Comments on: Now It All Makes Sense

By: nathancontramundi

nathancontramundi — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 00:26:46 +0000

Rawshark,

Re: Jefferson the conservative, see Daniel’s exceptional post here:

http://larison.org/2006/07/19/onwards-jeffersonian-jacobites/

Cheers,
NPO

By: rawshark

rawshark — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 16:08:30 +0000

‘I recognize that Jefferson supported the French Revolution, but he was, in many ways, as you, Daniel, have expressed, quite conservative’

Whatsat? Jefferson conservative? The guy who wrote all men are created equal? Orwell would love to be alive in America right now.

By: Daniel Larison

Daniel Larison — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 06:22:42 +0000

I doubt Thompson is likely to voice criticisms of Lincoln, whether or not he dislikes anything about him. National-level Republicans from the South sometimes go out of their way to say that they belong to the Party of Lincoln and to stress that they think this is a good thing to let you know that they not unreconstructed. That said, I think he was citing the two of them because they are regarded very highly for political thought or oratory respectively. Their political views aren’t the issue, but I agree that the two men certainly held very different views of government. Thompson may well know that, but that wasn’t his point. The idea here is that Palin is supposedly being held against the highest conceivable standards, which is not true.

By: Pacific moderate

Pacific moderate — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 04:00:31 +0000

The sad thing is that the verdict wouldn’t be much different if Palin’s every comment was judged against what George W. Bush might have said.

By: bayesian

bayesian — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 04:00:01 +0000

@nathancontramundi:

I think Thompson was speaking more of rhetorical skills rather than substance. I don’t believe even his worst paleo detractors deny Lincoln gift for oratory, though I’m happy to be corrected on that.

Still, AFAICT speaking ill of Lincoln is still pretty much sotto voce among mainstream conservatives or whatever you want to call a/the grouping that includes Thompson.

By: nathancontramundi

nathancontramundi — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 01:39:03 +0000

Jefferson or Lincoln?

Have I simply a complete ignorance of American history, or is this akin to saying, “As long as either apples or oranges would have said it, it’s okay.”?

I recognize that Jefferson supported the French Revolution, but he was, in many ways, as you, Daniel, have expressed, quite conservative; Lincoln (and maybe I’ve simply been brainwashed by certain elements of the paleo movement), on the other hand, was something more of a Jacobin who owed more to Hamilton than to Jefferson (notwithstanding, say, the expansionism of the Louisiana Purchase).

Does Thompson know what he’s talking about, or do I not know what I’m talking about?

By: DaveA

DaveA — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 01:20:37 +0000

“all of ‘em…any of ‘em…I have a vast variety…”

– Sarah Palin, asked to name a newspaper of magazine she reads.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRkWebP2Q0Y

Yes. Please. Make. It. Stop.