Light weekend reading

I know what you're all thinking. You're thinking, I need something to read this weekend, preferably a well-researched history of the conservative political movement in the U.S. over the past 40 years. Well, you're in luck - when folks ask what you did this weekend, you can dazzle them by talking about the New Yorker article you read.

In all seriousness, this is a brilliant examination of recent political history, with plenty of insight on the future. It's also a great window into the mind of conservatives. If you're inclined to think of of Republican politicians as "evil," you'll definitely find some evidence to support that view. But it's rather amazing how rational and self-critical some of the conservative movement's most divisive voices, such as Newt Gingrich and Pat Buchanan, appear in the piece. 

Of course, those guys aren't in the thick of politics anymore, so they have more freedom to be sensible, but that in itself is a reminder that most politicians are a lot brighter than their media sound bites suggest.

Read it. The people you like will love and respect you. The people you don't like will never ask you about your weekend again. Win-win.