ GOP’s DeLay Says. The Washington Post. Retrieved October 29, 2022, from https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/special/clinton/stories/delay032898.htm
Goldberg, J. (2022, July 1). Do the right thing. The Dispatch. Retrieved October 29, 2022, from https://thedispatch.com/newsletter/gfile/do-the-right-thing/
Grynbaum, M. M., Hsu, T., Robertson, K., & Collins, K. (2021, February 10). How Right-Wing Radio Stoked Anger Before the Capitol Siege. The New York Times. Retrieved October 29, 2022, from https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/10/business/media/conservative-talk-radio-capitol-riots.html
Johnson, C. E. (2015). Organization Ethics: A Practical Approach (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc.
Levin, Y. (2014, September 4). Yuval Levin’s Bradley Prize Remarks. Ethics & Public Policy Center. Retrieved October 29, 2022, from https://eppc.org/publication/yuval-levins-bradley-prize-remarks/
Neuhaus, R. J. (1999). Bill Clinton and the American Character. First Things, (94), 63–80.
Smith, K. (2017, April 14). The Jewel of Conservatism in the Crown. National Review. Retrieved October 29, 2022, from https://www.nationalreview.com/2017/04/netflix-the-crown-defends-burkean-conservatism/
Redacted. (2016, October 6). Condemned by a Polite Society.
