2009 Bradley Symposium: Making Conservatism Credible Again

- Selected video clips here. For full video and audio of the Symposium, please click on the orange Media Clips button in the upper right corner of this page. See also C-SPAN's footage of the event (which cuts in during the Q&A).

Media Mentions

June 3

"Mitch Daniels on 'Making Conservatism Credible Again'"
Mark Hemingway, National Review Online's The Corner

- blogged by HolyCoast.com's Rick Moore

- blogged by GOP12.com's Christian Heinze
 

"GOP Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels says empathy, humility needed for conservative revival"
Henry Jackson, Associated Press

- blogged by Hoosierpundit's Scott Fluhr

- blogged by Jeremy Jacobs of TheHill.com's Briefing Room

"2012 Watch: Daniels says lefties are meanies"

- picked up by the Chicago Tribune, the LA Times, the StarTribune (Minneapolis-St. Paul), the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the Miami Herald, Forbes.com, and the Huffington Post, among many news outlets.
 

"Mitch Daniels slams 'shock and awe statism'"
Zachary Abrahamson, Politico

"When Empathy's a Good Thing"
Alex Koppelman, Salon.com's War Room

"Party of Hope?"
Lewis McCrary, The American Conservative
 

"Daniels Charts Recovery Course for Conservatives"
Maureen Groppe, Gannett News Service and IndyStar.com
 

"How Will Conservatism Become Credible Again?"
Rep. Paul Ryan, The New Ledger
 

"Conservatism bestirs itself"
Roger Kimball, Roger's Rules, PajamasMedia
 

"Daniels Ends 2012 Speculation"
Kyle Trygstad, RealClearPolitics.com

"Ryan calls for unity among Republicans"
Craig Gilbert, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

"Daniels Comments on GOP at Hudson Institute Panel"

Eric Berman, WIBC 93.1 FM

"Daniels' prescription for GOP: Look ahead, connect with voters"
Maureen Groppe, Gannett News Service and IndyStar.com

"A Return to Conservatism? Be Patient"
Kyle Trygstad, RealClearPolitics.com
  

"Daniels Says No to 2012"
Chris Cillizza, in the Washington Post's Political Digest
  

"Indiana Governor Calls for 'Empathy'"
Washington in 5 Minutes, The Washington Times

"Mitch Daniels: 'Slim pickings' in GOP, 'outright meanness' on the left"
Byron York, Washington Examiner
  

"Can Mitch Daniels Save the GOP?"
Byron York, Washington Examiner

"Bradley Day in D.C."
Daniel Suhr, Gop3.com: The Triumvirate
 

June 7

"Daniels in 2012? Maybe 2016"
Sylvia Smith, Fort Wayne Journal Gazette

June 8  

"Our Man Mitch"
Staff Reports, KPCNews.com
 

June 11

"Has a New Liberal Era Begun?"
Chuck Raasch, Ganette
- appeared in Zanesville Times Recorder

June 12

"What Would Daniels Do?

Rich Lowry, National Review

Event Description

Many pundits today suggest that conservative ideas have been consigned to the ash heap of history, and that the only important political question we face is how dramatic America’s turn toward liberalism will be. But even in these tough times, some conservatives have managed not only to reaffirm their beliefs, but to find success with the electorate as well.

The 2009 Bradley Symposium featured two such officials, reflecting on ways American conservatism can be made credible once again: Congressman PAUL RYAN (R–WI) and Governor MITCH DANIELS (R–IN).

Commenting on their presentations were two of conservatism’s most thoughtful young writers and analysts, YUVAL LEVIN, of the Ethics and Public Policy Center and future editor of the soon-to-debut public policy journal National Affairs, and RICH LOWRY of National Review. The session was moderated by the new president of the American Enterprise Institute, ARTHUR BROOKS.

Program and Panel

8:30 a.m.
Registration, breakfast buffet

9:00
Welcome by Hudson Institute's WILLIAM SCHAMBRA

9:03
Presentation by Congressman PAUL RYAN (R–WI)

9:30
Introduction by ARTHUR BROOKS, American Enterprise Institute

9:40
Presentation by Governor MITCH DANIELS (R–IN)

10:10
Commentary by YUVAL LEVIN, Ethics and Public Policy Center, and RICH LOWRY, National Review

10:40
Question-and-answer session

11:00
Adjournment

To Request Further Information

To request further information on this event or the Bradley Center, please contact Krista Shaffer at (202) 974-2424 or krista@hudson.org.

