"THE PROMISED LAND"

“The Promised Land”  is the title of David Brooks’ latest essay in The Times. It’s tremendous; here’s the money graph:

This week the G.O.P. behaved as a majority party in full. The Republicans used the powers of government to entrench their own dominance. They used their control of the federal budget to create a new entitlement, to woo new allies and service a key constituency group, the elderly.

As Orrin Judd writes, “One does wish that Ronald Reagan were in possession of his senses so that he could see his people arrive in the Promised Land.”

As the spiritual leader of the Republican party, no doubt, the Gipper would enjoy the destination. But would the small government-oriented conservative who gave the legendary “Rendezvous With Destiny” speech in 1964 approve of the route taken to get there?

UPDATE: Somewhat related to Brooks’ essay, Donald Lambro writes:

The last three Democrats to occupy the White House were Southerners, two of them governors. Fewer governors means fewer chief executives to promote for higher office, a gloomy picture indeed of the Democrats’ political future.