This @wellscking interview with @TenreiroDaniel @NRO crackles with the tensions in conservatism. Wells articulates the @AmerCompass focus brilliantly, but I'm actually most fascinated by the questions, which really bring the status quo to life:
nationalreview.com/2020/03/conser…
nationalreview.com/2020/03/conser…
First, the idea that "economic" and "cultural" are two distinct categories and a given problem must be assigned primarily to one or the other. 
Second, and relatedly, the idea that decades of economic stagnation and divergence in fortunes isn't a big deal and probably doesn't have a lot of explanatory power because it's not "economic devastation."
Third, the idea that alternatives to the existing agenda are just more taxing and spending -- "wage subsidies, tax credits, affordable health care" here, echoing @NikkiHaley's "more tax credits here, more subsidies there, more mandates for this, more regulations for that."
Fourth, and this is where it starts getting quirky, the idea that in fact the "conservative," "pro-market" approach is not to actually ensure that markets support a healthy society but rather "targeted policies such as transfers to affected citizens."
Fifth, continuing on this theme, the idea that the right role for government is "to help the losers through various kinds of programs — transfers, educational training, and so on." How does this differ from the progressive view? Wait, it is the progressive view.
Sixth, the idea that "the best outcome from a dollars-and-cents point of view" requires only "a system where you have a free market" and concerns about work, family, community, dignity create "a tension" rather than being central to the achievement of prosperity.
And, that's pretty much all the questions. Read how @wellscking addresses all these issues to get a great sense of the potential for recovering a genuine conservativism capable of addressing the nation's challenges. @AmerCompass nationalreview.com/2020/03/conser…
