Recently, “America’s Cultural Revolution” author Christopher Rufo warned that “the Right faces an inflection point.” Instead of focusing on actually changing policies and culture, he argued, some on the Right have leaned into “conspiracy theories that lead nowhere.” Some of these, especially related to Israel, have caused massive debates. But how should we approach this divide? And what’s causing it? Christopher and Glenn make the case that the answer is self-discipline, NOT censorship, and providing better content than just “cheap attention” tweets. In order to win against the progressive elites, conservatives must get their own house in order first.
Transcript
Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors
GLENN: Last week, I saw Christopher Rufo, who I greatly admire.
Write and talk about something we don't need to talk about. But in that, he said, the right faces an reflection point. There are serious people, who are trying to advance a serious political movement, with a vision for governing.
There are also unserious people, who are willing to sell conspiracy. Leading us nowhere.
I care about politics, because I believe we have substantive work to do for the country. This requires putting together a coalition that is capable of taking responsibility. The choice is ours.
I responded to that. And people -- and I'm hoping Christopher didn't. But people thought that I was coming after Christopher and I, but I wasn't.
I was really frustrated with, he's right. But what does a serious option look like?
I said, I have great respect for Christopher Rufo. He has done more to expose the rot than many of us combined. But, Chris, the only option that I see that is viable is a return to the Constitution and Bill of Rights. All of our problems stem from the violation of these documents. Congress doesn't care.
Nor does it even attempt to do its job. Every administration is worse than the last. At this point, it is all powerful.
Supreme Court has trouble defining a woman. May God help us, with them defining any of the Amendments. Our Justice Department, Intel, and every agency has been co-opted by radicals. Those who believe in a constitutional republic are not the radicals. There is another option.
Return to e pluribus unum. The Bill of Rights and Constitution.
So I wanted to get Christopher on. Because I heard from so many people, that we were warring. And, Christopher, I'm sorry, if I've let anybody, to think I would stand against you.
Because I have some admiration for you.
CHRIS: Of course not. I didn't take any offense to it.
I found we were actually in agreement. I'm glad we have a chance to talk in greater depth.
I think you translation canned the problem there perfectly. But the question I'm raising is, how do we get there?
What kind of coalition do we need?
What kind of intellectual leadership, do we need? And then what kind of political leadership do we need?
And what I noticed on the right, especially on the horrific I can attacks against Jews in Israel, is that there's been a fragmentation.
And there's people chasing conspiracy theories. There's a rise. Kind of resurge answer, on the outer fringes of anti-Semitism on the right.
And then there are people elevating their profiles in media. On conspiracy theories, that lead nowhere, on kind of tabloid-style dossett that doesn't offer any kind of concrete possibility.
And so I think we have a media problem. And we have, in addition, a leadership problem.
GLENN: When you say a media problem, you mean the right media?
CHRIS: Yes. Yes. Absolutely. I just -- I think if you look at kind of serious conservative media figures. And, of course, I would include you in this. You're always doing the reporting, the conversations, trying to guide people, towards something, that that they can do. Some legislation that politicians can pass. Some policy that we can adopt. Some counterculture that we can build. But I think given the dynamics of online media advertising, audience building, and then just the dynamics of kind of general tech and media trends.
Some people are being, you know, kind of generously rewarded with clicks and attention. Who don't actually offer anything substantive. And I think it gets some of our audience. And some of our listeners. In this outrage cycle.
Where they're outraged for outrage sake.
They're not being directed for guiding that outrage towards something constructive. And I've seen it. It can be really be damaging to people. And it's certainly damaging to a political movement.
And I don't think it's a failure of the audience. I think it's actually a failure of us, in the media, in positions of authority, in positions of leadership. You always have to guide people towards something that can make their lives better, and if we're not doing that, we're taking advantage, and we have to stop.
GLENN: So I completely agree with you.
So what is -- because we agree with the solution. And this is my point, back to you, was, I am very afraid of serious options. Because there is another split in the right. That is -- is willing to look at -- at extra constitutional solutions. And that's really dangerous. And starting to say, well, this Constitution, maybe it's old and dusty. Like the left has been saying.
No, no, no, no. No. All of our problems are solved, by two things.
One, the people living a better life. And I don't mean like, you're making more money. I mean, you're more decent, humble, and just better person. Plus, the rule of law. Being restored, as written.
So where do you see anybody coming up and really promoting that, Chris?
CHRIS: Well, I think that's exactly what we need to do. And I've been very vocal. There's a lot of frustration on the right. There's a lot of anxiety. But all of our problems can be solved through kind of normal -- Democratic -- peaceful Democratic means. We still have a great system.
But our system is atrophying because we're not using that system. And soiled point to the leadership of someone whom I admire very much. Governor Ron DeSantis in Florida. He had the same legislature, that Jeb Bush did. He had the same state Constitution.
And yet, he's using power effectively within the law, to make Florida a better state for people to live, work, and raise families.
And so I think we have to really discipline our own coalition, we have to stop engaging in these kind of fantasies, of extra judicial or extra parliamentary politics. And we have to say, if we are going to be the conservative, political party, the conservative political movement, we have to respect the documents that just be smarter. Be more persistent. Be more diligent.
