On CSpan earlier today they showed a panel at the American Enterprise Institute from a couple of weeks back, featuring neoconservatives Richard Perle and Melanie Phillips, discussing her latest book. Perle looked snowy-haired and grandfatherly. Phillips has a severe look, sharp cheekbones, short hair. She said that traditional religious belief makes people more rational and moral and that only deracinated Jews criticize Israel, and the left hypocritically embraces Islam even though Islamic societies would kill homosexuals. The lines are so tired that I feel funny even passing them along. Weirdly, she referred to Obama as "Princess Obama."
But the real pleasure for me in the event was that there was hardly anyone in the room. It looked like a thinly-attended talk at the Des Moines library. AEI typically set out good food and nice cookies, but the cookies weren’t even eaten. I’m guessing there were 20 people in the room. Some seemed slightly odd. The world has passed these people by; even Washington seems to have registered that fact. I’m not sure just what’s taken their place though.
