Skip to content

Ordinary Times

A place of politics, culture, and discourse

Primary Menu
  • Log-in
  • Welcome!
    • Masthead
    • Inquiries
    • Guest Posting Policy
    • About Feature Images
  • Community
    • Commentareum
    • State of the Discussion (beta)
    • Commenting Policy
    • The 500kth Ordinary Comment
    • The 750kth Ordinary Comment
  • Follow Us
    • On Facebook
    • On Twitter
    • Entries RSS
    • Comments RSS
  • Friends
    • Arc Digital
    • Outside the Beltway
    • Splice Today
    • Elections Daily
    • Liberal Currents
    • The Bulwark
    • Conservative Pathways
    • Misfits Politics
    • American Creation
  • Blog Archives
    • Blinded Trials
    • Mindless Diversions
    • Bookclubs!
    • Not a Potted Plant
    • Dutch Courage
    • Journeys in Alterity
    • The 49th
    • Jubilee
    • Safe Depository
  • Home
  • 2009
  • April
  • 30
  • Time to Pretend

Time to Pretend

Will April 30, 2009

One thing I like about the blogosphere is that everyone ignores the rituals and forms of establishment politics. To take a recent example, no one bothered to pretend that Arlen Specter switched parties for any reason other than naked self-interest. Banging out a predictable op-ed for the Times, on the other hand, requires a different approach:

I have always admired Arlen Specter for his willingness to stand up for his principles and to put policy ahead of party when he thought it was necessary . . .

COUGH*bullshit*COUGH

Continue Reading

Previous: revert to principle
Next: republican security thinking for the republic

Related Stories

On Ad Hominems Part 1: The Messy World

gabriel conroy August 7, 2016 76

The Pain of Tradition

Mike Dwyer November 25, 2015 13
johndaquan

The Montauk Catamaran Company Chronicles 10/23/15: Well begun is half done…?

David Ryan October 23, 2015 5

Recent Comments

  • Jaybird in reply to Marchmaine on Weekend Plans Post: The Last GraduationWait, two graduation ceremonies in two days for the same person? That's... I can't even imagine who…
  • DensityDuck in reply to Dark Matter on Open Mic for the Week of 5/12/2025"What Israel should be doing is letting the civilians flee the war zone and get aid in other places.…
  • Marchmaine in reply to InMD on Weekend Plans Post: The Last GraduationNice... beer and french fries for dinner tonight.
  • CJColucci in reply to Chris on Open Mic for the Week of 5/12/2025Nice to have actual information instead of handwaving.
  • InMD in reply to Marchmaine on Weekend Plans Post: The Last GraduationHey that's 66.666666% done! Congrats! And don't fret too much about Great Wolf Lodge. We've been to…
  • Jaybird in reply to Chris on Weekend Plans Post: The Last GraduationI am a huge fan of Kipling, but, oh jeez... not "If". Not "If". But I understand that it's not like…
  • Chris on Weekend Plans Post: The Last GraduationSomeone at work recently sent a "motivational" email that included "If", and frankly, why cancel any…
  • Marchmaine in reply to Chris on Weekend Plans Post: The Last GraduationThank you.
  • Chris in reply to Marchmaine on Weekend Plans Post: The Last GraduationCongrats on the graduation.
  • Chris in reply to Jaybird on Open Mic for the Week of 5/12/2025My partner is Italian (like, has the passport and everything), but grew up in south central Connecti…

Devcat Reports

Devcat image

Problems persist. We appreciate your patience.

More Comments

  • Marchmaine on Weekend Plans Post: The Last Graduation
  • Jaybird in reply to CJColucci on Open Mic for the Week of 5/12/2025
  • CJColucci in reply to Jaybird on Open Mic for the Week of 5/12/2025
  • Jaybird in reply to CJColucci on Open Mic for the Week of 5/12/2025
  • CJColucci in reply to Jaybird on Open Mic for the Week of 5/12/2025
  • Dark Matter in reply to Chris on Open Mic for the Week of 5/12/2025
  • Jaybird in reply to CJColucci on Open Mic for the Week of 5/12/2025
  • Philip H on Open Mic for the Week of 5/12/2025
  • CJColucci in reply to Jaybird on Open Mic for the Week of 5/12/2025
  • Jaybird in reply to CJCOLUCCI on Open Mic for the Week of 5/12/2025
  • Mike Schilling on Justice Souter Has Passed Away
  • CJCOLUCCI in reply to Jaybird on Open Mic for the Week of 5/12/2025
  • Dark Matter in reply to LeeEsq on Open Mic for the Week of 5/12/2025
  • Jaybird in reply to Chris on Open Mic for the Week of 5/12/2025
  • Chris in reply to Jaybird on Open Mic for the Week of 5/12/2025
April 2009
S M T W T F S
 1234
567891011
12131415161718
19202122232425
2627282930  
« Mar   May »

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

You may have missed

Archiebald MacLeish - Ars Poetica

POETS Day! The Honorable Archibald MacLeish

Ben Sears May 16, 2025
Hopeless semantic

A Hopeless Semantic

Brandon Isleib May 16, 2025
boohoo

The Baseball Outlook; It Depends on the Point of View

Clare Briggs May 15, 2025
congrats

Weekend Plans Post: The Last Graduation

Jaybird May 15, 2025 8

Recent Comments

  • Jaybird in reply to Marchmaine on Weekend Plans Post: The Last Graduation
  • DensityDuck in reply to Dark Matter on Open Mic for the Week of 5/12/2025

Recent Comments

  • Jaybird in reply to Marchmaine on Weekend Plans Post: The Last Graduation
  • DensityDuck in reply to Dark Matter on Open Mic for the Week of 5/12/2025
  • Marchmaine in reply to InMD on Weekend Plans Post: The Last Graduation
  • CJColucci in reply to Chris on Open Mic for the Week of 5/12/2025
  • InMD in reply to Marchmaine on Weekend Plans Post: The Last Graduation

Ordinary Twitter

Tweets by Ordinarians

Recent Comments

  • Dark Matter in reply to Chris on Open Mic for the Week of 5/12/2025
  • Jaybird in reply to CJColucci on Open Mic for the Week of 5/12/2025
  • Philip H on Open Mic for the Week of 5/12/2025
  • CJColucci in reply to Jaybird on Open Mic for the Week of 5/12/2025
  • Jaybird in reply to CJCOLUCCI on Open Mic for the Week of 5/12/2025
  • Mike Schilling on Justice Souter Has Passed Away
  • CJCOLUCCI in reply to Jaybird on Open Mic for the Week of 5/12/2025
  • Dark Matter in reply to LeeEsq on Open Mic for the Week of 5/12/2025
  • Jaybird in reply to Chris on Open Mic for the Week of 5/12/2025
  • Chris in reply to Jaybird on Open Mic for the Week of 5/12/2025
  • LeeEsq on Open Mic for the Week of 5/12/2025
  • Dark Matter in reply to Jaybird on Open Mic for the Week of 5/12/2025
  • Jaybird in reply to CJColucci on Open Mic for the Week of 5/12/2025
  • CJColucci in reply to Jaybird on Open Mic for the Week of 5/12/2025
  • Jaybird in reply to Dark Matter on Open Mic for the Week of 5/12/2025
Copyright © All rights reserved. | MoreNews by AF themes.