"Frightened" David Frum Quits National Review

In a span of 252 days, the National Review lost two Buckleys -- one to death, another to resignation -- and an election. ...

Now David Frum, a prominent conservative writer who enmeshed himself in a minor dustup during the campaign by turning negative on Governor Palin, is leaving, too. In an interview, he said he planned to leave the magazine, where he writes a popular blog, to strike out on his own on the Web. ...

"I am really and truly frightened by the collapse of support for the Republican Party by the young and the educated," he said.

Read the whole story here.

Comments

[jeanrenoir]

Frum should be especially "frightened" by the rage against the neocons within the Republican Party, which is quite clear-eyed about how the neocons' botched fiasco in Iraq destroyed not only Bush but the party itself, including being the main thing energizing all those young people against the party for the rest of their lives. The neocons have literally, simply considered pragmatically, in addition to the evil of the consequences of their dumb behavior, been the stupidest political force in modern American history.

[lipstick2008]

Fiasco in Iraq? What planet are you from? Oh, yeah, a planet named MSM.

I would not be so sure that all those young people voted for Obama will be liberals for the rest of their lives. It is understandable that a lot of young people want change, it is phychologically natural. They are full of energy and big dreams about future BUT they have no life experience and, in most cases, have little knowledge in history, phylosophy, phychology, etc. The more you know the more conservative you become.

And before call me names, note, that, as a former Soviet Union citizen, I know socialism inside out and do not agree with neocons, either.

[shanefish]

You must have come to America after seeing all of Wasilla's glory from your living room window. Seriously, we are building a fascist state decade by decade and the sooner we put a stop to it, the better the world will be.

[Hirnlego]

Go with Kristol to one of those "think tanks" and produce us something "good" alright?

[NationalTreasure]

the republicans claim to be the defenders of the constitution but can not deal with free speech when the voices are simply regurgitating the idiotic ultraconservative neo-con mindless ditherings

[lipstick2008]

And you are "enlightened" with almost 200 years old Marxisism-Leninism ideas (remember, they all came from Hegel) proven to be disasterous to the society.

And what about Obama's words "One world, one nation". Doesn't it ring a bell?

[shanefish]

One world one nation refers to the fact that we are all here together and if we don't start acting like it, what kind of world are we handing our children? Or do you just ignore this fact since God already has a plan so we just coast through life living his dream?

[foneric]

The problem they face is how to stay relevent as the Republican party tries to make intellectuals irrelevent. They have reached the logical conclusion to the Republican tactics of the last 20 years. They have simultaniously waged war on "intellectuals" as elitist, while cultivating a culture that celebrates ignorance. The path they chose is a dead end and now they can't remember where they made the wrong turn.

[ConcernedJoe]

Their power was based on

1. Appeals to fear - fueled by distortions and lies
2. Appeal to motivated Right Wing Authoritarian followers who operate viscerally and instinctively and traditionally
3. Lack of an exciting Dem candidate that could up the Eligible Voter turnout
4. Demographics skewed toward older less educated voters
5. LOW EV turnout

All of this represents now about 42% of 100% of the EV vote - on a good day. Still EV turnout is important ... 55% is the break-even point in Prez election. However as the population becomes (as all indicators suggest) more educated, more secular, more informed, more engaged, and more diverse and tolerant -- the R's, if they continue to play the public as ignorant pawns in their power game, may need a turnout as low as 32% to have a win nationally.

If they can dump the Palin's and Dobson's and get back to the Javits and the like in modern terms (think Hagel) -- well then they can become relevant again. But I doubt they will do the purge -- not for a few cycles at least.

[SeriousBlack]

BUH-BYE.

[sposton]

Neocons are smart, adaptable and disciplined. They know that Republicans are dead for a decade or two. They will now move slowly towards the new power center - Democrats. Watch for their laudatory endorsement of Hillary as SoS.

[Lagniappe]

Background
Born to a Jewish family in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Frum is the son of the late Barbara Frum, a well-known veteran journalist. His father, Murray Frum, was a dentist who later became a multi-millionaire as a real estate developer. David Frum's sister, Linda Frum is a journalist. David Frum is married to writer Danielle Crittenden, the stepdaughter of former Toronto Sun editor Peter Worthington.

