Comments on: Because…

By: Robert

Robert — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 00:35:02 +0000

Blair,
your reference to “Virtually Normal” reminded me. When my husband brought that book home so long ago, my first reaction to it was ‘what assimilationist trash!’ I came out ino a relatively liberationist social milieu in the late ’70s, when I was a senior in high school.

Now, at fifty, my husband and I are legally married, with two legally adopted sons, living in suburban Oakland CA. We belong to the PTA, are recognized as a couple everywhere we go – even my Masonic lodge.

In short, I wound up being even more ‘virtually normal’ than Sullivan. The humor is not lost on my husband.

By: MattNYC

MattNYC — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 01:49:36 +0000

@Andrew

To be fair *second* divorce (he’s “only” up to wife No. 3).

Stephanie Miller likes to joke that she hopes Callista doesn’t sneeze around Newt–he may start looking for a healthy, vivacious young PA to accompany him on trips where he can become overwhelmed by his “love for America.”

By: Andrew

Andrew — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 15:35:38 +0000

Blake, Sullivan would probably term Gingrich a Prohibitionist rather than a conservative – and I prefer that term for someone who shuffles papers for his third divorce while pushing DOMA legislation through Congress with no sense of irony. The fact is, conservatives should tell Conservatives to stop using their name in vain.

By: Blake

Blake — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 14:35:10 +0000

I’m with Richard, the meaning of “Conservative” (Big C)depends on context. Contrast Cameron’s vision with Gingrich’s prediction. Both men represent “Conservative” viewpoints. Cameron is intellectually honest while the American Conservative is often opposed to or suspicious of intellectualism. Gingrich’s Conservatism is a dead-end philosophy of high-nostalgia whilst Cameron’s is attempting to extend conservative (little c) principles to a new class of people. He is attempting to make an institution, Marriage, more perfect in a free society. In that since he is acting as a liberal (classically). Andrew, I would really like to read Sullivan’s book. Right now my viewpoint is shaped by an essay: F.A. Hayek’s “Why I am Not a Conservative”. You can find it by googling it. The basic premises sound similar.

By: Andrew

Andrew — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 08:37:31 +0000

In 1995, back when he was smokin hot (and before he got portly and bearded), Andrew Sullivan wrote a non-fiction book called “Virtually Normal”. (And yes, Andrew, I’m still sorry for drunkenly hitting on you in that bar in P-town in 1996, but hey, when a hot intellectual guru who changes your life turns up in public, on vacation, well, who’s going to let that opportunity pass you by? I still think you should have gone home with me, but I appreciate you not getting a restraining order.)

This book changed my life – it gave me language and structure to frame ideas and feelings I had but couldn’t fully wrap my head around because I was trapped by wrong assumptions, old rules, and other peoples’ language.

Sullivan does something fascinating – he breaks politics out of stale “liberal / conservative” duality and views this issue (and others) like a compass — with Liberationist / Prohibitionist views on one axis, and Liberal / Conservative ideas on the other access.

He followed this up the following year with an anthology of arguments around the issue of gay marriage.

Interestingly, the strongest argument FOR gay marriage, which is identical to Cameron’s, came from the thoughtful conservatives. I can’t help but wonder if Sullivan won’t ultimately be a strong influencer on successful conservatives, and provide them with a roadmap to do the right thing, while framing the argument in a way that their fellow (less thoughtful) conservatives can digest and accept.

By: Other Fred in the UK

Other Fred in the UK — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 06:56:10 +0000

While I not suggesting Cameron is a coward, backing gay-marriage is backing a winning horse in Britain. Voters who oppose gay marriage have no one to vote for that would affect Parliamentary arithmetic.

Whilst it would be wonderful to see President Obama show such moral leadership, it would require political courage bordering on martyrdom.

By: iDavid

iDavid — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 04:04:05 +0000

And we broke from Britian becaaaause…….

By: Chip

Chip — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 03:21:26 +0000

@Richard Rush:

I believe the word you’re searching for is “authoritarians.”

By: CPT_Doom

CPT_Doom — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 03:10:22 +0000

@ richard rush – that is brilliance personified

By: BlackDog

BlackDog — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 02:59:54 +0000

Wow, someone with a logically consistent world view in politics, I’m shocked!