Dear Byron the Aussie:
I agree with your assessment of Raimondo's talents. But I would suggest that his gifts are being put to ill use.
Just what "Tent" are you referring to, anyway?
Another question: What underlying principle shapes your notion of acceptable discourse? Certainly not ordinary standards of fair play. Rather, your moral outrage seems to be driven by some sort of elusive double standard.
You consider it permissible to call me a "Joe McCarthy clone," yet you cry foul when others call Raimondo names. Are you a leftist, by any chance?
President Reagan's 'tent', Richard. And the analogy's never been more relevant. I mean, what is this deathwish amongst us, that we must always turn upon our own? The Gipper was especially aware of (and guarded against) it. I can look at Raimondo's writings and know (after grinding my teeth at some of the unnecessary hyperbole and theatricality) that he's one of us, for want of a better word. There has been way too much of this statist RINO groupthink in both the US and on FR, lately. If some holds a different view on one or two of innumerable issues, then why focus on it, endlessly? Why drive them out, when they have so much energy and insight to offer? We have seen it too much around here and the turnover's got too high to ignore. In the case of Raimondo, I would say to you and his other detractors, address the issues. Someone of your calibre and intellect should be doing that. Can the crap about 'Red agents', 'Justine', etc, that just demeans whoever writes it. Regards, By.