Pat Buchanan scrutinized John Roberts’s rise to the top, Stephen B. Tippins Jr. profiled Fisher Ames, and Paul Gottfried studied taxpayer-funded college parties. Rod Dreher detected obesity’s contribution to soaring health costs, remembered Bob Dole, and pondered the incomprehensible tragedy of Julia Flyte. Scott Galupo perceived the real trouble with Obamacare, and Scott McConnell eagerly awaited a Noah Millman review of “Take This Waltz.”

Daniel Larison criticized Romney’s foreign trips, restated the Monroe Doctrine, and defended Obama against Victor Davis Hanson. McConnell anticipated less-than-total Christian support for Israel.