Is this guy smart or stupid? I'm not sure.

Kieth Thompson has a new piece on his movement away from being a leftist. He's interesting, and also aggravating for the obtuseness he displays. How could anyone who hasn't been living at the South Pole be surprised that left-leaners were not pleased with Iraq's election triumph? And conservatives were?

...Watching Iraqis weep with joy while dropping ballots into voting boxes and lifting ink-stained purple fingers toward the sky recalled Washington’s words to his men on the banks of the Delaware, “Remember now what you are about to fight for.”

To my amazement, most of the commentators celebrating Iraq’s step toward autonomy were conservatives. By contrast, most self-declared progressives seemed strained to get beyond vague affirmations of Iraq’s electoral “attainment.” Rep. Nancy Pelosi used this curiously disinterested noun repeatedly in remarks that carried all the enthusiasm of a wake. If this was a funeral, who or what had died?...(thanks to Betsy N)

Interesting word note there: Iraq’s electoral “attainment.” It's hardly possible to find a positive word that's less positive than that! Perhaps Nancy's less brainless than I thought.

Well, people on my end of the spectrum certainly weren't amazed that Pelosi and Co weren't happy that the Iraqis were happy. we expected it. In fact, each of the triumphs of freedom that we have witnessed in recent years brings an extra fillip of pleasure to people like me, as we think of lefties biting into lemons. And for extra fun, how, if you mischievously press them, they will have to say, "Of course I'm happy that Syria has pulled out of Lebanon....BUT...."