David Frum's Blog, page 180

He's Up a Point! No, He's Down!

Approximately 250 million adults live in the United States. 1% of that total equals 2.5 million people. Bear that in mind every time you hear somebody say that a poll shows Romney or Obama up a point or down a point from yesterday or the day before. Did 2.5 million people really just change their minds? Or are we experiencing simply the inexactitude of our instruments, statistical noise which crackles sometimes a little louder, sometimes a little softer?

Is the New Deal a Done Deal?

I spent a very interesting morning today at Hillsdale College's annual Constitution Day event debating whether conservatives should accept the New Deal as a done deal. I was on the "yes" side; my second instance in a week of debating in an Away jersey. (The first was to argue in Fort Erie, Ontario, that the United States won the war of 1812.)

Wind Industry Out of Gas

The New York Times reports today:

Egyptian Salafists Have a Self-Esteem Problem

A Salafi group in Egypt proposes to address a market failure: insufficient anti-Jewish and anti-Christian programming on Egyptian TV.

Is a Civil War Looming for the GOP?

Rod Dreher responds with skepticism to David's prediction of a coming "civil war" within the GOP.

Can We Make the Social Safety Net Work in the 21st Century's Flat World?

Part two of a series on the social safety net's future. Read part one here.

Social Safety Nets for a Flat Earth

A spasm of computer trouble yesterday delayed finishing some thoughts on Mitt Romney's USA Today op-ed about social safety nets.

Mitt, Why Not Stand For the 100%?

The American Enterprise Institute's Henry Olsen bemoans the Randian meme of the 47% versus the 53%.

Baathism Can't Die Quickly Enough

The New Republic's latest issue includes a wonderful essay by Paul Berman recounting the utter insanity of Baathism. Berman says the disgusting ideology will remain with us despite the fall of Saddam and the mounting likelihood Syria's Baathist regime will soon crumble. While Berman's probably correct, here's why we should collectively mourn the refusal of this polluted idea to fade from the international scene.

We're All Makers AND Takers

Yesterday afternoon, David tweeted that he was a maker and a taker too.