No one has commented here yet on the New Yorker article declaring conservatism dead. My weak stomach makes mining liberal blogs unappealing, but I’m sure there are plenty of posts applauding this obit. But before the left gets too excited, a few words: even if conservatism is dead, it’s not at all clear liberalism is alive. Americans have not elected an openly liberal president since Lyndon Johnson, who took office under politically sympathetic circumstance and got reelected based on his support for the Vietnam War (not Great Society). There were also certain fears that conservative forebear Barry Goldwater would trigger a nuclear war.

At the very end of the article, it becomes apparent how premature this protracted obituary is when author George Packer concedes John McCain might still get elected president. He’s right because conservatism still has a pulse. A McCain presidency could usher in a new Republican “brand” that emphasizes strong government (as opposed to big or limited government) and American greatness. Voters long to hear that Fareed Zakaria is wrong (whether or not he is), and that their kids will not be the last to call America the greatest nation in the world. Conservatives still have the opportunity to show that patriotism can be an enlightened sentiment, espoused with elegance and wit.

In communicating this message of American exceptionalism, Republicans can continue to capitalize on popular resentment for liberal academia. Packer’s various assertions about the role of college education in creating a Democratic majority are utterly misguided. Although more people are going to college, the number of Ivy League educated people has remained about the same. More college education doesn’t necessarily translate into more liberal zombies to rep Obama’s po-mo campaign. Not everyone is going to college to study liberal arts, and even those who do are not necessarily entrusting the task to Harvard. Rather, an increasingly large subset are matriculating at religious private colleges that stress conservative values.