David Rodeback's BlogLocal Politics and Culture, National Politics,
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Saturday, October 11, 2008Excellent ReadingsA selection of recent commentary on the election (and elections generally), the current economic mess, recent debates (and debates generally), and other topics. The following list of excellent readings requires a disclaimer: I am not reviving the weekly list. I wish that LBB allowed time for that, because I enjoyed it, and it was fairly popular. But it doesn't, and I'm not. Economic Trouble Craig Torres, writing for Bloomberg, describes the commercial paper bailout, which is as crucial as anything right now, but less known. Former Senator Rick Santorum wrote a good column about how we got into this mess. (The "former" in that previous sentence is sad.) James Pethokoukis at US News has a short piece comparing what we propose to do now about the financial crisis with what we did in the 1980s.: Victor Davis Hanson's analysis of who's to blame is food for thought. Thomas Sowell asks, Do facts matter? Elections You wouldn't think it would happen here, a major presidential candidate demanding criminal investigations of opponents, and his supporters threatening criminal prosecution of people who openly disagree with "The One," but Michael Barone explains this and more in "The Coming Obama Thugocracy." George Will doesn't like early voting. It violates an important civic ritual: voting on Election Day. Alvaro Vargas Llosa says we're being cheated out of a crucial debate in this presidential election: big government vs. limited government. Wondering what ACORN is all about? That's where Barack Obama did his community organizing. Jeane MacIntosh has a sample of their work for you. Robert Novak reviews a history book which shows, among other things, than campaigns have been dirtier at least once in our history than they are now: Edward J. Larson's A Magnificent Catastrophe: The Tumultuous Election of 1800, America's First Presidential Campaign. (Come to think of it, Eric Burns' Infamous Scribblers: The Founding Fathers and the Rowdy Beginnings of American Journalism demonstrates the same thing, and is also a good read.) Debates Paul Greenberg wants real debates. And . . . Paul Greenberg's essay on how to judge a political debate is deft and insightful. Dick Morris and Eileen McGann think the vice presidential debate was a huge win for Sarah Palin. (I am less inclined to superlatives, but I don't think it was a loss.) I don't usually read Ann Coulter, but her piece on Senator Biden in the veep debate was fun. John F. Harris and Jim Vandehei at Politico.com think the second presidential debate was "the worst debate ever." Miscellany An alert and tasteful reader sent me this superb P. J. O'Rourke essay.
Copyright 2008 by David Rodeback. |
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