Liberal Talk Radio

As I hear Katrina vanden Heuvel rip Alito to shreds on NPR’s All Things Considered (as I type this!), arguing that he’ll absolutely for sure roll back decades of Civil Rights legislation, etc., etc., I’m struck by the disconnect between how the (NPR caricature of the) “Left” is portraying the nominee versus what seems like a more sensible reading of this nomination.

I think I have a new axiom: When Katrina vanden Heuvel serves “from the Left” on NPR’s brand of Crossfire-Lite, know that the issue is all about nothing . . . she very rarely sounds passionate about anything in this contrived format.

(Incidentally — and parenthetically — National Review’s Rich Lowry is on the other side right now and I tell you, he sounds a lot more believable than vanden Heuvel, who is basically phoning it in.)

So by way of prediction, I think this Alito character will be confirmed no problem, and the partisans on the “left” will waste too much political capital and/or vital oxygen on a fight not worth fighting. And just so you know, the disconnect between what partisans say and the reality on the ground is what makes Contrarians. And, yes, that’s a threat.

By way of an update, not only does Katrina vanden Heuvel make me want to read National Review but her flat, uninspired Democratic talking points make me want to follow links from the National Review, and — wouldn’t you know it? — I’m becoming more convinced that the Democrats are wrong on this one. Thanks, Katrina! You ought to work for your boyfriend Karl!