Monday, January 19, 2009

Frum Signs Off at NRO, Embarks on a New Project

Here's the last excerpt from the "Frum Diary" at NRO

In the months ahead, conservatives and Republicans will face the most adverse political environment since the middle 1960s. At the same time, the current economic crisis raises some of the most searching intellectual problems conservatives have faced since their rise as a coherent intellectual movement. How did we get into this mess? How do we get out? And perhaps above all: Why did American incomes stagnate so dismally on our watch, even before the crisis struck?

The work ahead is difficult. As ever, it is difficulty that brings out the best in individuals and in political movements. I look forward eagerly to working through those difficulties together with you, our readers and (I hope) future commenters - and with the brilliant band of colleagues and associates who will be posting at NewMajority.com

I wish him luck on the project. Conservative punditry has been dreadful the last few years as they tried to pretend that Bush wasn't a disaster, that it's unpatriotic to question the war strategy and staying mute while Bush nationalized the economy, and has the country on the brink of bankruptcy.

The cracks started to show with Bush's handling of the economy, signing every spending bill that crossed his desk. Republicans are supposed to be for small government and free markets. Bush was making a mockery of the concept. Then we noticed the wars were dragging on and nation building projects that conservatives were skeptical about were proving costly and likely futile.

This all broke when McCain chose Palin as his running mate. Conservative punidts were saying this illiterate, proudly ignorant twit represented "real" America. It was an embarrassment and high profile conservatives like Frum, George Will, and Peggy Noonan bolted for the exits.

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