In this thread, Peter Lawler wonders if maybe Obama’s “progressivism isn’t rhetorical (like Wilson wanted) but stealthy.” Now any attempt to abstract a person is going to be of limited utility, but I let’s try this point of view: maybe Obama is, on domestic policy, a . . . . Continue Reading »
1. Rubio’s speech was fine. It had the correct populist working-class and middle-class focus. Rubio’s speech compares favorably with Romney’s Republican convention speech despite Rubio having a tougher environment. 2. This isn’t a criticism of the speech, but Rubio’s . . . . Continue Reading »
Yuval Levin argues that Obama’s lack of major proposals represents (in part) the “exhaustion of liberalism in our time.” I agree with Levin that Obama’s SOTU was mostly defensive, but I take that as more scary than anything else. I think Obama is betting that, in the . . . . Continue Reading »
I simply couldn’t bring myself to listen to the president last night. I honor the office, or want to. Honor implies some sort of trust and I cannot find that in myself any longer. I did not listen last night because I cannot stand to hear the president of our nation offer full whoppers about . . . . Continue Reading »
I only have a moment. But this is from the article translated by our Ralph in the new issue of FIRST THINGS: I am one of those who believe that a human being is not an autonomous construction with no given structure, order, status, or role. I believe that the affirmation of freedom does not imply . . . . Continue Reading »
Jamelle Bouie has a (gleefully) pessimistic take on the ability of Republicans to win over Latino voters. He also rightly points out that Republicans are doing even worse among Asian-American voters. I am a little more optimistic about Republican chances to make gains among nonwhites. Or at least I . . . . Continue Reading »
I had to say SOMETHING about the last episode after all. . . . . Continue Reading »
Thanks to Jason for his very instructive post below on Wendell Berry. For me, it’s not so much that Berry is for same-sex marriage these days. It’s that he thinks—with his characteristic self-righteousness—that anyone who disagrees with him is a bigoted jerk in the thrall of . . . . Continue Reading »
Wendell Berry’s comments on gay marriage last month raised some eyebrows among conservatives. Were his comments a ‘ Grandpa Simpson moment ’ or the logical outcome of Porcher presuppositions? Below are snippets of what he said. On Nature: “If it can be argued that . . . . Continue Reading »
With my Rock Songbook about to get underway again, I’d like to make a few observations about how I see it fitting, and not fitting in, into the recent uptick of interest in pop culture studies. And that means some observations about such studies in general. There’s been lots of . . . . Continue Reading »
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