The Right Priorities

If you need any more proof that the Republican Party is a) out of touch, and b) ran out of good/new ideas a long time ago, look no further than this National Review post by editor Rich Lowry-

"Speaking of energy prices, this would be an excellent time for Republicans to emphasize reducing the cost of living and of raising a family across the board: on energy, drilling and opposition to more energy taxes; on health care, a reduction of insurance regulation to make it easier to buy low-cost plans; on taxes, the Ponnuru tax reform with its massive child credit for families; on prices, free trade to keep the prices at Wal-Mart and elsewhere as low as possible, an end to ethanol subsidies, and opposition to inflationary Fed rate cuts. (Granted, curtailing illegal immigration doesn't fit with this theme, but there are other reasons to do it.)"

Except for an end to ethanol mandates, I can't think of a single thing on here that doesn't sound like a pander. And if that's the goal here (scoring political points), then yes they may have luck with such an approach. But if he actually means this to be taken seriously as substantive policy, it's quite embarrassing.

I don't know which is more offensive... the idea that all that pesky regulation (after years of endless deregulation) is all that is keeping insurance companies from treating their customers as human beings rather than obstacles to profit, or the idea that the primary function of our trade policies should be to keep the shit at Walmart as cheap as possible.

The saddest part is that I am picturing him writing stuff like this in his fancy office, leaning back in his chair, and thinking 'I am a genius'. I am convinced that getting a job at the National Review is not that difficult.