Andrew Sullivan | The Daily Dish: Madison's Conservatism of Doubt

Andrew Sullivan | The Daily Dish: Madison's Conservatism of Doubt Ooo...I made the big time (or Time) as it were. I'm the 'reader' in question and Andrew graciously reprinted my remarks. If I'm accepted into a PhD program at McMaster, I'll be focusing on the history of the American Constitution as my primary field [some other program at another University might change that]. As such I'm a deep Madisonian. In American political history it is common to divide the 18th and 19th century political movement between Hamiltonians and Jeffersonians- and there is a great amount of truth in that dichotomy- they were the standard bearers for the Federalist and Republican 'parties' in the early 19th century (I use quotations because neither would have openly embraced the idea they led, or were inspirations for 'party' politics, yet they were). While the influence of Hamilton and Jefferson survived for generations beyond their own, it is Madison, in my opinion, whose influence is still with us. Perhaps this is so because he was, if not the conduit for both men and their ideas, then at least the first true pragmatist in the post-Revolution era. He combined the hope (and fears) of Jefferson and the Republicans, with the strong centralization behind Hamiliton's political leanings. It was Madison who defined the Constitution as an effort to "form a more perfect union" which in itself is the evidence of his conservatism of doubt, infused with the politics of hope. He realized that humans were imperfect creatures thus in need of government, but a government that "We the People" designed. There is hardly a political fight today that could not use some insight from a close reading of The Federalist Papers. The genius of Madison is that he understood the passions of ideology, and the dangers of absolutism- no more proof is needed than his firm challenge to his father-figure, Jefferson, over Jefferson's support of the French Revolution. In short, Madison could see radicalism before others could.