Quote of the day

Bill Kristol, compassionate conservative.

Published November 3, 2008 4:40PM (EST)

These days, when I think of warm and caring, I think of Bill Kristol. Take his latest column in the New York Times. In a truly magnanimous gesture, he kindly explains to liberals "why they should be cheerful if McCain happens to win." Kristol writes:

Barack Obama will probably win the 2008 presidential election. If he does, we conservatives will greet the news with our usual resolute stoicism or cheerful fatalism. Being conservative means never being too surprised by disappointment.

But what if John McCain pulls off an upset?

I’m worried about my compatriots on the left. Michael Powell reports in Saturday’s New York Times that even the possibility of an Obama defeat has driven many liberals into in a state of high anxiety. And then there’s a young woman from Denver who “told her boyfriend that their love life was on hold while she sweated out Mr. Obama’s performance in Colorado.” Well, what if Obama loses Colorado? Or the presidency? As a compassionate conservative, I’m concerned about the well-being of that boyfriend — and of others who might be similarly situated. I feel an obligation to help...

If McCain wins, think of this column as a modest contribution to cheering up distraught liberals. If Obama prevails, I’m confident there are some compassionate liberals out there who will do the same for hapless conservatives as they hobble out to the wilderness.


By Alex Koppelman

Alex Koppelman is a staff writer for Salon.

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