AFF's Doublethink

Defending Sarah Palin against her critics.

Christopher Caldwell’s reluctant case for an Americanized Europe.

Why is the reality of being a conservative in a cultural field so disconnected from the rhetoric of right-wing pundits?

In recent years, American conservatism has morphed from a smoke-filled room of martini-swilling adults into nothing short of a nursery. The Right, once known for its emphasis on individual accomplishment and personal responsibility, once a haven for those keen on adults making their own decisions, has linked arms with the stroller moms of Park Slope and put babies at the center of its universe.

Lost in all the noise about the ongoing bail-out is an important vote before Congress, slated for November 1, on a controversial plan to overturn the ban on guns in National Parks. The proposed new rule would lift the ban only in National Parks located in states that allow concealed carry in their own State Parks. It’s not just about the Second Amendment, however. People’s lives are increasingly at risk from marauding drug dealers who grow vast quantities of marijuana on federal parkland and jealously defend their turf.

John McCain is on the ropes. He needs another “game changer” to win the election—something as bold and unexpected as the Sarah Palin pick. Here it is.

The tide is turning on gay marriage. When will the GOP notice?