It partly explains why, if you look at not just my politics, but also I think who I am as a person — in some ways, I'm pretty culturally conservative. I was always suspicious of dogma and the excesses of the left and the right. One of my greatest criticisms of the Republican Party over the last 20 years is that it's not particularly conservative. I can read conservatives from an earlier era — a George Will or a Peggy Noonan — and recognize wisdom, because it has much more to do with respect for tradition and the past, and I think skepticism about being able to just take apart a society and put it back together. Because I do think that communities and nations and families aren't subject to that kind of mechanical approach to change. But when I look at Tom DeLay or some of the commentators on Fox these days, there's nothing particularly conservative about them.
Bravo. One of the interesting things about the National Nightmare of the last eight years is how good the old guard Republicans look in the rear-view mirror. Jim Baker, Richard Lugar, Chuck Hagel....does anyone doubt that they are voting for Barack Obama this year?
Actually, there are several conservative writers that I like and sometimes agree with. Daniel Larison is the best , but Ross Douthat and his dancing partner Reihan Salam (at least I can still outdance Republicans) say some very reasonable things. Hell, I even enjoy that psycho uber-bigot John Derbyshire - gotta give props to a guy who worked with Bruce Lee. right? And David Frum writes well about my true love, the 19th century novel.
I reserve my contempt for Goldberg, Jpod, Kristol and the rest of the NRO and Weekly Standard types who seem to still dwell in the 1970's , back when they were in HS or College, when we were the only economic super-power. They probably won't live to get the memo, but their kids will.
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