Character, Not Chaos: The GOP’s Return to True Conservative Values

In America, political governance has traditionally meant more than the exercise of power; it was about embodying core principles—a deep-rooted commitment to values ​​woven into our founding documents, sustained by the moral character of those sworn to defend them.

Today, however, the Republican Party has stripped away any pretense that virtues like honesty, dignity, and courage still matter. Winning has become the only goal, with force, not principle, as the guiding star.

Ronald Reagan, once the conservative beacon, warned of this descent. He said: “The character that takes command in moments of decisive choice has already been determined by a thousand other choices made earlier in seemingly unimportant moments.” For Reagan, character was the cumulative result of small, often unseen decisions. Long before a leader takes office, they are tested in the quiet corners of their inner lives. For him, integrity and moral courage were indispensable prerequisites for leading a nation.

Similarly, Russell Kirk, a foundational figure in modern American conservatism, believed that character forms the basis of both individuals and societies. Kirk believed that a society based on strong moral principles, tradition and personal integrity could weather any storm, foster community and advance the common good. His advocacy of the “moral imagination”—the ability to see beyond self-interest to the broader ethical implications of one’s actions—underscored his vision. “Without the moral imagination,” Kirk warned, “we are left with only a vulgar utilitarianism, devoid of any higher purpose or noble ideal.”

These conservative icons did not see character as abstract; they saw it as the essence of true leadership. They understood that a leader without a moral foundation would inevitably fail the people, just as a nation without moral leaders would fail.

The moral stance of the Southern Baptist Convention during the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal in 1998 further illustrates this point. Five months after the scandal, the SBC issued a resolution stressing the need for “moral character in public officials” and warning that “Toleration of grave wrongdoing by leaders hardens the conscience of the culture, breeds rampant immorality and lawlessness, and surely results in the judgment of God .” This call for moral integrity, taken from 1 Timothy 4 – where Paul warns against those with “conscience seared with a hot iron” – resonates today. What happens when a political movement turns away from its moral compass? What does it say about its true intentions?

The GOP now often rallies behind individuals who lack self-restraint — leaders who seem unbound by moral guard, driven by ambitions freed from the “permanent things” Kirk spoke of: justice, order, charity. Such individuals have sacrificed these principles for personal gain, abandoning the higher calling of leadership for the hollow satisfaction of power.

As America’s first president, George Washington held character and integrity above all else, seeing them as essential to his role and legacy. In a letter to Alexander Hamilton, he declared, “I trust my conduct will never show me false to my principles,” underscoring his unwavering commitment to integrity. Similarly, in a letter to Thomas Jefferson, he expressed his desire to retain “that most enviable of all titles, the character of an honest man.” For Washington, character was not just a personal virtue, but the foundation of credible leadership.

This erosion of values ​​makes us ask: where does it lead? How can those who claim to represent the American people also renounce the virtues that sustained us through trials and triumphs? And what does this abandonment mean for the future of a political movement that has previously been history?

In these times, we need citizens who believe in the permanence of character, integrity and principle to demand more from those who seek to lead. We cannot allow a tradition of political administration to be reduced to a mere tool for ambition and power. We, the people, must hold leaders accountable—not just for their policies, but for the character they display both in public and in private.

As Reagan and Kirk reminded us, true leadership lies in moral courage and loyalty to enduring principles rather than fleeting gains. We need leaders who will put principle above politics and remember that their highest duty is to serve the nation, not their career. If we are to preserve our common future, we must demand nothing less.

It’s time to make character matter again.