Kibbe VS Gerson
November 15th, 2007 by Peter SudermanFreedomWorks president Matt Kibbe has an article in today’s NRO responding to Michael Gerson’s recent intimation that conservatism is under threat from small-government types like Dick Armey. Here’s a snippet:
They say you can tell the measure of a man by the company keeps, and if that’s so, Gerson’s political heroes ought to cause skepticism amongst conservatives. On a recent Hardball appearance, he spoke approvingly of Franklin Roosevelt, the man who bears most historical responsibility for our current government bloat. Gerson also said that his first political hero was Jimmy Carter. At other times, he has waxed lovingly about the pleasures of hanging out in the pseudo-revolutionary company of coffee shops that idolize left-wing icons, like Che Guevera. Meanwhile, he derides Freidrich Hayek and Ludwig von Mises. What’s next? Friedman and Goldwater replaced with Keynes and Marx? Gerson’s disdain for conservatism’s ideological forefathers is blatant, and he seems to be inventing his own conservative canon as he goes along.
The whole thing is worth reading.
November 15th, 2007 at 6:29 pm
What really struck me about Kibbe’s piece was this paragraph:
“But what’s important to note is that it’s indicative of Gerson’s worrisome approach to governing. In his world, it’s not just about creating policy that works, but policy that makes him feel good. He doesn’t want government to get out of the way; he wants to use it to help him find meaning.”
It conveys the same narcissistic impulse in Gerson that was on display in the recent Atlantic Monthly piece written by Matthew Scully. When you strip away the emperor’s clothes, Gerson’s philosophy basically boils down to this: “Hey, it’s all about ME!”
Good job, Matt Kibbe.