The details may not fit, but fundamentally, after nearly a century of statist control of the Federal goverment, from Wilson to Obama, with respites under Coolidge, Hoover, Eisenhower and Reagan (no, Nixon and the Bushes were not respites, unless statist-lite counts as a respite from full on statism), American conservatism must itself be patterned on Frodo’s quest: the renunciatory quest to destroy power, rather than seize or wield it.
The problem with “establishment Republicans” is they want to follow in Saruman’s footsteps, fancying they can wield the power of the Federal government bloated beyond the bounds set by the Constitution “wisely”, not seeing that like the Ring, it corrupts all who try to control it, or even desire to use it.
Let Gov. Palin be our Galadriel, who refused the Ring, and aided the Fellowship. Our Frodo has to be the one who goes down into the Mordor Washington has become and destroys the Ring of extra-constitutional powers and deficit spending.
Very apt and beautifully said.