Maureen Dowd on the Ghastly Out-dated Republican Party

Maureen Dowd is one of the most useful columnists writing today. Her incisive commentary is thoughtful, illimunating and not frothy, biting but not bitter. And it is anything but out-dated. Her commentary in yesterday's New York Times was especially apt and cutting-edge.

Such is the fate of the current Republican Party, it seems. A party begun partly as an anti-slavery party, now finds itself in the unenviable position of being a party conservative to the point of being reactionary. This trend has been underway since before the Goldwater candidacy of 1964. It continues today in the form of Rick Santorum and others who, being otherwise sincere, have blundered into a movement of sectarian religio-clique-sters, hemmed in -- and wall-off from the mainstream.

There are other aspects to this story, such as the wedding between the religious conservatives and the Wall Street conservatives, a marriage which would be laughable if the consequences weren't so serious.

Maureen Dowd lightens the moment without being flippant. Hers is a literary as well as a political achievement.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/26/opinion/sunday/dowd-ghastly-outdated-party.html?_r=1&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss