Douthat takes a "moment to praise each remaining contender for something – big, small, or somewhere in between – that they got right during the campaign and that deserves to find its way into the eventual nominee’s agenda." An example:
Newt Gingrich has taken a lot of heat from his rivals for his various forays into techno-utopianism. But Gingrich’s current scientific obsession, brain research, is more practical than fantastic. Federal support for basic scientific research tends to generate a higher return on investment than Solyndra-style attempts at playing venture capitalist, and in an era of skyrocketing old-age health care costs, brain science is a particularly reasonable place to commit public funds. As National Review’s Reihan Salam points out, modestly postponing the onset of diseases like Alzheimer’s could save taxpayers a fortune in Medicare spending over the next few decades.
The Dish 