POWERLINE: Some thoughts about liberal presumptions. You can take it to the bank that any (progressive) liberal presumptions about conservatives/Republicans are nothing more than projection of their own internal beliefs.

Here's an item from the comments that reflects my own opinion exactly:

I'm having difficulty imagining a treatment that can be considered "respectful" while the author (Brinkley) feels the need to ensure his innate (to him) belief in the superiority of leftism is defended. I readily admit I am nothing resembling respectful when I refer to leftists as idiots. But I am serious about it. It is the leftists' feeling of entitlement to always demand bipartisanship and acceptance of their definition of the term (at some point, and preferably sooner rather than later, accede to the leftist) that makes me loathe them so.

Not only do leftists lack a knowledge base about conservatism and familiarity with the people who practice it, they have no interest in the topic. Therefore, their work always reverts to criticism or condescension instead of an objective discussion of the merits. Why would I read a leftist's view on conservatism, a topic she is so thoroughly unqualified to write about except to point fingers at the "boogeyman"? I certainly wouldn't read a book about capitalism written by a lifelong Communist or anything written about guns by Michael Beschloss.

I had to laugh when I read the comment by MacLean in the postscript. She used "IMHO," which usually stands for "In My Humble Opinion." By the tone of the rest of her comment, she hasn't had a humble nanosecond in her life.

Exactly right.