> But there's something wrong in saying we admire on the right what we
> hate on the left. We don't admire it at all. We only admire its
> results. We want nothing to do with its methods.
The people who went to town halls to denounce the Obama health care bill acted obnoxiously and didn't know what they were talking about. But the basic idea of people going out to confront their Congressmen over the awful shit they're doing - do we really want nothing to do with those methods? Had it been against Bush's SS privatization, we would have been cheering.
>> Actually, the National Review crowd faced exactly the same problem in
>> the early 60's. How they winced at the nonsense their grassroots
>> allies would come up with - e.g., fluoridation of the water. In the
>> end, they managed to exercise enough intellectual leadership to
>> subordinate that stuff to a less frivolous program.
>
> But you sum up the difference right there: they "wince" but don't tell
> them they're stupid and wrong. They bite their tongue and ride their
> crazy tiger. We don't. And don't want to -- you and Doug least of all.
Not true! One of NR's most important historical roles was reading the Birchers, the Randers, and the (George) Wallaceites out of the conservative movement. They didn't bite their tongues. I mean, they tried their best not to alienate the confused rank-and-file - Buckley always praised the intentions of the JBS membership, at least up until 1965, even while denouncing its leadership. But they stated clearly why these people and their ideas were wrong and bad for conservatism.
Actually, the thrust of my argument is addressed precisely to those on the left in a position analogous to NR's position on the right - e.g., most obviously, the people who run the Nation. The whole purpose of a magazine like that should be to explain to people why - for example - corporate personhood is a red herring, even as it encourages people to go out and raise hell. Instead, the Nation does the opposite. It passively genuflects to every brain-dead trope on the left while passionately excluding any denunciation of Obama.
So in this respect at least, yes, I do want what they've got.
SA