David Brooks, "A Moderate Conservative Dilemma": Sic Transit Gloria Mundi

In his latest New York Times op-ed entitled "A Moderate Conservative Dilemma" (http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/30/opinion/brooks-a-moderate-conservative-dilemma.html?_r=1&hp), David Brooks tells the story of Nathan Fletcher, a veteran of the US Marines, who returned from Iraq and Somalia and entered California politics as a moderate Republican. Most recently, seeking the Republican nomination for mayor of San Diego, he was spurned by his party, which chose someone more conservative, and he is now running as an independent. Brooks concludes:

"Fletcher is the decided underdog in the June 5 voting. But he represents a nationally important test case. Can the Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, who were trained to be ruthlessly pragmatic, find a home in either political party? Can center-right moderates find a home in the G.O.P., even in coastal California? As the two parties become more insular, is it possible to mount an independent alternative?"

Brooks tells us that Fletcher returned from his service in the Marines with survivor's guilt. In addition to his moderation and his ability to work effectively with people from both sides of the aisle, this strikes a chord with me.

But does Fletcher's story reflect the demise of tolerance and moderation in US politics? In an interesting aside, Brooks notes that Mitt Romney and his wife have contributed to Fletcher's campaign. This brings us to an interesting point: Whereas Obama is likely hiding an extreme leftist agenda, as evidenced by his open microphone gaffe with Russia's Medvedev, Romney is disguising a centrist agenda, as evidenced by his support of Fletcher.

Me? I sorely miss Henry "Scoop" Jackson, a conservative Democrat, and Jacob Javits, a liberal Republican. But in today's world, there is little space remaining for moderation, as evidenced by the imminent departure of Joe Lieberman and Olympia Snowe from the US Senate.

Sic transit gloria mundi.