One of the Right's most stunning successes has been its ability to remain unified even as it gained a governing majority.
This debate hinted at the possible fissures within the conservative coalition.
At a symposium last Wednesday sponsored by the Hudson Institute's Bradley Center for Philanthropy and Civic Renewal, 20 leading figures on the political right ranging from traditionalists to libertarians debated the successes and failures of the conservative movement and its future now that it has consolidated power.
The debate participants include some of the foremost intellectual figures in American conservatism, men and women whose ideas have helped fuel the GOP's rise to power. Now their focus is on where the conservative movement needs to go, whether it focuses on making government smaller and less intrusive or making it more active in fostering morality.
The GOP doesn't have to contend with as many interest groups as the left, but there are still enough to make for potential trouble. The fact they haven't had those problems speaks well to the GOP's organizational accumen.