The Wall Street Journal

The argument over whether Republicans won in 2004 by appealing to their base, by pumping up turnout especially among evangelical Christians, or by reaching to the middle, where they made gains among women, Catholics, and so on, continues apace. And the political consequences riding on the outcome are generally thought to be large for the future of the party. Although I agree that the way in which Republicans interpret what happened last November is crucial to the party’s future, an embrace of this either-or approach to describe how the GOP won will only cause confusion and create opportunities for Democrats.  

Read the rest of this entry »

The Wall Street Journal

The end of the Steve Forbes campaign came only after many jokes among the cognoscenti about the candidate’s profligacy with the family fortune and about the Forbes 2000 staff’s ceaseless barrage of news releases about their man’s progress. Some were beyond parody: “November 08, 1999 — forbes endorsed by two-time buchanan republican convention delegate.”

But the Forbes campaign is not just the story of a wealthy man with ambitions out of proportion to realistic expectations. It also marks the end of a chapter in American politics.

Read the rest of this entry »

The Wall Street Journal

Once upon a time, a first lady would take to the cover of Parade magazine to inspire ordinary Americans with behind-the-scenes tales about the first family’s wonderful White House life. Nowadays, the first lady takes to the cover of Tina Brown’s hot new Talk magazine, glosso di tutti glossi, to titillate star-struck Americans with behind-the-scenes tales of the president’s dysfunctional upbringing and marital infidelity.

A glossy magazine cover featuring Gwyneth Paltrow along with Hillary Clinton and George W. Bush, of all people, would once have been unimaginable. By now, the only question is which one will be wearing the bikini. (Gwyneth, thank God.) Jerry Springer, the onetime Cincinnati mayor turned TV freak-show host, has joined Mrs. Clinton in considering a race for the Senate. Perhaps when Sen. Clinton delivers a speech in the 107th Congress, the C-Span caption will read not “D., N.Y.,” but “My husband cheated on me because he was abused as a child!”

Read the rest of this entry »