In actually practicing politics. And so there are models out there, that are successful. And I think, we have another model of the kind of more, say, radical, extra constitutional model. That is the dismal failure. It's always been a dismal failure. When the left did it in the late 1960s and early 1970s, with those radical movements, the American people rejected them. If the right does it at any time, now or in the future, the people, the citizens will reject them.
It's a dead end. And we need media figures, that are kind of telling people to straighten out. To have self-discipline. To remind people of the constitutional principles that we're fighting for. And then to lay out a plausible plan.
Because people get desperate, when they think we have no other options. So it's our responsibility to show them the concrete options, not just spin out into conspiracy land.
GLENN: So, Chris, I do not -- I do not -- I don't listen to anybody else. I don't watch anybody else.
I read. But I have tried to cut my reading back to about four hours a day.
Because it's just poison. It's just all poison. But it's part of my job.
I have to read and be informed. So I don't -- but I don't hear things. You -- I am very concerned about just somebody doing something stupid. I'm also very concerned about this very, very small group of people.
That are Christian nationalists. But it's very small.
I am not concerned about the -- the average listener, if you will.
CHRIS: Correct.
GLENN: You seem to be -- I don't know if your concern is greater than mine.
And I'm pretty concerned about things. I want to -- I want to judge why -- what is it that you're feeling or is bringing this out, in such a passionate way? I want to make sure I'm not missing it.
CHRIS: Yeah. Well, I think we are approaching a critical period, in our country's history.
And, you know, I think the genesis of my comments. Was this -- you know, blowup between Candace Owens. And the Daily Wire. You know, Ben Shapiro's publication.
And, you know, I think that -- I tried to be disciplined. In my criticisms. People within our coalition. Within our movement.
But, you know, Candice had been arguing that there are secret gangs of Jews. Murdering people in Hollywood. She had rationalized Kanye West's, you know, kind of deranged antisemitic outbursts. She had been pushing stories about how the president of France's wife is actually a man. And these are stories that drive clicks. They drive controversy.
But they actually don't create anything substantive. And unfortunately, there is a kind of rising group of commentators and media figures. That have figured out, that the way to get cheap attention. Is to put forward stories like these.
And I just think that, we have to be, of course, kind of tolerant of a range of opinion.
But there also is an out of bound or a limit, that any political movement needs to maintain its own coherence and its own discipline.
GLENN: And you're not talking about censorship. You're just talking about self-control.
CHRIS: That's right. It's first self-discipline, and then it's also giving people a better option.
Of course, I don't think any of these opinions should be censored. They shouldn't be stricken from the record. The government shouldn't have any sway whatsoever.
But I think it's up to us, to have that discerning judgment. And to also show people, why this is such a limitation.
Why -- why it actually is not helpful.
And to get people out of this outrage cycle, that depletes them, and into a cycle of participation and politics in a real sense.
You know, politics is not, you know, tweeting conspiracy theories. Politics is actually winning elections. Changing the law. And managing institutions.
And so we needed a movement that is capable of doing that. And if we're not a movement that is capable of doing that, we don't deserve power.
We don't deserve to win, and we don't deserve to have our ideas shaping the law.
GLENN: I am -- we're talking to Christopher Rufo.
I am gravely concerned, that any time between now and really probably January 20th of next year, is the most dangerous place our republic may have ever been.
And that's including in the Civil War. We are -- we are at the edge of losing everything. Somebody does something stupid. We go to war. The economy collapses.
Whatever it is. There is -- there is a real shot, that we lose our freedom. It's happening all -- I mean, look what's happening in Brazil. This is -- this is happening all over the West, right now.
And I know, I have self-edited more than I've ever edited. Because I want to be very careful with my word.
Because I am so concerned, about the cries of dis and miss and malinformation. That will be wrongly pointed in people's direction by the state.
But it's important now, that we are speaking clearly. And as -- and as accurately, as we possibly can.
Do you feel the same way?
CHRIS: I feel the same way, and I'm very concerned about it. And I think this really dovetails nicely with my argument. If we don't have the self-discipline and if we engage in these kind of wild lines of media narratives.
It will provide, you know -- it's fake. But it will provide a kind of rationalization or justification for continued censorship. If the government and organized left, can point to a verifiably false conspiracy theories. They can then use it as justification for censorship.
Obviously, I don't support that. I think you should -- I think everyone has the right to say whatever they want. True, false, good or bad.
But, you know, we have to be realistic about it. And this is a major threat, of getting deplatformed. Of getting debanked.
GLENN: Yep.
CHRIS: Of getting kind of de-anonymized, exposed. And so we have to -- we unfortunately. Look, the New York Times can publish conspiracy theories for three years about Russiagate, they will be awarded the Pulitzer Prize, and they'll pay no price when it turns out to be all a pack of lies.
We don't have that luxury. I wish we did. But we have to take the reality for what it is.
We have to be more disciplined. We have to have higher standards. And we have to fight much smarter than our opponents.
That said, the good news, is that when we fight smart, like DeSantis has done in Florida.
There is a wide open vista of possibility for us.
GLENN: Yes. Yes.
CHRIS: And we can truly create, you know, what I think of as a counter hegemony. That will create a bulwark or a defense against all of the awful things that the organized left is doing.
GLENN: Christopher Rufo, thank you so much. Thank you for being a friend. Friend of the show. And friend of freedom. Appreciate it.
