Red Asymmetry, Blue Snobbery

Garrison Keillor's latest essay may be lighthearted but his point is not. The 2 Senators per state tradition, despite the enormous population disproportion, has bothered me for years. That'll never change though.

If you have a good chunk of time, here's precisely why.

This guy's complaint definitely captures my frustration with the recent TIME cover, as well as the awful ignorning of Democrats under-the-cover. His suggested alternative cover is above-left. Nice, huh?

Finally, if you can jump the TimesSelect fence and read David Brooks column today, it's worth it. It is whiny and passive-aggressive perfection, and will remind you why you voted for Democrats. I love it when conservatives start pointing out snobs (um, who's judging who?). Brooks is especially bothered by uber-snob filmstar Borat. He notes:

In a society as fluid as ours, snobbery is constantly changing form, and in the latest wave of condescension media, various strains come together. We Jews know all about Borat’s Jewish snobbery — based on the assumption that Middle America’s acceptance of Jews must be a mirage, and that underneath every Rotarian there must be a Cossack about to unleash a continental pogrom.

There’s also that distinct style of young person’s snobbery. Young people haven’t accomplished much yet so they can only elevate themselves by endlessly celebrating their own superior sensibilities. Finally, there’s blue America snobbery, as people on the coasts try to fathom those who would vote for George W. Bush. The only logical explanation is that they are racist, anti-Semitic idiots who can be blamelessly ridiculed.

Someone pick David first for kickball next time, please.