Lydia McGrew, Conservative blogger over at What’s Wrong with the World, presents an analytic dilemma for Conservative parties trying to score points in modern elections:

Every political party that at time t is conservative and not loony will eventually either cease to be conservative or become loony at some time t+.

The dynamic she's trying to get at is interesting, and very much real: Western leftism is using the liberal shut-up argument to silence Conservative opposition in all debates. So Conservative parties either face demonization or go populist to circumvent attack. Thus we have a case where Conservatives either become alienated radicals or flamboyant populists.

The dilemma is real, so what do we do about it? My suggestion has been to strive towards a new Conservatism that imitates the moral appeal and hipness of modern leftism. The Far Right is picking populist points in Europe because it's starting to recognize it can cash in on leftist failure. Even in Israel nationalism and Conservatism are growing, because Western-oriented people are tired of being conned by impotent intellectuals who place half-baked theory before reality.

This means right-wing parties need to point out consequences of leftist dogma in society and then suggest we can solve most of these problems with typical Conservative methods: Cutting back on government, decentralize power, and support traditional cultural values for a sound middle class. The problem so far has been that, although the right-wing intellectuals have the brains to understand this, they have been entrenched in other intellectual drivel (Ron Paul, anyone?!) around 9/11 conspiracies and Zionist occupation mumbling; the kind of stuff that will eventually ruin your populist appeal anyhow. This is how the Left in Sweden lost its voting platform after it got involved in the Palestinian issue.

The European Right is currently playing its cards well, pointing out that:

• Expanded government and more taxation have led to a crippled industry run by morons in office who spend tax payers' money on more government and more taxation.
• Refusing to admit that native culture must guide any multicultural policy is idiocy and leads to ethnic and cultural mayhem.
• Following leftist anti-Americanism has led to an increase in anti-Semitism, and in extension, severe pressure on Israel.
• We need more discipline and new leadership in education, business and government.
• Most leftist dogmas about family, gender and culture have demonstrably backfired and are destroying the foundation to the Western civilization.

This is controversial to say, but not so much so if it's supported by pointing out the failures of leftist policies, which is what the public want to hear. This is how the Far Right in Europe won seats in the recent European election, and they will continue to progress, but they need tougher leadership to keep radicals and scandals away from their camp. That includes not focusing too much on Islam but targeting pluralism more broadly, avoiding collaboration with neo-Nazi groups, and keeping Berlusconi’s hands full with things other than slutty women who go to the press.

The problem is essentially that of leadership within the Conservative movement, but I expect an improvement can be harnessed over time. So, while I accept Lydia's conjecture, I believe we can circumvent its worst extremes by promoting intelligent but socially attractive candidates to power and emphasizing the failures of the leftist opposition instead of trying to sell home reactionary radicalism.