What excellent timing! The latest W investigates the predominance of Republicans on the DC social circuit and pronounces nightlife to be "more politically polarized than ever"! "Despite the social dominance of Republicans for nearly a decade, a liberal network also exists," the magazine assures. "Oddly, it's referred to as the 'hipster scene'-in D.C. the term is synonymous with non-Republicans, not artsy types in tight pants and Converse sneakers." But wait! That is because in DC the term "hipster" is actually somewhat illustrative of an individual's cultural tastes/intellectual leanings and propensity to drink in bars they can afford on a think tank analyst salary as opposed to a merely outfit thing! (Also people in DC don't know how to dress, duh.) But the larger point is: it is time to end this whole "Republicans and Democrats never drink together anymore like they used to!" meme.Because as much as it pains me to quibble with the sage sociological analysis of a parachuting correspondent from Aspiration Palace, they totally do, more than ever, especially in DC, where Republicans who read books have been forced to coexist with Republicans who think the periodic table was revealed to the apostles on stone tablets for the past eight years. In many cases, they are no longer Republicans on account of this. Like this once neocon, who now backs Obama. And Colin Powell, who is even pictured hanging out with these allegedly Obama-supporting hipsters! Jenna Bush, who was once legendarily purportedly kicked out of liberal establishment Stetson's simply for being Jenna Bush — well everyone knows she is voting for Obama and look whose crazy black Pastor just trashed John McCain in public. The point is this: like with the Olympics and the recession and the (actually falling!) gas prices, we are all in this together, and just for kicks here is Chronic Misser Of Olden Times/Prose Stylist Peggy Noonan:
The lack of placeness with both candidates contributes to a sense of their disjointedness, their floatingness. I was talking recently with a journalist who's a podcaster. I often watch him in conversation on the Internet. I told him I'm always struck that he seems to be speaking from No Place, with some background of beige wall that could exist anywhere. He leans in and out of focus. It gives a sense of weightlessness. He's like an astronaut floating without a helmet. That's a little what both candidates are like to me.
And where it gets really good is where she talks about potential running mates.
On the Democrats, who are up first, I firmly announce I like every [potential VP] name floated so far, for different reasons (Joe Biden offers experience and growth; Evan Bayh seems by nature moderate; Sam Nunn is that rare thing, a serious man whom all see as a serious man.) But part of me tugs for Tim Kaine of Virginia, because he has a wonderful American Man haircut, not the cut of the man in first but the guy in coach who may be the air marshal. He looks like he goes once every 10 days to Jimmy Hoffa's barber and says, "Gimme a full Detroit." Detroit: that's a place.
Yes it is a place with a mayor in jail that just took another five alarm fire to its economy, Peggy Noonan! And the fact that we are all headed in the same direction is why we would rather be drinking than thinking about our sense of "place." Party Animals [W] Related: Pete Wentz Backs Obama The End of Placeness [WSJ]