Very interesting discussion on C-Span this a.m. discussing Politics in America by Tanenhaus (NY Review of Books) about conservatism in America focusing on the Straussian, Frum,Kristol, Buckley, etc. views and differences in the Conservative movement through Hoover, Nixon, Johnson, Reagan.
His theory was that Conservatives who compromise like Nixon, Reagan and Johnson contrast with Bush II's policies. He claims that Bush II started out as a great compromiser and he feels that it was "9/11" and the holdovers from Nixon Administration who felt that Nixon had been destroyed by the liberal Washington Post that molded Bush's Imperialism in his Presidency. His view is that Conservatism must get back to "compromise" to survive.
His view about Bill Clinton was that he was like Eisenhower...a benevolent Republican Compromiser but it was the hard uncompromising Conservatives who attacked his Presidency. He feels Hillary will be like Nixon. She's an unloved figure but could be a very good Compromising Conservative who would restore Congress to it's role. He feels that Giuliani would be the best Compromiser for the new Conservatives, though.
THE AEI has spoken. William Kristol and the rest would be very happy with either Hillary or Giuliani. And, it doesn't matter what the Religious Right thinks because Tannenhouse feels their time is over in influence because our culture has become so much more accepting of race and gender that the issue is dying.
As I said...the American Enterprise Institute has spoken. (In the audience were Kristol, Frum and assorted other intellectuals of the Right. We've got your choices now of which candidates the DRE Machines will elect in '08.
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TPM's Jim Sleeper has a great critque of the nutty Tannenhaus here....
http://www.tpmcafe.com/blog/coffeehouse/2007/oct/10/the_cloud_over_sams_book_club