"Frightened" David Frum Quits National Review

NY Times:

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: NY Times

Comments

[111]

Education - isn't that what Sarah Palin referred to as elitist? As did McCain? Yes, it is time to leave your political party when it's leaders aspire to willful ignorance speak disparagingly of people who are educated because they are intelligent and articulate but why didn't you leave when Governor Bush was appointed?

Bush:

"We spent a lot of time talking about Africa, as we should. Africa is a nation that suffers from incredible disease." —Gothenburg, Sweden, June 14, 2001

"I glance at the headlines just to kind of get a flavor for what's moving. I rarely read the stories, and get briefed by people who are probably read the news themselves­." —Washington, D.C., Sept. 21, 2003.

"Do you have blacks, too?" —to Brazilian President Fernando Cardoso, Washington, D.C., Nov. 8, 2001

"The really rich people figure out how to dodge taxes anyway." —explaining why high taxes on the rich are a failed strategy, Annandale, Va., Aug. 9, 2004

"I trust God speaks through me. Without that, I couldn't do my job." —to a group of Amish he met with privately, July 9, 2004

"Too many good docs are getting out of the business. Too many OB-GYNs aren't able to practice their love with women all across this country." —Poplar Bluff, Mo., Sept. 6, 2004

[HC4BO]

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

True Words ...

Only ignorant ideologues and low information voters are currently supporting the "Right Wing" party ...

[PantherCityIndie]

You nailed it.

Perhaps it is equally baffling among the young and the educated as to why a man like David Frum, who appears educated, if misinformed, has yet to grasp why the young and the educated gave the GOP a thumb's down this election cycle.

If all the neo-con members of the GOP can do is resort to fear mongering and racial slurs/threats in a vain attempt to garner public support for their "principles", good luck with that.

[Dr Independents Day]

Very true. I have always been an independent, but used to consider voting for them back in the 90's (I did not vote in 92 or 96, but I would have voted for Clinton those years, what choices did I have, and I liked Bill Clinton as well). I did not vote for Bush in the last two elections, but that is because I KNEW he was incompetent, so I voted for Gore and Kerry. So, basically, they haven't had a good candidate in years for President. The way things have been in the last 8 years, I won't vote for a Republican for Senate or Congress anymore, unless the Democratic candidate is crooked or incompetent.

[Dr Independents Day]

Basically, maybe I am a Democrat now?

[slc1950]

"really and truly frightened"

Now he knows how I felt until 11/4/08 11:01 PM EST.

Bye Bye now.

[Liberty2008]

If you read some of Frum's earlier work, it demonstrated a flexible, supple intelligence. He is a brilliant wordsmith, and his writing used to be genuinely stimulating to read because he had intellectual integrity and didn't just spew boring talking points. Unfortunately, in recent years, his work has, more often than not, devolved into a dull, over-simplified re-hash of the party line. A mind is a terrible thing to waste, and I hope that Frum finds his way back to consistent intellectual integrity -- refusing to spew the talking points on Sarah Palin was a very good place to start. There is no question that David "Axis of Evil" Frum has much to atone for, but, I'm glad he's declaring some independence, and I wish him well.

[MarkBoston]

Gotta LOVE seeing all the rat's jumping from the ship. The GOP is pretty much a historical foot note now . Oh praise the lord LOL, They lost it when they were over run by the religious nut cases who turned the party into what began to scare most Americans as something beginning to look like the Talliban . Even heads ad fairness prevailed

[bassface49]

