In case you haven’t noticed, the division between parties in America has become personal. Presumably, we already knew that, but now we really know it, with reams of data in hand to support the thesis. Thomas Edsall writes in the New York Times these studies show that members of each party think their side is smarter, nicer, less selfish and wouldn’t want their children to marry outside the political faith. How did this happen? How can it be turned around? One study says the problem goes far beyond polarization — and that the hostility is “ingrained.”
Was Michelle Obama making a grand statement by not wearing a head scarf when visiting Saudi Arabia? Amy Davidson writes in the New Yorker that she was under no obligation to wear one. And that, in any case, the Saudis didn’t seem to much care.
Foreign policy, anyone? What foreign policy? Andrew Bacevich writes in (modest) praise of a comforting mediocrity: “In short, a post-twentieth century vision requires a post-twentieth century generation, able to free itself from old shibboleths to which… most of official Washington today remain stubbornly dedicated. That generation waits in the wings and after another presidential election or two may indeed wield some influence. We should hope so. In the meantime, we should bide our time, amending the words of the prophet to something like: ‘Where there is no vision, the people muddle along and await salvation.’ So as Obama and his team muddle toward their finish line, their achievements negligible, we might even express a modicum of gratitude.”
Attorney General nominee Loretta Lynch had a very good day in her Senate hearing, but she was clearly wrong about one thing — when she said pot was more dangerous than booze. Vox explains.
Whatever happened in the Gardner-Udall race, the National Journal says the Democrats’ war on the War on Women isn’t over.
A number of states haven’t given up the battle on same-sex marriage, whatever the courts have to say. Via the New York Times.
Has Scott Walker captured American conservatives’ hearts with one Iowa speech? Not necessarily, says The American Conservative.
Who paid conservative dirty tricks man James O’Keefe to take down the Republican Senate President of Wisconsin? It was a GOP on GOP job. The Koch Bros Club for Growth paid. The point was to clear the way in the Senate for a Scott Walker true believer. PR Watch got the story.
Mike Huckabee doesn’t like it when the ladies get all f-bomby. Via the Washington Post.
Matt Lewis, one of Sarah Palin’s early promoters, now says: You betcha I was wrong. Via the Daily Beast.
Republican insider Ed Rogers writes in the Washington Post that nothing happening now will matter in the 2016 GOP race. And, let’s agree, he’s probably right.
One last note on the debate over political correctness and the Internet: The Atlantic offers its optimist’s guide to political correctness.
[ Photo by Michael Goldman.]
