17 March 2009

Bloggers Who I Read: Reihan Salam: A Volcano Of Dance-Passion and Energy

As the sultry be-mustached tones of Thomas Friedman on Talk Of The Nation waft towards my ears, I write to you of a far more prescient and less darling-of-the-Upper-East-Side “moderate” tilt, Reihan Salam.

The first place you need to go is to The American Scene, where Salam blogs. One of the best conservative/libertarian blogs out there (and I’m not alone in saying that), Reihan’s always good for a pop-culture post sprinkled amongst really acute analysis of conservative thought and political action.

His latest column, and one that is straight lock-down awesome, is titled “Why Mark Sanford Matters.” Some healthy blurbs? Blurb away:

When Barry Goldwater ran for president in 1964, conservatism was a rigorous and demanding creed. Rather than promise tax cuts, Goldwater insisted on balanced budgets and sound money. After promising to get rid of any number of New Deal social programs, and after pledging to privatize the Tennessee Value Authority and other cherished infrastructure projects, Goldwater didn't promise anything material in return. No manna would fall from the sky in Goldwater's America. He simply argued that shrinking the federal government and reducing its power would encourage self-reliance, and that self-reliance would encourage the virtues of thrift and industry…

…My sense is that this is not a move that will help Republicans win elections. Just as LBJ crushed Goldwater in 1964 by highlighting the many middle-class benefits he put in place, Obama will certainly try to do the same thing to an aggressive budget cutter like Sanford.

Yet this might be the political argument we need. At some point in the near future, we will come to the sudden, sharp realization that we're not as wealthy as we thought we'd be. And while no one wants to balance the budget on the backs of the poor, an evocative phrase that George W. Bush once deployed against congressional Republicans, we might eventually be forced to trim the benefits we provide to middle-class taxpayers, particularly ones provided through the tax system. Sanford seems like the only politician, Republican or Democrat, with the guts to make that case.

Please, I’ve stolen too much. RTWT.

Reihan, though I’ve never had the good fortune to even techno-meet the man, also seems to be a hell of a guy to hang out with. Anyone who can hustle like this:

 

and give lessons like this:

And remix great 80’s movies themes like this:

Is worth my time.

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