This is Conviction? Today’s Wall Street Journal features an op-ed by AEI resident scholar Michael Ledeen called Iran and the Problem of Evil. The op-ed contains one severe logical fallacy and one weird omission, each unfortunately representative of much of the current state of thought and argument on the right. First, the logical fallacy. Ledeen … Continue reading
Hillary’s Exit With some reluctance, I offer a few thoughts on Hillary’s defeat, particularly on the notion that she deserves to be, and that Obama should make her, the Democratic vice presidential candidate. I’m reluctant because Hillary as vice presidential candidate and as vice president is such a self-evidently bad idea that sensible people know … Continue reading
Those Crazy Conservative Activists Again Yesterday’s California Supreme Court ruling, relying on the California state constitution to find unconstitutional the exclusion of gays from the California institution of marriage, is already being (predictably) misunderstood and mischaracterized. For an excellent summary of the opinion and a debunking of the fallacious attacks against it, check out Glenn … Continue reading
Confused, Spineless Democrats I read an op-ed in yesterday’s Wall Street Journal called “Obama and the Values Question Mark” by a guy named Douglas E. Schoen. It’s an advice piece, and Schoen advises Obama to do nothing but play defense. Attacked for not always wearing a lapel pin? Wear a lapel pin. Attacked about Reverend … Continue reading
Hamas Manipulates Republicans; Republicans Manipulate You On Friday, I called John McCain the Manchurian Candidate because he and other Republicans are trying to tie Obama to Hamas even though Hamas and other Isamacist groups in fact support McCain. On cue, in Saturday’s Wall Street Journal, Gabriel Schonenfeld, senior editor of Commentary, wrote an op-ed for … Continue reading
McCain the Manchurian Candidate John McCain was at it again today, suggesting that Americans shouldn’t vote for Obama because a Hamas spokesman spoke well of McCain’s opponent. As a McCain fundraising email put it recently: Barack Obama’s foreign policy plans have even won him praise from Hamas leaders. Ahmed Yousef, chief political adviser to the … Continue reading
Journalists and Bullshit In a New York Times column Wednesday, David Brooks nicely (albeit unintentionally) summed up much of what’s wrong with the mainstream media. In the course of awarding George Stephanopoulos and Charlie Gibson an “A” for Tuesday night’s execrable debate moderation, Brooks argued, “The journalist’s job is to make politicians uncomfortable, to explore … Continue reading
Great American Hypocrites I just finished reading my advance copy of Glenn Greenwald’s outstanding book, Great American Hypocrites: Toppling the Big Myths of Republican Politics. It’s the best book I’ve read on how the media works since Neil Postman’s Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business. In some ways, I … Continue reading
Duplicity, Delusion, and Cognitive Dissonance Checking out the news this evening from Amsterdam, I couldn’t help but chuckle at Bill Clinton’s latest explanation of Hillary’s path to victory: Right now, among all the primary states, believe it or not, Hillary’s only 16 votes behind in pledged delegates, and she’s gonna wind up with the lead … Continue reading
Increased Iraq Violence = Success No, you didn’t read the title wrong — Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell really did say that the new fighting in Basra, in which US-backed government forces are battling Shiite militias, “looks as though it is a by-product of the success of the surge.” I suppose the description isn’t surprising. … Continue reading