Category: The Dish

A reader writes:

Just something I found interesting. Barack Obama’s candidacy has been criticized because of his lack of governmental experience.  He spent about 8 years as an Illinois state senator and will, by ’08, have spent almost 4 years in the U.S. Senate.

What about Fred Thompson?  He doesn’t get the "lack of experience" criticism, but he was in the Senate for only about 8 years – he filled the last 2 years of Gore’s term, and then had one full term of his own.  Other than this, he’s never been elected to anything.  He was an assistant US Attorney for 3 years and served about a year as an attorney for a Congressional committee investigating Watergate.

Good point, no?

Brink Lindsey offers a helpful counter-balance to the doom-sayers on the American economy.

A reader writes:

As a former editor of a campus conservative newspaper, I feel particularly sad when I see comments like those of George Will describing what conservatism "means."  The problem is that there is a difference between normative conservatism — what conservatism should be about — and positive conservatism, or a description of what conservatism actually is today.  The conservatism of Ron Paul, or George Will, or Andrew Sullivan, while an admirable thing, has almost nothing whatsoever to do with conservatism as it has actually been practiced in this country for many decades.  To be "conservative" in America today is to believe in state power — something that would have repelled Barry Goldwater.  To be "conservative" in America today is to believe in Wilsonian foreign activism — something that would have repelled Robert Taft.  To be conservative today is to believe in Federal laws about "morals" issues instead of state-by-state federalism on issues not related to "interstate commerce."  Conservatism today is all about cultural affinity as opposed to ideology.  It is about comfort.  Comfort with people, and comfort with received notions of what America is supposed to "represent."

The notion that conservatism is somehow a "temperament" as opposed to an ideology is true today, but in a different way than the past.  Conservatism has become something tribal —  It is not about anything in particular anymore.

A dying breed.

Joe Klein on Mitt Romney.

Georgie-Ann Geyer reports:

Friends of [the president’s] from Texas were shocked recently to find him nearly wild-eyed, thumping himself on the chest three times while he repeated "I am the president!" He also made it clear he was setting Iraq up so his successor could not get out of "our country’s destiny."

Gulp.

More high-tech calligraphy and typeface art here.

A reader writes:

That poll of Iowa Republicans is interesting, but you should note that Iowa may be the most isolationist state in the union. I’m not a GOP’er and not trying to spin that poll, but on wars Iowa is not indicative of the country.

A useful piece of context. But still …

A reader writes:

I’m a Two-Time Bush voter. In Pennsylvania in 2004 I voted for Pat Toomey. I voted straight Republican last fall.

Now I want an "Impeach Bush" Bumper Sticker. You’re right. It’s the arrogance and condescension that finally gets to you.

Talking past each other.