This is why modern conservatism is incompatible with republicanism and liberalism. It is also what I was expressing in the article on the evangelical polity. Sullivan writes:
What matters is cultural and religious identity, rather than policy. Again this is a result of the sectarianization of [American] Republican politics.It removes merit entirely from the equation. Merit works in republicanism because all individuals are equal and free. The differentiation comes from merit, and that includes past performance as well as vision/scope/policy for the future. Huckabee has all sorts of bad governance, corruption and ethical scandals following him from his time as Governor of Arkansas, but that does not matter when you choose on identity and not merit.
The irony of conservatives such as Andrew Sullivan is that their political philosophy only makes consistent sense when it embraces republicanism and liberalism.
Modern conservativism has gone off the rails since the collapse of socialism as liberalism's main political competitor in world politics. It has lost the lessons of the enlightenment, the rigour of republicanism and the basis of liberalism.
Modern conservatism is an anti-modern movement; anti-secularist, anti-individual rights, anti-constitutionalist; and completely suckered by executive authoritarianism.
Quite simply it is an unfit philosophy to govern.
