Dubya and the Hellfire Club.

“It seems a pretty sunny and conservative and confident moment, despite a hangover of vulnerability from 9/11 and the recently stalled economy…That’s precisely the time when antiheroes are needed and comprehensible.” How the Dubya era paved the way for Marvel’s movie ascendance. A bit goofy, but ok.

The Doctor is In.

As noted many places around the blogosphere, Dean reannounced his candidacy yesterday. I like Dean quite a bit – of all the electable candidates I think he’s currently striking the best tone regarding both the Bushies and the DLC. But I must admit, I am somewhat perturbed by his faux-liberalism – this Saletan piece reads like a hit, but it’s correct in noting that, despite Dean’s campaign strategy, the good doctor is more DLC than true lefty…in fact, Dean himself is guilty of savaging his own left flank as governor. So, Dean’s definitely in the hunt for my vote, but he still has to contend with Kerry and Edwards for the time being.

Phoenix Rising.

So after a marathon reading session over the past day or so, I’ve finished Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (and now back to your regularly scheduled history tomes.) All in all, I found it another solid and compulsively readable Hogwarts adventure, although I did have some quibbles which I listed over at Max’s site. When’s Book VI coming out?

Dominance without Hegemony.

The Washington Post offers yet another story on the GOP belief in their upcoming electoral dominance. (It is counterpoised with an article on the lost and wayward Dems.) Didn’t we hear all this before, after the 1994 midterms? What goes around comes around, and while Dubya’s support may be a mile wide, it’s also an inch deep, particularly when you consider that 3 out of 4 Americans didn’t vote for him in 2000. Whether it be Weaponsgate, corporate malfeasance, handouts to the rich, intemperate buffoons, or, much more likely, just the simple fact of the Dubya dip, the GOP is strutting about on feet of clay.