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- Needless to say, none of the five reasons Chris Cillizza gives for why John Huntsman "can win" the Republican nomination are persuasive. But that's what happens when pro/con lists are thoughtlessly applied to situations like this. I'm more curious as to why Huntsman himself thinks he could prevail (if he actually plans on running). Prepping for 2016? I'm not convinced. Crummy advisers whispering in his ear? Perhaps. My theory is that Huntsman is taking the long odds that the Republican base craves a moderate Republican candidate who will be competitive against Barack Obama.
- Conor Friedersdorf details the costs of having a Fox News-style information bubble on the left, which in my view vastly outnumber any benefits. I'm no believer in achieving bipartisanship for its own sake, but a major side effect of the alternate reality that has developed on the right wing is that engagement on practically any issue of public policy (to say nothing of foreign policy) has become impossible. The sort of Republicans who could be counted on to negotiate in good faith are either gone or threatened electorally for insufficient ideological rigidity. Such a situation does not bode well for solving problems and would not be helped by equal rigidity on the left.
- Speaking of information bubbles, a good place for conservatives to start breaking free would be to honestly assess the legacy of Ronald Reagan instead of wallowing in sentimental mythology. I know it's part of the conservative DNA to believe the public is motivated by ideological conservatism, but it's just not true that Reagan shifted public opinion to the right. He certainly took advantage of a political opportunity to advance conservative ideas, but it's not as if the public is any less supportive of the welfare state because of it.
- Remainders: U.S. decline has already happened, and it's no big deal; "It sounds like a No Labels manifesto translated into Laotian and back into English"; and why in God's name is the president soliciting advice from former Bush officials like Elliot Abrams?
--Mori Dinauer
