Mark Oppenheimer of Mother Jones profiles an Atlantic alum:
And so we know at least three things about Ross Douthat—the devoutly Catholic, anti-porn, pro-abstinence, pro-life prodigy of punditry. First, he's not always sure that he's right. Second, he has gay friends. Third, he cares what they think. Which is consistent with what I have learned in conversations with Douthat, his parents, and many of his friends and colleagues, and in reading nearly everything he has ever published. His comfort with complexity, and with those who disagree with him—along with his somewhat unconventional upbringing, his unorthodox ideas on abortion law, and his embrace of both popular culture and highbrow literature—make him a surprising conservative writer.
Only if you take 'conservatism' to reflect the current melange of populism, fundamentalism, ideology and an unrestrained love of power. Ross' conservatism is in the Buckley lineage. He may be the last one left.
The Dish 