Another problem with the Republican party’s apparent belief that the Same Old Tunes are just as popular as they ever were, if, that is, they’re played properly is that, just as the United States is changing demographically, so its political centre-of-gravity has moved to the left. As Ross Douthat says, persuasively to my mind, what
Apart from being England wicket-keepers what do Matt Prior and Godfrey Evans have in common? Congratulations if you answered that they’re the only keepers in the history of test cricket to have twice conceded 25 or more byes in an innings. Of course, Evans’s “achievement” came in 91 tests; Prior has done it in just
Background: John O’Sullivan wrote a piece for National Review arguing that the GOP had nothing useful to learn from the Tory party’s post-1997 experiences. I took issue with that here. Mr O’Sullivan then sent in this response. Here’s my reply to his reply. John O’Sullivan is right. It was remiss of me to overlook the
Regular readers will not be surprised to learn that I think David Frum’s Newsweek piece on the Trouble with Rush has a lot going for it. I admire David’s bravery in sticking to his guns. Bravery? Why what could be easier than selling out to the Mainstream Media and the Washington cocktail party set? Frum
Could there be anything nicer and popular than “green jobs”? Gordon Brown and Baack Obama has determined that a “green” job – all fresh and wholesome and wrapped in the (endlessly recyclable!) promise of a “sustainable” future – is better than any other kind of job. Including, probably, the one you have right now. Also:
Appointing Charles Freeman to run the President’s National Intelligence Council is not quite the same thing as asking him to be National Security Advisor or Secretary of State. How many people could name any of Freeman’s predecessors? Clive links to most of the pieces I was planning to mention (though I’d add that Matt Welch
There’s something cool, yet creepy about Rune Guneriussen’s work… [Via Andrew]
One of my favourite features at Marginal Revolution is Tyler Cowen and Alex Tabarrok’s occasional look at countercyclical assets – ie, products and economic sectors that are doing quite nicely at the moment. They include: Safes, Atlas Shrugged, the Mafia, Economic Disaster Tours, Tinned Soup, Matchmakers, Prayer, Second Life’s economy, Cobblers, Tasers and Alpacas. So
How so? Well, how can he say stuff like this and expect to be taken seriously? Mr. Obama rode to the White House partly on his savvy use of new technology, and he has a staff-written blog on his presidential Web site. Even so, he said he did not find blogs to be reliable, citing
Astute readers will have noticed that I’ve finally got round to adding a blogroll. All blogs listed are, of course, recommended. I’d particularly like to highlight, however, a couple to which I have not, I think, linked in some time: The League of Ordinary Gentlemen is a group blog that sustains an impressively high level
On the one hand, the rumpus over the gifts exchanged between Gordon Brown and Barack Obama is, as TIME’s Michael Scherer puts it, “exhausting”. Also, magnificently trivial. But let’s face it, giving the PM a collection of DVDs is pretty rubbish. As Iain Martin notes, Brown is an American history buff (his favourite political book
Although there are encouraging noises coming from Latin America, much of the western world remains deaf to common sense. Still, let’s hear it for the Economist which this week repeats its call for legalisation: Next week ministers from around the world gather in Vienna to set international drug policy for the next decade. Like first-world-war
Australian foreign minister Steven Smith sees trouble ahead: “This was very much an existentialist threat to Pakistan itself,” he said. Quite so. Readers are invited to pair schools of philosophy with the countries they threaten… [Hat-tip: James Joyner.]
As Clive has noted, the financial press did not exactly cover itself in glory in the run-up to the present economic difficulties. No-one ws a bigger cheerleader of heroic capitalism than CNBC. As Jon Stewart so ably demonstrates here. Added bonus: Allen Stanford gets a mention towards the end: The Daily Show With Jon
David Frum called in to Mark Levin’s radio show the other day to respond to, inter alia, “debate” the suggestion that Rush Limbaugh does not represent a profitable future for the Republican party. It’s a remarkable exchange, even if it also demonstrates the folly of trying to engage in any sensible, coherent, interesting or adult
Ross Douthat is obviously (well, it’s obvious to me) right to think that Rush Limbaugh is an entertainer and not someone who ought to be considered a spokesman for the Republican party. Too bad El Rushbo doesn’t see himself that way. In a piece for the (splendid) Daily Beast, Christopher Buckley observes that Limbaugh took
Taking a cue from Vogue and other glossy mags, the New Statesman has decided to liven things up attract some publicity by inviting a celebrity to be “Guest Editor” for a forthcoming issue. Their choice? Alastair Campbell. Among his ideas? This: As well as the articles I’ve already commissioned, one of the pages will be
Rich Lowry, editor of National Review, says everyone should calm down and have a cup of tea: Barack Obama and the Democrats have the initiative. Until such time as their policies are perceived to have failed, it doesn’t matter too much what Republicans do. Yes, they obviously should endeavor to be sober and creative—replenishing their
One of the problems with nationalism is that it craves attention. The Scottish variety is no exception. Thus, for instance, the normally sensisible SNP Tactical Voting asks: One day we may read in foreign newspapers “why can’t we be more like Scotland?” once in a while. Wouldn’t that be a refreshing change? Jeff goes on
Line of the day comes from David McNarry, an Ulster Unionist member of the Northern Ireland Assembly, looking forward (or not) to an entry to the Belfast Film Festival: “Porn is porn, is porn, is porn – and whether it is done Ulster-Scots-style, well, it really doesn’t come into it,” Aye, I guess that would