Federal Judiciary

Victory Bound -- By: Kathryn Jean Lopez

Everywhere I go, I encounter optimism. At first it took me aback. After all, the Right-minded seem to be losing right now. But the optimism makes perfect sense if you believe in American exceptionalism.

On the heartbreaking weekend last month when the White House and the speaker of the House twisted enough Democratic arms to get their health-care socialization plan passed, I was nevertheless drowning in a sea of that exceptional optimism: I was on Capitol Hill, among people protesting the health-care legislation. I met Americans who had traveled from throughout the northeast, from Ohio and Texas, and from elsewhere to let Congress know that it was not representing them.

When the bill passed, rather than falling into despair or fury or violence, these protesters set their sights on something: electoral victory. People were talking about November even before Sunday night?s health-care vote happened. Protesters were already looking forward to the next battle -- electing members of Congress who do speak for them, members of Congress who represent the principles they claim they stand for. They want to hold accountable those who traded their integrity for power, as we saw some do at key moments when they could have been courageous leaders but proved to be something very different. I saw people with their families -- including beautiful, happy sons and daughters with special needs. I saw people grateful for politicians and other leaders who understand the Constitution and work to protect and defend it -- because those politicians do exist, too!

(The Corner gallery of photos from that day on the Hill is here, by the way.)

And I saw Scott Brown T-shirts. In the end, he wasn?t able to stop Obamacare, but he made its passage more difficult. And his election -- to the Senate seat formerly known as ?the Ted Kennedy seat,? right before the passage of the Ted Kennedy memorial bill -- demonstrated that in American politics just about anything is possible! 

Americans don?t see anything as inevitable, not even death and taxes (well, maybe some taxes, but, as far as death goes, more than few of us just celebrated Easter). So they didn?t pay any attention when everyone deemed Charlie Crist inevitable in the Florida senate race. They just sent their money and support directly to Marco Rubio -- who speaks of American exceptionalism with a passion inspired by Cuban parents and grandparents who didn?t always know the freedom you and I so treasure.

As you know, NR was onto the young former speaker of the Florida house early on, here online and offline. In a recent letter to Rich Lowry, Marco explained: ?I first want to thank you for giving me the opportunity to make my case every now and then on NRO. Being on the Corner gets my message out immediately, and the response is always very positive.?

He added: ?People ask me, ?When did your campaign go from a long-shot to a serious contender?? I tell them, ?When National Review put me on the cover.? I am not counting my chickens. There is a lot of campaign ahead of us. But I am now in much better position to share my conservative principles because NR let everyone know that my candidacy was of real importance to our cause, and that my possible election is of real consequence.?

If you?re a regular reader, you?ve seen Rubio jump in the Corner. You?ve seen senators and congressman and various experts highlight their work and join in lively debates. The Corner has become the conservative watercooler -- but it?s also a rare Right-thinking faculty lounge, a workshop, and occasionally Mystery Science Theater 3000 -- a place where problems are worked out, good work is praised, and ideas are challenged.

As Marco Rubio puts it: ?The influence of NR has always been unquestionable. I can attest that it may be even greater now than at any time in recent memory. Just when it is most needed.?

We?re really going to wind down our fundraising pleas shortly. But here?s the pitch again: We want to keep doing what we do here. We want to keep doing it in more creative and extensive ways. But we don?t have the financial resources to do it. National Review never has. We?ve always asked our readers for support. We?ve also, you should know, made painful cuts in the last year due to budget constraints. But we still need staff and bandwidth and other necessities#...#all of which require money.

So if you, like Marco Rubio, appreciate the influence of National Review and National Review Online and want to see that influence grow stronger and reach further, please consider giving to NRO?s spring emergency fund drive, now (I promise) in its final days. Thank you so much for your readership, your loyalty, and your patience.

Here?s the link.

-- Kathryn Jean Lopez is editor-at-large of National Review Online.

Full post as published by Bench Memos - National Review Online on April 09, 2010 (boomark / email).