As Chris already noted, today is Bill Kristol's last NYT column. But say this for the man, he left us with something to ponder, to wit:
Obama’s speech was unabashedly pro-American. . .
This is high praise coming from Kristol. Still, it's puzzling. Although the compliment "pro-American" is a conservative trope, can anyone imagine an Inaugural address that isn't explicitly pro-American? What would that even sound like? ("My fellow Americans, thank you for electing me leader of the Great Satan"?) Even Jimmy Carter--a president, I'm guessing, whom Kristol concluded wasn't pro-American--delivered an Inaugural address that was a paean to American exceptionalism. If only Kristol would be back in the Times next Monday to expand on this intriguing idea of his. I guess we'll have to look for that in the Standard.
--Jason Zengerle