The governing party

Yes, the Republican Party, the party of Norquist; of "Brownie;" of "freedom is messy;" of this, for God's sake; is the party of responsibility.

Having controlled the executive branch for 28 of the last 40 years, Republicans tend to think of themselves as the governing party — with some of the arrogance and narrowness that implies, but also with a sense of real-world responsibility. Many Democrats, on the other hand, no longer even try to imagine what action and responsibility are like. They do, however, enjoy the support of many refined people who snigger at the sometimes inept and ungraceful ways of the Republicans. (And, if I may say so, the quality of thought of the Democrats’ academic and media supporters — a permanent and, as it were, pensioned opposition — seems to me to have deteriorated as Orwell would have predicted.)

Projection, anyone? At least he got the inept and ungraceful part right.

I realize Kristol is there primarily to annoy me, but he could try a little harder. And, by the way, there is a reason Kipling stayed in India, far from the "power" Kristol thinks Kipling embraced.