KEVIN WILLIAMSON: The Ignorant Left: An Ongoing Series.

I’ve long argued that one of the problems with our political discourse is that the Left and (to the extent that they can be considered a separate entity) the media do not really know very much about what conservatives think or why. Exhibit 1,526: Yahoo News’s Dylan Stableford is surprised that National Review has reiterated an editorial position that the magazine has held for decades. It’s not a big deal when somebody on, say, the sports desk doesn’t know much about what conservatives think, but here is a guy writing a piece about National Review and marijuana policy who does not (or did not; he’s corrected the piece) know what the magazine has had to say about the issue for years upon years.

You find this a lot. Most people who haven’t taken the time to learn about the issue (which is to say, most people) believe that conservatism is either a largely Christian fundamentalist movement or principally informed by Ayn Rand or, if you listen to the geniuses at places like Salon or MSNBC, both.

Likewise, there are those who apparently are surprised that in the case of homosexuals vs. Russians who wish to put them into ovens, Glenn Beck has taken the side of the homosexuals. If that is surprising to you, you really need to get out more.

But knowing more would interfere with the demonization. And the demonization is the point.