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- There's some debate in libertarian circles over whether libertarian-ish candidates are running away from the libertarian label, mostly prompted by this Rand Paul op-ed. David Boaz is optimistic that the public sympathizes with the libertarian agenda and Matt Welch sees progress being made given the "unsated anti-government sentiment sweeping the land." Meanwhile, John Quiggin throws some cold water on the economic realities of going Galt.
- Michael Gerson makes the latest contribution to an undying meme: "In theory, a Republican House and a more evenly divided Senate could be an opportunity to reinvent the Obama presidency in Clinton-like fashion." He also engages in some Broder-esque homespun wisdom: "And Obama might find a more balanced Senate actually easier to work with. Like a pack mule, a Senate minority moves more readily when prodded gently. It stops when it is whipped." Why bother discussing the institutional limitations of a legislative body when one can compare it to a farm. Take that, political science!
- Good question from John Sides: "At the moment, the weak economy imperils the Democratic Party’s fortunes among most every ethnic group, including Latinos. The GOP could simply bide its time and benefit accordingly. So I’m puzzled by the sudden interest in a drastic constitutional change that (1) is unlikely to pass, (2) will mostly alienate Latinos, and, if the California experience holds, (3) won’t necessarily win over voters who aren’t Latino. What is the political upside?" I suspect the answer is quite simple and quite ugly.
- Remainders: I'm not sure it's news that the GOP is becoming a regional party; Sharron Angle and Michele Bachmann agree the Democrats are running a money laundering racket; insofar as Newt Gingrich bears the traits of a sociopath, you might say the same about his political party; Marc Thiessen is more delusional than I previously imagined; and the poetry of Pete Wehner.
--Mori Dinauer
