Completing the Revolution: A Vision for Victory in 2000

Novak strives for an ideological extreme that few but political pundits could embrace. The well-known columnist and television commentator identifies himself as ""a conservative who has been on a steady trip to the right"" and the Republican Party as the only available vehicle to pursue his agenda. Naturally, he approves when the party veers to the right and is critical of moderate tendencies. After excoriating perceived retreats from the Gingrich agenda of 1994, Novak lays out his prescription for conservative purity and victory with supreme confidence that the former will lead to the latter. Key points include cutting taxes and replacing the income tax with a sales tax, privatizing Social Security, considering campaign finance reform, embracing global free markets and religious conservatives, affirming the right to life, reaching out to women and minorities without compromising policy positions, pursuing a strong foreign policy and term limits. Although Novak believes that capturing the presidency is crucial, his discussion of the upcoming nomination is restrained. He recognizes that George W. Bush meets certain criteria, but he does not look too closely (perhaps to avoid glimpsing that Bush is a pragmatic rather than ideological conservative). The normally highly opinionated Novak suggests only that a Bush nomination would be a ""gamble"" that may or may not pay off. Despite the tension between Novak's policy rhetoric and his lukewarm endorsement of Bush, his fans will enjoy what is otherwise a strident performance. (Feb.)