[x]

Interesting column that I didn't see posted. I'm not sure how large or how strong the McCain faction is, but the article does much to explain how Republican politics has worked in recent years. Douthat goes on to talk more about the prospective candidates in the next presidential election. The take-away (I guess) is that sometimes it's easier for the "moderate conservative" to ally with one of the more conservative factions (religious/social conservatives and more libertarian conservatives) -- and neutralize the small more liberal or "centrist" faction -- than it is for all of the religious/social conservatives and libertarian/economic conservatives to unite.

[M Kehoe]

Bttt.

5.56mm

[Cicero]

What Douthat and his pals call “centrist,” I would call leftist. McCain has been working with the Democrats for his entire career, and Jon Huntsman is a virtual Communist.

[Don Corleone]

G O P= Gangs of Progressives!

[Rodamala]

It’s clearly at the point that we need a candidate that, when it comes down to the reality of government machinations, will solidly refused to work with leftist traitors. The only viable candidates I will recognize are the ones with a solid record of refusing to compromise with the domestic enemies of the nation on either side of the aisle.

[TBP]

“Centrist”=liberal.