…is William Voegeli’s lead article in the latest Claremont Review of Books. He paints a formidable defense of GOP’s “extreme” tendencies of late: Brought to the present by a recent history defined by two fundamentally unprincipled parties compromising on a… Continue Reading
[Lay impressions on the week’s politics, reported to a hypothetical GOP leader curious to know whether and how the week’s political messaging was received. More information about this series here.] Feedback on this week’s political news and messaging: Out with… Continue Reading
[Originally posted at the main page.] Why do we have the Second Amendment? Wait, let’s back up. Why do we have the First Amendment? Speech is important to happiness and flourishing, we can all agree. But that is not the… Continue Reading
While the little one made 2012 a light blogging year, I tried to keep up with my book list as a consolation. Past book reports are here: 2011; 2010; and 2009. 1. The Death and Life of the Great American… Continue Reading
It’s safe to say I disagree with him on the merits, but Timothy Noah frames the question provocatively in the correspondence section of the latest Claremont Review of Books, responding to William Voegeli’s unfavorable reviwe of his book The Great… Continue Reading
First, some revisions to the mission statement of this series. As a relatively attentive, firmly right-of-center, yet critical constituent, I offer this “customer feedback” to a fictional GOP leader curious to know whether and how one constituent received the week’s… Continue Reading
Here’s my angle: I’m a political junkie with a demanding day job and a wife and toddler at home. Any big chunks of time I can find (usually long walks with my daughter when she won’t sleep any other way)… Continue Reading
…But first, Milton Friedman agreeing with a socialist: “One of the reasons why I am in favor of less government is because when you have more government, industrialists take it over, and the two together form a coalition against the… Continue Reading
As a Republican “in the wilderness,” I listened with new ears to the most recent Intelligence Squared debate considering the motion to legalize drugs. My views having transitioned from Against to Undecided, I expected the proponents’ arguments on this occasion… Continue Reading
In a recent neighbor dispute, retired baseball All Star John Olerud petitioned his local board of adjustment in Washington to force his neighbor to cut down a rare Chinese pine, worth $18,000, so Olerud could have an unobstructed view of… Continue Reading