Feel the Love

Long thought to be out of fashion, compassionate conservatism is alive and well in Columbus, Indiana. While many people don't spend much time weighing the costs and benefits of legal sanctions, Republican State Senate candidate Greg Walker is thinking out of the box, trying to come up with some kinder and gentler ways to punish criminals. And what better place to look for inspiration than the Bible.

"It's not a core value for me, but it's part of the inspired word of God, so I know it works," he said. "If that makes me a radical, then so be it. I'll accept the label. But I don't think it's a radical position…."

[Walker describes it as] a "compassionate" alternative to jail for some people convicted of crimes such as drug abuse or being drunk in public….

"I want to see what works to change behavior," he continued. "This is about public humiliation. Public humiliation has been an effective deterrent for centuries."

So what is this mild-mannered accountant suggesting? What new, compassionate alternative should we consider? Flogging, of course.

31

The latest NYT/CBS poll is out, and everyone is talking about "31" — Bush's job approval rating. This is a new low for him in this particular poll, and with this number he matches his dad's record low. Funny, that — you try to do everything differently, and you end up in the same place.

But there are a couple of other numbers that bear close scrutiny. First, there is "63" — Bush's disapproval rating. That's up 5 points from the last poll, and also a new record.

We also have "29" and "55" — Bush's favorability and unfavorability ratings. Both are records for Bush. I never thought I'd see the day when his personal approval would drop below his job approval, but there you have it. When things are going well, then Bush's folksy, bumbling style might be somewhat endearing. When things are going badly, however, it just makes him look like a clueless boob.

Next is "50" — the percentage who say that the Democrats come closer to sharing their moral values; Republicans get this love from only 37 percent.

And finally there is "45" — the percentage who believe that Democrats have more new ideas than Republicans. In contrast, only 21 percent think it's the other way around.

There are a lot of things to take away from these numbers. But what Democrats need to internalize is that they are doing a pretty good job of moving their message. No doubt they could be doing a better job, but the next time Chris Matthews talks about how likable Bush is, or David Ignatius criticizes the Democrats for lacking new ideas, or the religious right screams about liberalism's intrinsic opposition to family values, they should remember this poll. While the punditocracy remains wedded to its old narratives, many of our fellow citizens have already moved on.