Since every pundit sooner or later takes turns peddling some
boutique variety of conservatism -- "Crunchy Cons,"
"compassionate conservatism," "South Park conservatives" and so
forth -- I figure I might as well buy a ticket the
sweepstakes.
Gestalt is the mental process whereby we translate
patterned data into coherent ideas. So: Obama at Notre Dame,
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Carrie Prejean, Larry Summers, Joe the
Plumber, George Orwell, David Brooks, Al Gore, Matt
Drudge, Rush Limbaugh, Ronald Reagan, Concord Bridge,
salmon-and-risotto dinners at the Watergate.
See the pattern?