Sullivan... you magnificent bastard, I read your blog.

I read Andrew Sullivans' blog daily, and it's often both a hoot and thought provoking.

Given Andrew is both gay and conservative (in the Thatcherite mold) it's interesting to me to follow the workings of a mind that has to deal with often contradictory tendencies. Still, he *is* intellectually honest (in the same perverse way that Marxist historians are), interesting, and isn't afraid to admit a mistake (re: George W.). And he is the only conservative commentator to take on the Religious Right (the object of my scorn) and the Fascist tendency within the Republican Party, which is a brave and righteous stance, given the overwhelming trend of his fellow conservative commentators to just take the money and run.

While I disagree with him on *many* subjects, my only real criticism of him is when it comes to Bill and Hillary, where he morphs into the typical right-wing radio host. I've always thought he was incredibly partisan and unfair to the two of them, and completely blind to the acts of right-wingers such as Scaife, Ailes and Limbaugh, throughout the Clinton administration. But then, the basic instinct of the Rove/Bush/Reagan/Gingrich Republican political machine was, as Weishaupt said, that "The ends justify the means", and if you hang around with shitheads, you're bound to get a little dirty.

What I like about Andrew, is that he's still a romantic at heart, which we see in regard to to his support of Barack Obama, and his somewhat ill-judged support for Ron Paul earlier in the year. Like most conservatives, he's willing to compromise to get the one thing he wants, and what Andrew wants is a saner, less fanatical, and more adult administration, and the application of empiricism and common sense to policy, instead of ideology or greed.

Can't say I disagree with him on that front, and of all the candidates, Barack is the least self-deluded. That one quality makes him the best candidate, imho.