Perhaps it was the filtering of the NY Times' legendary fact-checkers and editors that transformed his insight and wit into pablum.

Trying to swing for the fences every time with one at-bat a week is a very different task than offering insights whenever you have something to say.

Douthat’s columns have, by and large, been pretty lackluster–there was none of the depth, wit, or thoughtfulness

This is because the NY Times is only read by boneheaded liberals. He had to write down to the liberals' level.

Luckily, Governor Palin's book just came out, so there will be plenty of depth, wit and thoughtfulness in her rich book to last us a while.

It is clear Pulitzer material. Douthat sold out by going to a liberal rag like the Times--Palin has kept being the Real American Maverick she is by putting her wisdom in a highly insightful book.

With Going Rogue she is clearly taking the mantle as the country's primary intellectual leader from President Bush.

To my inflexible and aging brain the exploration of conservative thought and philosophy is essential if one views the phenomenon of man as a physical and social evolution. Is conservatism to become the dominant branch, or a dead end twig?

What I know about Douthat, besides his brief biographical note in Wikipedia, is what can be found in his writings. In this corpus a jarring note periodically appears: an inflexible attitude towards women’s health and abortion. His anchor is neither in the history of man, nor in the evolution of thought, it lies in Catholic theocracy. More distressing, his thinking is aligning towards the great battle. In examining Benedict’s recruitment of conservative Anglican’s he defines the battle:

This could be the real significance of last week’s invitation. What’s being interpreted, for now, as an intra-Christian skirmish may eventually be remembered as the first step toward a united Anglican-Catholic front — not against liberalism or atheism, but against Christianity’s most enduring and impressive foe.

This call for battle against Islam makes his vitriolic attack against fellow conservative Doug Kiemic, who supported Obama’s candidacy, small potatoes.

Because the 20th century flame of conservatism was William Buckley, an avowed Catholic, the take over of Conservatism by Catholicism, and its Judaism brother hood, has received little examination. Today, the Right has incorporated the heroes the most steadfast fundamental Catholics into the pantheon of its spoke persons.

Within this framework, it comes as no surprise that James Joyner elevates Pat Buchanan as a sage on how to prosecute 9/11 terrorist. Or that the heroes of the Federalist Society on one hand are four very conservative Catholic SCOTUS jurist, and on the other hand Rick Perry and Mark Rubio…

I prefer my conservatism devoid of religiosity. I do not feel the inflexible morality of abortion, exclusion of gay rights, and need to march to the dictates of the American Conference of Bishops has any place in American Conservatism. Douthat is a glib and provocative writer, and to my mind by marching to Rome, a dangerous one…

Pssst 1#: In the seminal treatises, The Phenomenon of Man, Pierre Teilhard de Chardin posited that man was physically and socially evolving to a point Omega, a greater understanding of God and the social compact that we as humans must engage in. For this exercise of the open thinking mind, he was silenced by the Church.

believe DOD and the Army have crossed the line. Why did Sarah Palin get special dispensation to go on a military establishment to sell her book. This is a political move against the Copmmander in Chief, and the military leaders at Ft Bragg should pay the price and be fired.