The American Spectator

The Spectacle Blog

Quin, I was merely chronicling the situation, examining the "is" and leaving the "ought" to others. In truth, there are not a few elders who've wondered whether the GOP might not benefit from a swift kick in the hindquarters (e.g., a certain "veteran communications operative" who shall remain nameless).

Having only abandoned my own hereditary Democrat yellow-doggism circa 1994, I sometimes feel like the world's oldest young conservative, as headstrong and enthusiastic as any College Republican or YAFer. On the other hand, I'm occasionally astonished by the arrogance and impatience of some 20-somethings, who seem to believe that anyone who hasn't become a regular on Fox News by age 30 is a failure. I've joked that my next book will be titled I've Got Ties Older Than You: Now Shut Up and Get Me a Cup of Coffee, Kid.

Beyond the issue of the current election, the brewing struggle between conservatism's Old Guard and its Young Turks is an important development.

UPDATE: Just noticed an interview with Jon Henke, the brilliant 30-ish online operative who was brought into the George Allen '06 campaign after the "Macaca" incident in a belated effort to stem the blog damage and subsequently became New Media strategist for Senate Republicans. Henke says:

Our view is that the Right is in many ways broken, and we need to rethink what the brand is, what the strategy is for the coalition, what the coalition itself looks like, and our tactics . . . how do you use the Internet, how do you organize people and mobilize them, how do you sell the message, how do you frame the message.

Henke has definite ideas, but I've never seen him exhibit the know-it-all arrogance of some of his peers.

topics:
Conservatism