For more than 30 years, Sal Russo has been part of the conservative movement in American politics, working to elect the likes of Jack Kemp, George Deukmejian and the movement's modern-day saint, Ronald Reagan.
But ask Russo what it means to be a conservative these days and his response is telling. "That's a good question," he says. "Uh. . . ." After pausing fully 10 seconds, the GOP strategist admits: "I don't know what it means to people anymore."
And therein lies a problem for the Republican Party, beyond even the current fallout from efforts to throw President Clinton out of office.
Although the impeachment vote provided a moment of singular clarity--most House Republicans in favor, most Democrats against--it belied deep divisions within the GOP over perhaps the most fundamental question there is: What lies at the philosophical core of the party? And furthermore, who's to say?
The conflict, boiled to its essence, is reflected in the disputed definition of "conservative," the emblematic label that once served to unite politically as well as conquer.
Throughout the 1980s and much of the 1990s, the word "conservative" conjured thoughts of fiscal prudence, a muscular defense and, not least, a rugged individuality and radiant optimism embodied in Reagan's own sunny personality.
But at the very time many conservative ideals have reached fruition--witness the balanced budget, welfare reform and a slimmed-down federal bureaucracy--the political meaning of conservative has grown increasingly muddied.
In good part that reflects Republican success attracting followers ranging from hands-off libertarians to hard-core fundamentalists, all of whom consider themselves conservatives in good standing.
The practical effect, however, is that "conservative" has come to mean pretty much what anyone says it does--including Democrats, who have strived mightily to recast the word in the angry image of outgoing House Speaker Newt Gingrich and, more recently, to partisan efforts to drive Clinton from office.
"The meaning has been contaminated to suggest someone who's harsh, who doesn't seem to have a tolerant view of the world," said Bill Carrick, a Democratic campaign consultant who conducted scores of interviews with voters over the past year.
Most Republicans probably would disagree. After all, public opinion polls over the last 20 years have been remarkably consistent, showing that far more Americans call themselves conservative than liberal (though most tend to call themselves moderate).
