David Frum's Blog, page 2

Calling All Moderates

David Frum calls upon the GOP's rational caucus to step up before it's too late.

The Greatness of a Modest Man

President are often try to compensate for something missing in themselves. But not George H.W. Bush.

Where the Right Is Winning

In the U.K., the ideologically rigid left can’t keep up with David Cameron’s ruling Conservatives.

Prepare for Shutdown

Uh oh! A House plan to delay Obamacare has put the government on the brink of a shutdown—for real this time. David Frum on why the infighting is sure to backfire on the Republicans.

Which 'Washington' Will Republicans Vote Against?

When Senator Ted Cruz runs for president, he will run against "Washington" - meaning the spending and taxing powers of the federal government.





When Governor Chris Christie runs for president, he also will run against "Washington" - meaning the partisanship, obstruction, and dysfunction on view in Congress.





Which definition of "Washington" will resonate strongest with Republican primary voters in 2016? The answer to that question will decide the outcome.

Young Voters Still Read MSN, Yahoo

Who's deciding who gets the blame for a government shutdown? People who don't know how to change their default internet browser.

My Pushback to Chris Hayes

As a general rule, I have a lot of time for Hayes, who I think is more interested in facts and data than most people on cable TV. But cable TV can do bad things even to good people.

All Good Things...

So it's been a rough month for my family and me. It's been a rough month for the blog too. I'm well aware that people come here to read about public affairs, not personal losses.

Chill Out on the Top Tax Rate

Compared to middle-class friendly changes like increasing the child tax credit and reducing payroll taxes, the top income tax rate should be at the bottom of Republican priorities. (It's not, but this is an argument that shouldn't be abandoned). Reihan writes at National Review:

On Frum's Departure

David Frum is taking a little break from things, he announced on his Beast blog today. You should read his farewell-for-now post, and the five difficult pieces of advice he offers for conservative "reformers," a word that I initially did not surround in irony quote marks, but stared at and thought the phrase looked too unserious to exist without them.

Read more at The Daily Beast.