This is an untrue statement.
It was a
prediction
""Indeed, with the passage of the education bill and the prescription drug act, conservatives will now compete with liberals for fresh entitlements.""
This is an untrue statement. Conservatives arent the beneficiaries of the welfare state as liberals are. Thus there is no reason to think they will be competeting for resources from the federal govt. If they do they will no longer be conservatives but will become liberals.
Think back to 1990-92. GHW Bush raised taxes and increased spedning faster than any PResident since LBJ (sound familiar)and Clinton won. How dark was it for conservatives then? All that is needed some one to come along and rearticulate conservatism. Conservatism is far from dead.
The problem conservatism is facing is its own success. People foreget federal spending in the 1970s was rising at an annual 10-12% rate. This year it will rise less than inflation. Federal spending as a % of GDP is still lower now than it was in 1992, though higher than in the late 1990s. But from the 1960s through 1980 the FED govts share of GDP rose every year. Since 1980 it has fluctuated between 20-22%.
This is an untrue statement.
It was a
prediction
I think he's saying conservatives today are more prone to use big government to enact policies than before and so are competing with liberals to get programs passed instead of trying to reduce government. These programs might be based on conservative principles, but it's still bit government.