At age 14 he was a campaign volunteer for a New Democratic Party (Canada's left wing party) candidate, in western Toronto. He graduated from the University of Toronto Schools in 1978 He then attended Yale University in 1982 where he earned a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts. He went on to Harvard Law School in 1987.
He served as an editor on the editorial page of the Wall Street Journal from 1989 until 1992, and then as a columnist for Forbes magazine in 1992-94. From 1994 through 2000 he was a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute for Public Policy Research.

Following the election of George W. Bush in 2000, Frum was appointed to a position within the White House. Still a Canadian citizen, he was one of the few foreign nationals working within the Bush White House. He served as Special Assistant to the U.S. President for Economic Speechwriting from January 2001 to February 2002. He filed for naturalization and took the oath for citizenship on September 11, 2007-------------------Wikipedia

[RoveRoveRoveYourBoat]

...by the way "frightened" is the natural state for authoritarian followers. They are all cowards deep to their core.

[RoveRoveRoveYourBoat]

..no need for frum. These "intellectual" neocon imbusiles can simply publish a rotation of random chapters from "Mein Kamf" to stem their need for ideological hate pornography and imperial power projection. Reap what you've sown bushie swine!!!

[Lagniappe]

Interesting NYT article. ...especially so for what the article DIDN'T say. Frum is a crumb. TONE of discourse on the Internet by "liberals"??WTF? Excuse me, how's about the fit of pique that Frum the crumb indulged in on the Rachel Maddow show?There has to be a genetic coding for nastiness in these Neo-CONS. Yo,Frum,good-bye,good luck, and GOOD RIDDANCE!

[Moka11]

There is nothing more "frightening" to a neo-conservative than an educated, actively engaged, voting public.
The only thing a conservative is always "liberal" with is distortion, smearing, and outright lies.

The word "conservative" has now reached the equal negative fallout of the word "liberal".
"Conservatives" like Frum have taken pride in deceptively representing "liberal" as a bad word. Frum also has himself to blame for cheering and parading "conservative" while the country slowly educated themselves connecting "conservative" with Wall Street , corporate, union busting, tax cut for the wealthy, more war, bully diplomacy, Walter Reed Hospital, Michael Brown FEMA/ Katrina , Halliburton, Blackwater, CIA agent outing, etc, etc.....
"Conservative" equals "corporate" finally. "Conservative" equals incompetence and corruption to many now.

The last thing that stands between an effectively educated voting public is the "corporate mainstream media" which the internet is slowly and systematically dismantling as our "frightening educated youth" that Frum speaks of is fully engaged with and consuming information from.
.

[DWP]

While Frum has not been guilty of this as far as I know, the Republicans and perhaps some of the Democrats need to take a look at the really dirty campaigning. I really believe that most of the public is turned off by it. They might also want to take a look at some of the "talking heads" who are particularly unfactual. Those that are not just sarcastic or make a good argument for their side, but help spread really bad rumors.

[GeorgeP922]

Are you kidding me, David Frum is a war criminal.

Do some research.

And not only that, for a neo con, there is none more smug that Frum.

[DWP]

Perhaps the Republican Party needs to think about conducting civilized campaigns. Having VP candidates harp on guilt by Association is not good. Branding anyone who does not agree with you as Anti American is not good. Throwing around names like socialist and communist is not good. Assuming that this country would not like to have a celebrity President when your hero is Ronald Reagan is not good. Believing that you own God is not good. I could go on and on and all of it basically has nothing to do with governing or political philosophy. I think many Republicans are beginning to see this, but unfortunately for them there are many who believe in the "old" way of doing things.

[WorkingClass]

There is no such thing as an intelligent conservative.

[Krikkit]

My God, what do you Republicans expect when you brand "elitists" (meaning anyone with an education beyond high school) as the enemy hell-bent on destroying the country? It is nothing short of insanity to alienate so many people and then bemoan the fact that your tired-assed Republican "brand" is being abandoned by everyone with even half a brain.

Sigh. Get thee to the wilderness. Maybe it will do you some good. It certainly will do the REST of us a world of good to not have to listen to you spew.