This was my exact perspective, except that it was around the time Reagan was dealing with Iran-Contra. It definitely took him a lot longer than you would expect any thinking person to take. Chris Buckley beat him by an entire presidential administration. I also don't see him as a force for change. But I think it's worth pointing out for a historical conservative whose pedigree goes back to Gerald Ford, this is kind of the equivalent of Ahmadinejad quoting 2Pac.I used to read newsweek back when I was a dumb teenager and listened to adults who told me I should read the news to stay informed. From reading back then I got the idea that George Will was the token "intelligent conservative" in a largely liberal-leaning newspaper, and while he occasionally had something intelligent to say it usually wasn't the column I read most religiously.
Totally valid. I dunno I drink half a bottle of wine and I'm a lot less interested in patting conservatives on the head. My fundamental beef is you've got Brooks in like the Fifth Circle of Hell and Will in the Fourth and I'd probably swap those but you know? Fuck 'em both. Fuck 'em back to Nixon. Fuck 'em back to Goldwater. Fuck 'em back to Smedley Fucking Butler.