The New Republic Makes Nice Over David Frum

Apparently David Frum is to The New Republic what David Brooks is to the New York Times: its idea of what a conservative is. Click on the title of this post to be taken to the TNR story. The tone of the piece is alternatingly snarky (lime green tie?) and patronizing (Frum is a courtly man in his late 40's--and how over is that?). David is patted on his rather too-well self-regarded head for trashing Sarah Palin (he regarded her as a threat to national security; no, really). Seriously, how else could he have cocktails with Brooks and the late* Peggy Noonan if he said anything civil about Palin?

Conservatives must be on guard against being marginalized by some in their own Party. Frum is a perfect example. By all means let him run a vigorous website and throw out ideas as they come to him. But conservatives are perfectly within their rights to decline being characterized by those who wish there were rather fewer of us or, if we must be around, haven't worked our way up a corrupt party system to run, say, oh, a large energy rich state. And when someone like Frum suggests that obesity has implications for national policy (Nanny State Alert!) we can be excused for leaving the conversation before he brings up global warming.

*On the Sue Jeffers show 11/08/08 after the election I declared Peggy Noonan dead to me, hence the tag "the late Peggy Noonan."