Notes From D.R. | Random Thoughts on the Passing Scene

Thanks very much to Stephanie Davis for having me on her Internet radio show Patriot Games ! Davis does a great job with her show.

Jed Babbin on Israel vs. Hamas.

UPDATE: More from Jeff Jacoby.

Phyllis Schlafly has an interesting take on why many young evangelical Christians voted for Barack Obama. On the one hand, Schlafly has a point about the messages people receive in the public schools. On the other hand, one cannot reasonably expect every last evangelical Christian to be a right-wing, GOP-voting conservative; certainly, many African-American evangelicals aren’t.

Trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, a jazz icon, passes away at 70. Hubbard defined excellence, and his loss is a vicious blow to all who admired his creativity. Billy Joel fans may remember Hubbard for his trumpet work on Joel’s 1978 song “Zanzibar”; hip-hop fans will also recognize Hubbard’s music, as it was frequently sampled by such groups as A Tribe Called Quest.

William Kristol on Barack Obama’s inauguration.

Tony Campbell on the controversy involving would-be RNC Chairman Chip Saltsman’s decision to give out a CD containing a race-related parody of Barack Obama as a Christmas present. I disagree with the conservatives who are arguing that the negative reaction to Saltsman’s decision is little more than political correctness run amok: these conservatives need to remember that before there was political correctness, there was good taste–and Saltsman’s decision fails the good-taste test.

UPDATE: More from Matt Lewis.

Marley & Me tops the charts.

Jeff Jacoby on 2008.

Matthew Continetti of the Weekly Standard says there’s still hope for the conservative movement. From your lips to God’s ears, my man…

I agree with Kristen Soltis that the GOP’s problems will not be solved by throwing out all of the social conservatives. However, the party will not survive if the social right is the only group that is loyal to the party.

UPDATE: An interesting response to Soltis’ argument.

Singer/actor Eartha Kitt passes away at 81. Also, playwright Harold Pinter passes away at 78.

Jeff Jacoby on some of Barack Obama’s disappointed supporters.

Best of luck to Fred Thompson, who takes over Bill O’Reilly’s radio show in March.

William Kristol on Dick Cheney, and Jed Babbin on John McCain.

Yes Man tops the charts, breaking Will Smith’s streak of #1 openings. Considering Smith’s popularity, this has to be considered the biggest opening-weekend upset since Ben Stiller’s film Dodgeball beat the Tom Hanks-Steven Spielberg film The Terminal for the #1 spot in June 2004.