Transcript Information

The discussion transcript was prepared from an audio recording and edited by Krista Shaffer. The audio recording as well as a video recording can be found online at http://pcr.hudson.org. To request further information on this event, past Bradley Symposia, or the Bradley Center, please visit our web site  or contact Hudson Institute Research Fellow Krista Shaffer at (202) 974-2424 or Krista@hudson.org.

Previous Bradley Symposia

Click links below for details.

Vision and Philanthropy. The 2005 Bradley Symposium
Many think the key to success for conservative philanthropy is its willingness to give imaginatively and consistently, and according to a larger, coherent vision of public policy. But what is the conservative vision for American today? And how can philanthropy best promote it?
On February 16, 2005, the Bradley Center brought together twenty-one prominent conservative thinkers, writers, and philanthropists to discuss these essential questions. The day’s keynote address was given by White House Director of Strategic Initiatives Peter Wehner. Nearly 150 invited guests attended the event.
Commissioned essays and an edited transcript of the discussion are available online.

What's the Big Idea? True Blue vs. Deep Red: The Ideas that Move American Politics
The 2006 Bradley Symposium
On May 25, 2006 in Washington, DC, a panel of distinguished commentators tackled the following questions about the political divisions in American society: Are our political divisions indeed significant and based on such grand themes? Or can they be explained by more superficial social and economic divisions? Is a politics driven and divided by large and contrasting ideas dangerous and volatile? Or is it healthy and vigorous—the source of American renewal? How are these larger intellectual divisions played out in specific policy debates over the size of government, immigration, foreign affairs, economic inequality, higher education, and other questions? Clearly, if American politics is driven by “big ideas,” think tanks and foundations are key players. Should such institutions seek to sharpen and enrich those ideas, or should they rather attempt to moderate and bridge major intellectual divides?
The commissioned essay by James Ceaser, an edited transcript of the discussion, and other event documents are available online.

Who Are We Today? American Character and Identity in the Twenty-First Century
The 2007 Bradley Symposium
What is the condition of our national character or identity? Multiculturalism, postmodernism, intolerant secular relativism, uncontrolled borders, a toxic culture, the rise of radical Islam, the decline in civic understanding and awareness, the growth of "transnational" beliefs and institutions – these powerful trends seem to be tugging at and undermining our peculiar American sense of national character or identity.
Who are we today? American conservatism has always prided itself on its ability to define and defend our national sense of self. Liberalism, on the other hand, often seems less resistant – sometimes even hospitable – to corrosive contemporary trends. What can we do to halt or reverse corrosive trends? What in particular can philanthropy contribute to this effort?
Commissioned essays on these questions by Wilfred McClay of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, the Manhattan Institute's John McWhorter, and Fr. Richard John Neuhaus of First Things served as the basis for discussion at the 2007 Bradley Symposium, held on May 3. Ten distinguished panelists joined an audience of approximately 150 invited guests in vigorous discussion.

The commissioned essays and a complete, edited transcript are available online.

Encounter at 10: The Power of Ideas. The 2008 Bradley Symposium
Too often ideas are discounted as the effete playthings of the chattering classes, yet they have the power to transform our nation’s institutions, from our courts and legislatures to marriage and family life. Since 1998, Encounter Books has aimed to broaden public debate by bringing many new voices to bear on important policy and cultural issues.
On June 4, 2008, the Bradley Center held its fourth annual Bradley Symposium, co-sponsored by Encounter Books, on the themes of the power of ideas, publishing, and preserving liberty and democracy. Three panels drew from prepared essays and featured seven prominent Encounter authors.
Commissioned essays, an edited transcript, and an audio recording of the discussion are available online.

For more transcripts, opinion pieces, and prepared remarks, or for additional information about the Bradley Center and its director, William Schambra, please visit the our web page at http://pcr.hudson.org.

Thank you for your interest!