All this intellectualizing and hand wringing by the Republicans and the most telling thing is Rich 'Low'ry's snide 'lil snark about 'Gore and the internet'. They still don't get it!
The party of 'distortions' has no clue WHICH distortion is THEIRS....­.They have built a dynasty on taking ANYTHING that that a 'liberal' or a Democrat does or says and 'attacking­'....that'­s why they even took Obama's graciousness with John McCain and called it a weakness and attacked him with it. Its the real life version of the boy that cried wolf.
Even the 'thickest' of skulls, eventually, starts to 'tire' of worrying about who a democrat is sleeping with while the party of Abramoff steals us blind.
All of you bushies who have bent over backwards contorting, look around, your leadership has abandoned you.
Remember the election when Rush 'outted' himself as a 'water carrier', a few got it then. This time , in desperation of a lost whitehouse, the republican leaders from Newt to Broder have ADMITTED that this last 8 years of rethuglican rule has been a disaster!
They are screaming about the 'fairness doctrine' and being silenced..­...wellll, may be needed BUT KEEP THEM TALKING...­..WE THE PEOPLE aren't the 'dummies' they thought (those of you that are STILL bushies, YOU are the dummies they thought YOU were)! I say keep them talking and the 'house of lies' collapses
"Manageable idiots' and 'kool aid drinkers' are conservative terms.....

[weatherwaxx]

stay tuned for his new website, www frightenedfrum (dot) eek

Another whining neocon... can somebody order a gross of pacifiers for these poor babies?

[scully09]

With nowhere else to go and nowhere to hide, the Repubs will be a party of the past. Just like the third reich.
Negativity negates negativity.
No one wants to hear them spew their raw mess in such a much more positive space now.

[ModeratePoliticalJunkie]

Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh are imbiciles and need to be banished from the sirwwaves. They are the 'mouth piece' for the conservative agenda, which has been roundly rejected by the american people in this past election. Now its time to shut them up for good. Let's start a boycott of thier advertisers. That will get their attention.

[planetjeffy]

No, they are the best thing that ever happened to the Republic party. A party of millions of mindless followers who can only repeat slogans from right wing media iseasy to beat. They only expose how ra.cist they are.

[truth2008]

You should be frightened Frumcake, the repub's offer nothing but fear,the religious right fruit cakes, and racism. You have lost an entire generation with your flawed rhetoric and divisive politics!

Just go away!

[mollysgran]

David Frum is pretty good with words, but like a LOT of Republicans who crave attention, seems to have lived a very sheltered life.

The first time I ever saw him on TV I thought he was trying to be a comedian.

[Paul]

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

There may be hope for the American electorate after all.

[Bocababs]

I did not follow the Frum News. I knew about all the other Republicans on the Planet that did not feel Palin was the right pick.

Sometimes -- when I am having a bad day at work, I picture Sarah Palin and Hillary Clinton in a one-on-one debate....­.and I just start smiling.

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

And it's a shame everyone roots for Dorothy instead of the Wicked Witch. Boo. Hoo.

[ThePeacemakers]

20years of Rush and Hannity like talk radio will do that to a party.
The right wing bloggers still haven't got the memo that calling Obama a "socialist" and a "commie" was only a way to try to win the election.
They still don't see the totally irrational logic of calling Obama a muslim while complaining about the spent 20 years Rev. Wright's Christian church.

[Bendersky]

“The answers to the Republican dilemma are not obvious and we need a vibrant discussion,” he said. “I think a little more distance can help everybody do a better job of keeping their temper.”

Oh, I don't know. The answers don't seem that difficult to discern. Come up with viable policies besides cutting taxes and "shrinking government," and try to care more about your constituency and less about big corporations and your own pocket books.

The republicans have been exposed for what they are and their policies are utter failures. It reminds me of when the Soviet Union fell under the weight of it's own corruption and failed beliefs. A party based on fear and greed and making sure the number of people who vote is small is not a viable party.

The religious right has steered the republican party into disaster. So what is their first knee jerk response? To appoint a dim bulb and dubiously ethical Sarah Palin as the next torch bearer. Swing and a miss!

[reasonlives]

Bendersky

You must not pay any attention to the news. Do you really think the Repubs have "shrunken govt"????

No, the problem with the Repubs is the Dave Frums of the world who promoted invasions and occupations of foreign nations and helped lead the country into bankruptcy. Frum is a leading neocon and a "big government" conservative. He, Bill Kristol, Paul Wolfowitz, McCaniac, Cheney Bush etc are responsible for the horrid state of the Repubs today.