National Review In Disarray, David Frum Leaving Magazine To Start Web Site

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

Now, thanks to the coarsening effect of the Internet on political discourse, the magazine may have lost something else: its reputation as the cradle for conservative intellectuals and home for erudite and well-mannered debate prized by its founder, the late William F. Buckley Jr.

In the general conservative blogosphere and in The Corner, National Review's popular blog, the tenor of debate -- particularly as it related to the fitness of Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska to be vice president -- devolved into open nastiness during the campaign season, laying bare debates among conservatives that in a pre-Internet age may have been kept behind closed doors.

National Review, as the most pedigreed voice of conservatives, has often been tainted -- unfairly and by association, some argue -- by the tone of blogs, reader comments and e-mail messages. "Bill was always very concerned about having a high-minded and thoughtful discourse," Rich Lowry, the magazine's editor, said. "If you read the magazine, that's what it was and that's what it is."

In October came the resignation of Mr. Buckley's son, the writer and satirist Christopher Buckley, after he endorsed Barack Obama for president. He did so on Tina Brown's blog, The Daily Beast, to avoid any backlash on The Corner.

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.

"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."

Read the whole story here.

Comments

[RobinSeattle]

"The magazine, like some others devoted to ideas and politics, has the luxury of not needing to make money. It is judged by how fervently it can incubate ideas " not as a going business concern."

And it has reportedly lost more than $50 million during the course of its life. Which just goes to show that the magazine is run akin to how conservatives operate the country---piling up mountains of debt.

The Washington Times loses $100 million a year, but its owner, the Reverend Moon, feels the influence he buys with Republicans through it is worth it.

And as for the Obama "Enigma" cover, well, you know that they would have liked to use another similar sounding word and would have if this were 1958 and not 2008. So they found a wink and a nod substitute.

[mfoner]

"I"m sure he (William Buckley) would have admired Obama"s rhetorical ability and his stage presence. But like for all of us, it"s about ideas," Mr. Lowry said.

Okay, I don't get it. I listen to Obama and hear pragmatic ideas and opinions. I hear substantive solutions to problems we face. Yet, the conservatives over at the National Review just hear flowery speech and crazy liberal ideas? I think all these old men are just jealous that he wasn't heading the republican ticket.

[RomeoinFl]

The Obama win is just knocked everything on right out of orbit. I love it

[max]

they should replace Frum with Joe the Plumber.....party of idiots.

[sonoffestus]

"the answers to the Republican dilemma are not obvious"...... ,"we need a vibrant discussion." You dudes need more than a discussion. Start by purging your party of the haters, homophobes, bigots, racists, evangelicals, the entire christian right, the family values crowd, the spendthrifts, the neo cons, and the anti-constitutionalists. Then if you have two people left , you can start the discussion.

Where have you been, boy?

[gladiatorpodolsky]

What the Republicans don't get yet is that we see them as the party that tortures prisoners and regards the Geneva Convention as "a mere scrap of paper". They don't believe in civil liberties, or the Constitution, and they see the presidency as an elected dictatorship. Does anybody see anything "conservative" in that? No. And yet the Republicans cling to the Bush mis-use of terminology as if hypnotized, totally in denial. I am a REAL conservative, and there is not a thing recognizably "conservative" about today's Republicans. They are fake conservatives, and fake Christians.

-Neil Elliott

[MouthFountain]

Frum leaving? You mean there's hope then?

[Coyote2]

Ha ha ha ...........conservatism/Republican party is OBSOLETE. It's a new pardigm.

Change is happening even as we speak. The Bush doctrine is obsolete; the Obama doctrine is being written right now.

Free Market Capitalism has been repudiated by this economic crisis; Milton F_riedman has been rejected even by his own university. Paul Krugman, sharp critic of the Republican party, has won the 2008 Nobel prize for economics.

[goddess1871]

Oh, COME ON, Davey-boy! Can't stay on the team now that the team is losing, eh? You're every bit the weenie you proved yourself to be on Rachel Maddow.

[AmandaBC]

"its reputation as the cradle for conservative intellectuals"

"Conservative intellectual" is one of the greatest oxymorons ever.

[trisha08]

From the article:
I"m sure he would have admired Obama"s rhetorical ability and his stage presence. But like for all of us, it"s about ideas," Mr. Lowry said.

I say, O.K. ....name one idea that Palin has. Really, I just need one. tick-tock tick-tock tick-tock...

That's what I thought. So, the GOP is supporting Palin because????? Obama has articulated a lot of ideas, yet I can't recall Palin being able to articulate anything.

Palin could not even voice any new ideas when she spoke at the GOP Govenors Convention that was all about looking forward. All she could do was rehash campaign stump speeches and invoke Joe the Plumber.

Hmmmmm. It must be because she looks good.

[poster1122]

It must be tough to be a democrat these days. On the one hand, you probably do want Obama to get the 60 votes in the Senate to render the republicans ineffectual. On the other hand, you might also probably want Stevens to win up there in Alaska, paving the way for Senator Palin to run in 2012.

If you think conservatives are eating their young now, imagine where they'll be after 4 years of Palin at center stage...

[JoeLib]

Well I for one applaud this move. On the Web, Frum can be wrong that much faster! And, no trees will have to die for his partisan pablum.

[dragracer14]

Oh schnapps.....the repub party is gone!!!!

[repugnicansfearme]

Here is something that makes the right wing hide under the covers in their momma's basement room: the chickens have come home to roost!!! Oooooohhhh! Run, run and hide!!!