The New Republic

The Iowa caucus charade has been the subject of endless articles on its anti democratic, byzantine Moose Lodge like ritual since Carter popped out from nowhere in 1976...

I sure as hell don't need that gin soaked, self important weasel Hitchens to tell me anything new about the Iowa caucuses that would make me feel any different about our republic.

What makes the US look foolish both at home and overseas is an Iraq policy, endorsed by a non repentant gasbag like Hitchens.  Perhaps he should spend less time dissecting Iowa and more time self reflecting on what happens to this country when it takes its war cues from people like him...

- thejauntyboulevardier

January 2, 2008 at 1:21am

That's ** whiskey- ** soaked to you, Monsieur le JB.

Talisker, straight up.

- teplukhin2you

January 2, 2008 at 3:01am

Jaunty:

I find myself wondering what the ME might look like today if we had not gone into Iraq. I suppose it's possible to construct a great scenario where all things good and equitable are the order. It's also possible to envision all manner of bad issuing forth from the realities which were present at the time. (France, Russia, troops required for enforcement, etc.)

I am an unrepentant whatever you want to call me. Quite frankly I thought it was going to be more difficult than it has been. Bush I and Stormin Norman saw to it that any allegiance with the US and some flavor of freedom must be held with the greatest of caution and ready cynicism given the fickle nature of the UN, US and the free world.

I'm glad Saddam and his henchmen are gone. There is chance that something constructive might yet come from all of the Iraq obscenity. I don't really even care if it takes a Democrat to be elected and thus posture for any face saving value that might afford. Whatever it takes. But let's not pretend that there were any easy readily available solutions to that particular problem.

- boxofrox

January 2, 2008 at 8:32am

Jaunty:  great post!  After Hitchen's climbed in bed with the bushies and lost face in Iraq he's got nothing left other than the cultural wars.  Enough with this bore!

- Mozier

January 2, 2008 at 8:44am

Right on Cookie. Tell it to the man!

- The Ignorant Populist

January 2, 2008 at 9:39am

I am with Cookie as well. I also find it obnoxious that Hitchens, a Brit born citizen, has no compunction in telling Americans how to run their own Democracy. As far as I can tell his only motivation to becoming a US citizen is to save his tax dollars. If I ever became a British citizen I would not presume to lecture the British on their institutions either.

- blackton

January 2, 2008 at 11:06am

I'd just like to add a meta-point here. Although he's simply wrong on points, Kirchick has again given us a solid post. Two in a row for quality, brevity, and proper linking. Kudos, and more like this, please!

On to the merits of the assertions, they just don't stand up. What is so sacred about a secret ballot? Were George Washington or Abraham Lincoln illegitimate because they were elected using open ballots?

American political history is in large part a story of changing from every election being handled about like the Iowa caucuses to every election (except the Iowa caucuses) being handled like the New Hampshire primary. Have we seen any corresponding increase in the quality of our political leadership since the mid 20th century, or perhaps a rise in civic participation, or an increase in any legitimate civic virtue or a decline in any civic vice? There is more open bribery in the political process today, there is less public participation in government, and the quality of presidential leadership has certainly declined. Does Hitchens or Kirchick really intend to tell us that the political process that produced President George W. Bush is a better or more legitimate political system than the one that produced Presidents Lincoln, Cleveland, McKinley, Roosevelt, the other Roosevelt, and Truman?

And having participated both in caucuses and primaries, when I hear caucuses described as "public shaming," I am certain I hear the voice of someone who has never participated in a caucus. How emotionally damaging is it really to stand up in a small room of people you know and generally agree with and say, "I support this candidate for these reasons"? If requiring a person to express his opinions in public and then debate the merits of his opinions really is inimical to freedom and self-government, then it's not the Iowa caucuses that make us a banana republic, it's the jury system.

There are good reasons not to trust the Iowa caucuses -- Iowans are 1-for-9 in choosing a Democrat who will go on to with the general election -- but the supposed "anti-democratic nature" of the process ain't one of them. If the Iowa caucus is anti-democratic, then so is the jury system, and so is the New England town meeting, and so is every state legislature in the country, and so is Congress, all of which are examples where government is done by open discussion with less-than-secret ballots. Meanwhile, the Catholic church would be the world leader in democracy, since the pope really is chosen by secret ballot. Anyone think that's really the conclusion Hitchens wanted his logic to reach?

- rhubarbs

January 2, 2008 at 11:23am

blackie et al,

Obviously, i have no use for the baracho Hitchens. I do think that one other possible reason for the him to stay in the US is that it gives him a never ending supply of dew eyed female grad students, who upon meeting the misanthropic, acid tongued pustule, fall mysteriously in love with his whiskey soaked brain and tamale resembling body, slave for the bastard for the next few years, typing his shit, terrified by his moods, and mopping up his puke, until, inevitably, they run off with the good looking, slightly dim but nice plumber, who after spending their twenties shackled to the baracho, looks like a freakin prince in comparison.

- thejauntyboulevardier

January 2, 2008 at 11:39am

thejauntyboulevardier:

I can get with that. At least as to the attaboy for the slightly dim plumber who, chances are, makes more than many white collared well educated and thoroughly sophisticated professionals paper shufflers.

- boxofrox

January 2, 2008 at 12:39pm