The following is an excerpt from OpinionJournal’s “Best of the Web” at The Wall Street Journal written by the editor, James Taranto.
News of the Tautological
“Hillary Clinton Is Winning Among Voters Who Don’t Want Sanders’s Revolution”—headline, Washington Post website, Feb. 22
Bottom Story of the Day
“Sebelius Endorses Clinton for President”—headline, Washington Examiner, Feb. 22
Dizzy in the Head and I’m Feelin’ Blue
“Donald Trump’s surge in the polls has been covered as terrible news for the GOP,” writes Andrew Prokop of the young-adult website Vox. “But it’s fantastic news for one Republican—Jeb Bush.”
We should specify that he wrote that last July. We guess his arguments must’ve seemed plausible at the time, but goodness do they look wrong now. Here’s the nut:
In addition to the fact that Trump poses no threat to actually win the Republican nomination, the purported billionaire helpfully sucks up all the media oxygen so none of Bush’s potentially more dangerous rivals can get any attention. Trump also presents a wonderful contrast for Bush—making him look tolerant, professional, and adult. And if Trump stays in the race and remains popular on the right, it will show that yet again, conservative voters simply can’t get it together to seriously wield their influence in the presidential primaries.
One could still defend the “wonderful contrast” point, but only on the technicality that Prokop framed it as his opinion rather than a prediction about the voters’.
So what happened? Prokop is out today with a follow-up piece titled: “I Thought the Rise of Donald Trump Would Be Great for Jeb Bush. Wow, Was I Wrong.” Thank heavens for explanatory journalism.
For more “Best of the Web” click here and look for the “Best of the Web Today” link in the middle column below “Today’s Columnists.”
