Profiles in Conservatism

Jim DeMint and John Thune may lead the GOP back to victory

By Jamin A. Dowdy

For the second edition of Profiles in Conservatism, we will examine two men who have planted the conservative banner and snubbed the rebuffs of “politically correct” watchdogs and principle-compromising Republicans. Although relatively unknown to some, Senator Jim DeMint of South Carolina and Senator John Thune of South Dakota are our candidates of interest in this issue. 

Senator Jim DeMint was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2004. Prior to his campaign, he served South Carolina in the House of Representatives, and before that, he owned a marketing research firm. When his 2004 campaign for Senate began, he stood on a solidly conservative platform. His opponent for the seat, state superintendent of education Inez Tenenbaum, tried to run to the middle to win the conservative state, but as she hurried to the center-right, DeMint sprinted to the far right. He called for the abolition of the Internal Revenue Service, opposed abortion on all grounds, and gave preference to traditional marriage.

With DeMint’s election victory, the Republican Senatorial Conference gained a soft-spoken lion. Senator DeMint voted to ban homosexual marriage, ban the desecration of the national flag, and ban partial-birth abortions. He also supported every major free trade agreement that came before him. In fact, the National Journal has ranked Senator DeMint the most conservative member of the U.S. Senate. His name probably became known among some conservatives during the immigration debates during the summer of 2007. DeMint was one of the leading opponents of the amnesty legislation and was lauded by many right-wing commentators.

As a former businessman himself, Senator DeMint understands what makes the American economy function. He introduced the Economic Growth Act that is a beautiful package of free-market policies. This bill would have cut corporate tax rates and capital gains taxes. Don’t you wish Obama would listen to DeMint instead of Pelosi?

Often I have stressed the importance of the Republican coalition. Belaboring this point is not my intention, but today, with our party questioning its beliefs, I believe this coalition cannot be supported enough. So, since Senator DeMint is the chairman of the Senate Conservative Fund, a political action committee committed to electing complete conservatives by bypassing the Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee if necessary, I am immediately impressed. The PAC’s website, senateconservatives.com, says, “SCF seeks to bring bold conservative leadership to Washington by supporting the most rock-solid, conservative candidates nationwide; candidates who believe in the principles of limited government, strong national defense, and traditional family values.” 

Senator DeMint is not a social conservative in name only. He is well known for opposing any action that leads to a deviation from our traditional social structure or from our morality. He has opposed every measure to fund abortions, promote premarital sexual activity, and devalue the human being by using embryos for scientific research. In a video message from his campaign website, Senator DeMint said that it is intellectually unfounded for those who call themselves conservatives not to endorse traditional values. He rightly linked the decline in our society to the growth in government and vice versa. Therefore, he understands that we must support a strong moral society in order to maintain our freedoms and end this vicious cycle.

Although Senator Jim DeMint doesn’t have the name recognition that John Cornyn or Bobby Jindal have, I believe he is just as strong a leader for our movement. When we begin looking for candidates in 2012, don’t forget to look south to the Palmetto State. 

Leaving the South, we now turn to a man who did the unthinkable in 2002 and unseated then-Majority Leader Tom Daschle. This man was a tall, young, basketball-playing U.S. Representative named John Thune of South Dakota. Senator Thune is seen by some to be the conservative substitute for Barack Obama. If we cannot beat Obama on policies (which we most definitely can), we can at least recruit Thune to beat him in basketball. That’s right: conservatives got game. 

One of the most impressive qualities of Senator Thune is that he is an evangelical Christian who does not hide the fact that his faith in Christ guides his decisions. In an interview with Christianity Today, Thune is very open about his faith and his determination to promote Christian morality. He even mentions that he prayed via telephone with former Senator Jim Talent during their days together in the Senate. With our cultural declining over the past several decades, a man whose principles are centered on faith in Christ would be more than equipped to rescue our society.

Senator Thune is almost identically in line with Senator DeMint on the issues. However, Thune’s young face could possibly give him an advantage over the other leaders in our party. This past election has taught us that the youth vote, if properly engaged, can be a major factor in elections. The countless mobs of college students posting flyers for Obama and knocking on doors for the “change team” is a testament to how Republicans are losing the connection with young Americans. I naturally favor older leaders for President, but John Thune has shown that his youthfulness does not equate to immaturity. 

Imagine a national ticket headed by Thune, who will be around 51 years old in 2012. When Obama steps to the debate rostrum to defend his “failed policies of the past,” John Thune can mount the stage with a full head of hair, tanned-face, conservative ideas, and a basketball jersey underneath his suit in case Barry O. wants to go one-on-one. Thune will shatter the stereotype that Republican candidates are all old, balding, well-born aristocrats. The son of a high school coach from a town of 612 in South Dakota, John Thune can proudly say he stands as a representative of the common man. 

Whatever may beset our party over the next four years, whether we lose some of our members to the rising tide of liberal fanaticism and political correctness, whether we regain our momentum from the previous decade and surge into Congress, or whether our stagnant position is maintained, we can rest assured that conservative leaders like Jim DeMint and John Thune will never quit the battlefield of ideas. Whether we choose the statesman from South Carolina or the all-American guy from South Dakota, Republicans have a bright future with the continued work of these conservative leaders.