When the issues question was not multiple-choice, the economy and the war on terror both far outplaced “values.”"

This is quite true. This election was FAR more about terrorism and Iraq. Gay marriage was about as important as healthcare, which is, not much in the whole scheme of things this year. Kerry was hurt by the Swift Boat Veterans much more than by any anti-gay backlash among conservative voters. It's really a red herring. Give the country 30 years and gays will be getting married without anyone caring. There is no "moral revolution" or whatever. Fox Network, the creator of arguably the most conservative News channel on TV, turns its money around into financing some of the most shocking and prurient shows ever made. The Jerry Falwell crowd is only getting airtime because of the poorly worded exit polls. The GOP used them to win, but won't pay them any notice after the election...it's the way of things afterall.

Must have an extra 'not' in my head....

"...sick of talking about values, sick of pretending I have them or care more about them than I really do."

The man has the attention span of a gnat.

There was so much to fisk in the article it's hard to know where to start....perhaps with the sheer [yawn...stretch...] superfluity of Kinsley's having taken the time to share his opinion about values in the first place?

Gasp! Oh please don't ruin the suspense! He's not not in favor of them?

And this just destroyed me:

Why should anyone care, or care so much, whether the people running the government have good values? Shouldn't we prefer a bit of competence, if forced to choose?

OK, Mr. Kinsley. So by your argument, Richard Milhous Nixon was a darned good President. After all, the man liberals love to hate was undoubtably competent. He just lacked what you call 'values' :)

Watching Kinsley twist himself into a rhetorical pretzel is always so entertaining.

When the issues question was not multiple-choice, the economy and the war on terror both far outplaced "values."

I can only conclude that Democrats and the media (but I repeat myself) are deliberately trying to avoid learning from their defeat.