Crunchy Cons by Rod Dreher

Rod Dreher, a former writer for National Review and current editor at the Dallas Morning News, has shaken the seemingly united front of the conservative movement in America through this timely, thoughtful, yet at times preachy book. Political strategists from both parties should read this text for helpful insight into a great swath of the electorate. As I've discussed this book on my weblog and among friends, I've encountered both negative reaction and the blank looks of those who consider Dreher's ideas to be commonsense. Yet the ideas do stir the mind and provoke conversation.

Dreher began working with this theme when, while working at National Review, he told a co-worker that he was leaving work to pick up food from the neighborhood organic food co-op, to which said co-worker replied "Ewww, that's so lefty."

This reply puzzled Dreher, for he believes that this personal lifestyle choice is congruent, even derivative, from the very conservative principles that he held to. He began to write articles about being politically and philosophically conservative, and yet making lifestyle choices that are traditionally associated with liberalism (organic food, environmentalism, new urbanism, anti-consumerism). As he published his pieces, he received scads of emails, letters, phone calls, and cries of solidarity from conservatives across the country who felt as he did -- thus the book was born.

After defning the mindset, he weaves his way through chapters on topics such as Consumerism, Food, Home, Education, and The Environment. Along the way he introduces us to Rush Limbaugh listening Organic Cattle Ranchers, Slow Food Movement groups, Arts and Crafts principles of architecture and design, highly educated homeschooling mothers who elected to leave power careers to invest in the next generation, and Republican environmentalists who seek both sound economic principles and wise environmental stewardship. It's a dizzying tour of concepts and ideas that drew me to repeated visits to wikipedia for more information.

Dreher writes not as a political theorist, but as a popular "citizen essayist" who is telling stories and sketching a broad trend. Herein lies the real strength and weakness of the book. While telling stories, Dreher writes with an intoxicating flair that draws us into the passion and committment of his subjects. However, to tie the stories together, he must make connections and conclusions -- and at times he sounds annoyingly like an angry bearded social critic. Even so, on the whole, his tour of ideas and people living them out is interesting and thought provoking.

Of particular interest for me was his chapter on religion, in which he posits that a tie that binds this crunchy-con movement is religious commitment, particularly that of a traditional bent. In the interest of full disclosure, he gives his own "testimony" (in a story that is worth the price of the book) and then follows an extended journey through four lives who've been enriched through returning to deep faith traditions. I found this to be a fitting bedrock upon which to build the lifestlye convictions that Dreher presents.

All said, this is a fine read, and could be useful for promoting conversation and reflection in small groups or book clubs.

Russell