EXCLUSIVE: Andrew Klavan Talks Taking Back The Culture From the Left, The Future of Conservatism
The conservative mindset may be to despair right now. It's reasonable given the position we find ourselves in. But Klavan does not see it this way. He believes the arts are a way to start winning again.
By Gabe Kaminsky
February 9, 2021
Many years ago, bestselling author and Daily Wire podcast host Andrew Klavan returned from life in England to find that American culture had been destroyed from within. Amid the left’s growing institutional monopoly, he began speaking to conservative groups across the country about the importance of taking back the culture. His message did not resonate.
“They looked at me like I had come from outer space,†Klavan told me. “Now, people are calling me and saying, ‘What were you saying about the culture again?'â€
“The first speech I ever made was for YAF [Young America’s Foundation]. And I was explaining cultural ideas to them. And I bombed. It was a horrible, horrible, failure of a speech. And when I went backstage and about five of maybe 200 students came back. Maybe 10, I don’t know. And they were thrilled. And I said, ‘Well, why are you guys thrilled and everyone else hated it?’ And they said ‘Well, they’re all econ majors and poli-sci majors…we’re the English majors.’ And when I got home, I called Andrew Breitbart, and I said, ‘Oh, my G-d, I just had this horrible experience trying to explain culture to conservatives.’ And he just warmed with laughter and said, you know, ‘Welcome to my world,'†Klavan said.
As we proceed into four years of the Biden presidency, Klavan believes conservatives are better equipped to play what he identifies as the long game. Not just in terms of keeping sanity, but in order to really make a substantial footprint on politics and culture—which Breitbart notably argued were inextricably intertwined.
Instead of being led like sheep in the slog of short-term political warfare, pessimistically caught up in each and every negative outcome, Klavan expressed his support for the right to get on the offensive. The Daily Wire has tried to emulate this, announcing their foray into film and entertainment, with their first feature film “Run Hide Fight†released on January 14.
But Klavan recognizes that we have a long way to go. A couple of films here and there will not solve our problems. And he is perfectly right.
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https://thefederalist.com/2021/02/09/exclusive-andrew-klavan-talks-taking-back-the-culture-from-the-left-the-future-of-conservatism/
