The death and life of compassionate conservatism

Real change, not passing out spare change, is key to the success of these 10 faith-based finalists | Marvin Olasky

Eight years is an eternity in the life of what was once a hot new idea. At the GOP convention in Philadelphia in 2000, Bush staffers handed out buttons proclaiming, "I'm a compassionate conservative." Lots of delegates and staffers wore them. Some Republicans believed in the importance of finding better ways to help the poor. Others saw "compassionate conservatism" as their ticket to the White House.

At the Republican convention coming up next week in Minneapolis, such buttons will probably be as rare as "Harold Stassen for President" items. As Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., wrote in a recent Wall Street Journal op-ed, "compassionate conservatism" became connected to "massive spending increases and entitlement expansion." For six years President George W. Bush issued no vetoes—zero—as spending soared. His faith-based initiative started to be seen as just another way to spend more money without restructuring the way money is spent.