Sensible

Dan Henninger is the WSJ's political writer and deputy editorial page editor. He follows a very proud tradition of WSJ writers who are extraordinarily clear in their thinking and wise punditry. Their columns used to appear on Fridays, his is now in the Thursday Journal. He wrote a column this morning on the setting for Rudy Guiliani and the Christian right. In a clear statement about the state of American politics he commented "Call me old-fashioned, but I think governing philosophy is more important than the endless Chinese puzzle of moving this or that issue forward and back. American politics, right and left, has become obsessive about nailing where candidates "stand" on standalone issues--abortion, gay marriage, immigration, the North Pole melting or pulling out of Iraq."

Would that the political establishment understand that very simple truth in Henninger's column. I think the American people understand it quite well - but the politicos and the activists are not as astute.