A CONSERVATIVE RESURGENCE? Culturally, the popularity of Lana Del Rey and country music seems to be evidence of a resurgence of conservative ideals. However, only 12 percent of Paly respondents included in a September Verde poll say they would vote Republican in the upcoming election.

Senior Charlie Dulik holds up a phone case emblazoned with a vintage looking American flag.

A vivid display of patriotism at Palo Alto High School? More like a disply of irony, Dulik says, chuckling.

This American flag looks like something out of a music video by Lana del Rey, a singer-songwriter known for her hit single “Video Games” and frequent references to 50s and 60s Americana. Dulik isn’t a fan of her though, or of patriotism for that matter, saying both things lack substance. A self-proclaimed independent who says he would vote third party if he could vote, Dulik also enjoys the occasional Southern ballad despite his own belief that the Palo Alto lifestyle embodies the “exact opposite of country music.”

Dulik exemplifies the new role of conservative America in modern Paly culture, although not politically. Fifties style and cowboy boots, at one point tied to conservative America, have resurged in the realms of hipsterdom and mainstream music. Meanwhile, the presidential election looms, with a Republican candidate boasting a platform that some describe as the most conservative in the history of the party.

In light of these contradictions, modern-day conservatism seems hard to define. A look at Paly politics and pop culture, however, reveals some trends rising out of a medley of opinions.

I’m driving a Prius, y’all 

According to Hoover Institution research analyst Carson Bruno, conservative undertones have always existed in popular entertainment.

“American rooted characteristics not only include a general skepticism of government involvement…but also a focus on personal responsibility, entrepreneurship, and self preservation,” he says. “While these traits are inherently conservative in nature, they do not necessarily have to be related to politics.”

Paly student opinions align with Bruno’s analysis. Country music, for instance, is often associated with conservatism. From Carrie Underwood’s plea for Jesus to take the wheel to Taylor Swift’s pining for a nuclear family, many popular songs seem to highlight the values that Bruno lists. But students say that the popularity of country music at Paly has little to do with political values, and, in a Verde poll of 338 students conducted conducted in September in nine Paly English classes,  only about 23 percent say they associate it with conservatism.

“I like country music because it always makes me happy, sophomore and country music fan Kelly Swanson says. “I like the message too because it’s normally meaningful. Country concerts are pretty popular because people like to go hang out with friends and have a good time.”

Dulik agrees that the social opportunities that country music offers hold more allure than whatever political values they might espouse. Pointing out that students here are more likely to own a Priuses than tractors, he calls country music concerts an avenue for “high-school dress up,” a chance for teenagers to imagine a completely different lifestyle.

“It’s fun,” he says. “It’s simple country livin’.”

A brief history of conservatism

According to Stanford University sociology professor Doug McAdam, the start of the primary system 30 odd years ago pushed the Republican Party farther right. He describes the majority of America as moderate centrists.

“On the Republican side, what we saw over the last year is pretty typical,” he says. “The most extreme elements in the Republican Party, the most conservative Tea Party supporters, wield unbelievable power and influence under the primary process because most Americans don’t choose to participate.”

McAdam also notes that the left has not been as mobilized as the right for the past couple decades, although he isn’t sure why. He predicts that if the Republicans lose this year with their extremely conservative platform, it will encourage both parties to move towards the center.

“If Obama wins, I think some people will conclude that it’s still very risky for a party to move as far to the right as the Republicans have this year,” he says. “I think this election is critical in determining whether things might start to move back in a more centrist direction.”

Paly is no exception to the preponderance of moderation. In the aforementioned poll, roughly 47 percent identified themselves as moderate, compared to 5 percent who consider themselves very conservative and 3.6 percent who consider themselves very liberal. Only 12 percent of students said they would vote for Romney if they could, although 18 percent identify as either very or somewhat conservative.

The Palo Altan right

Although Palo Alto is known for being mostly liberal, Bruno says that Silicon Valley has become slightly more accepting of conservatism. According to Bruno, many Silicon Valley industries are fairly new and thus have not been regulated heavily by the government.

“As the growth of government intervention has crept into these industries, the country’s cultural center-right nature and individual self-interest has prompted a reaction,” he says.

Bruno says he has seen this through the increase in lobbying activity and in increased political donations for Republican candidates.

“Historically, Silicon Valley donors have massively skewed toward Democratic candidates but since 2010, we’ve witnessed a noticeable increase in donations going to conservative candidates,” he says.

Junior Aaron Slipper, who calls himself a libertarian, says he has seen a similar trend at Paly  — the prevalence of economic conservatism but not social conservatism. He thinks that conservatives have become increasingly libertarian — who aim to minimize government interference in all aspect s—, citing the success of ex-Republican candidate Ron Paul among young voters.

“There is now a good deal of discussion among so-called conservatives about reducing government spending, particularly entitlement spending, and decreasing national debt,” he says. “These are libertarian positions.”

In light of the newly founded Libertarian club, libertarianism seems to have also made its mark on Paly conservatives.

“Libertarianism and conservatism are very similar, in a more economic sense,” junior and Libertarian club member Gabriel Salmon says. “On the other hand, libertarianism is much more inclined towards freedom and individual rights.”

Slipper notes the appeal of this combination in Palo Alto’s particular environment.

“Paly is extremely open-minded and tolerant, and, in general, quite socially liberal,” Slipper says. “The libertarians simply combine ideas of social freedoms with free market economic freedoms.”

Dulik says that, unlike the Tea Party, conservatives at Paly have not become significantly more vocal in expressing their beliefs recently. But he has seen conservatism expressed lately in a way that is decidedly modern.

“I just see it over social media,” he says. “I’ll see someone tweet ‘Mitt 2012.’”

The grand new religious right

A certain kind of religious right does exist at Paly, although not like one might expect. Christian club President and senior Alexia Garcia says her conservative beliefs largely stem from her religious values.  She opposes abortion, for example, for religious reasons.

“I guess I was just raised that way,” Garcia says. “My family’s very conservative overall.”

Garcia also acknowledges that not all Christians are as conservative as she is.

“There’s definitely a spectrum within Christianity overall,” she says. “There’s the really conservative and orthodox kind of people. Then there’s some that are just more liberal.”

Garcia believes the religious community to be substantial, citing 60 sign-ups for Christian club this year. She says that last year about 20  members attended regularly.

Junior and Christian club Co-Vice President Curtis Wu also places himself on the more conservative end of the spectrum, saying that his beliefs, too, are largely influenced by his family as well as his religion.

Although the Republican party is generally recognized as catering to the religious right, both Wu and Garcia prefer to call themselves independent. Garcia says she is undecided, but in the process of considering who to vote for remains open-minded to both parties. Wu also would hesitate to vote Republican, saying that the party has been too critical of Obama, both in terms of his personal life and policies.

Wu’s ultimate criticism seem to affirm McAdam’s prediction about the disconnect between the views of the Republican party and those of the American populace.

“I think [the Republicans have] gotten a little extreme. That’s the message I’ve gotten from the community around me,” Wu says.