Andrew Sullivan's Blog, page 2571

The Unique Quality Of "Lifelong Heterosexual Monogamy" Ctd

While I was drifting thorough the dunes, Douthat responded to my criticism of his position on marriage equality. In my absence, Patrick focused on Ross's non-solution – watered-down "domestic partnerships" that would be "available to any couple who couldn't legally marryeach other" including, for instance, a "pair of cohabitating siblings or cousins." Reading Patrick's sane response boils down to a very simple question: how does creating a watered down form of marriage available for everyone ...

Wriggling In The Shackles

Peter Beinart says Obama's foreign policy has failed:

It's hard not to feel sympathy for Obama's plight. In
Israel/Palestine and Afghanistan, he inherited a
situation on the ground, and a political debate in Washington
dramatically constrains his ability to respond. But the promise of
Obama campaign was that the old constraints would no longer apply
policymakers would have the courage and creativity to respond
fundamentally different ways.

It's a bit like...

On Book Burnings

Gen. David Petraeus has criticized a Florida church for intending to burn Qurans on the anniversary of 9/11.The general cautioned that, "It could endanger troops and it could endanger the overall effort." Adam Serwer in more than one way:

I've long argued that the way Americans treat Islam and Muslimsdefinitely has an effect on the fight against terrorism abroad, but I'muncomfortable with Petraeus drawing a direct line of responsibilitybetween whether or not American troops live or...

In Defense Of Shark-Jumping

The man who wrote the infamous Happy Days episode mounts a rebuttal.
















Happy Days - Television - Arts - Programs - Sitcom

Can Church Be Hip?: A Wrap

Beginning as a book review, this thread on religion-inspired music was one of the Dish's most popular this summer. To recap: Sufjan Stevens, The Hold Steady, Belle & Sebastian, Neutral Milk Hotel, The Mountain Goats, Starflyer 59, Nick Cave, Black Sabbath, The Velvet Underground, mewithoutYou, Mogwai, Matisyahu, Derek Webb, and The Innocence Mission. Further discussion and music here, here, here, and here. Below are a half dozen more emails. Thanks to everyone who contributed, posted or not. ...

The Intellectual Amnesia Of The GOP

David Frum tells hard truths:

Without the housing claim, it would have been hard to depict theBush economic record as very much of a success. Employment was up, theDow was up, but median incomes still lagged behind 2000 levels. It wasthe rise in home prices that represented the administration's mainargument that its economic policies had helped the American middleclass. No way was the administration going to act to slow – let alonehalt – that rise. To the extent that political appointees...

The View From Your Window Contest: Winner #14

A different approach for the holiday weekend. A reader writes:

I think you're just throwing us a bone here, since you assume that no one will play on Labor Day weekend.  I've never tried the contest before because they all looked too difficult, but I was able to google that trolley in seconds, so I thought this one would be easy.  The trolley appears to be the MBTA Green line in Boston.  The street appears to be Commonwealth Ave.  However, I've been up and down it three times in Google maps...

An Algorithm For War, Ctd

A former military analyst writes:

Rosenbaum's analysis was interesting but his framing isfatally misconceived.  He talks about "murdering civilians,"which is always a war crime - no need to hand-wring about drones there.  Iused to present target packages complete with information that helpedcommanders judge how many civilians we were likely to kill if we blew up thehouse.  We used our own 'algorithms' to decide what level of (estimated/projected) collateral damage was acceptablegiven military...

What They Are Running On

Mark Blumenthal rounds up mid-term projections by political scientists. The chart above, by Nate Silver, examines the issues on the websites of candidates in the "33 Congressional districts currently labeled toss-ups by The New York Times political desk." Silver:

Democrats have criticized Republicans for their vague agenda – andcertainly the Republicans have not articulated anything as succinct asthe Contract With America, which may have aided their exceptionalperformance in the midterm...

Plan B

Weigel reads today's polls, which forecast doom for the Democratic party come November. His analysis:

[T:]his was the Democratic plan for 2010:

1) Health care bill is passed and becomes more popular as people receive the benefits.

2) Economy recovers and stimulus money starts showing real impact.

Ifthat isn't happening, what is the Democratic comeback scenario? And ifyou're a Democrat, do you break out the defibrillator and try toconvince people that their local economy is turning around because...