Against The Grain

Friday, June 15, 2007

Looks like some combox criticism from readers of this blog -- elaborated upon in a full-blown post by Michael Denton -- has resulted in the advent of a new contributor to Vox Nova. "Alexham" introduces himself as:

. . . a front-page blogger over at RedState, which is, arguably, the most influential conservative blog around (along with NRO's 'The Corner"). I have been an active member of the Republican Party and the Federalist Society for over fourteen years. I subscribe to only two magazines/journals: First Things and Crisis. I was a Calvinist Southern Baptist for several years before joining the Catholic Church in 2003 (and we all know that converts are nothing but trouble, right? :) ). If I had to choose a politician who best encapsulates my political views, it would either be Sam Brownback or Rick Santorum. My (modern-day) intellectual heroes/mentors, in addition to the Holy Father, are: Justice Antonin Scalia, Justice Clarence Thomas, Judge Robert Bork, Father Richard J. Neuhaus, Michael Novak, Professor Hadley Arkes, Professor Robert P. George, George Weigel, and pretty much every person Damon Linker went after in his book. In sum, I am a staunch theocon. And while there is much more that I could mention in this regard, I think the foregoing should give y'all a general idea of my worldview.
All of that having been said, I am not a knee-jerk Republican. I often find myself in disagreement with the GOP and/or conservative base on issues like: immigration, the death penalty, habeas corpus, torture, the need for military intervention in Darfur, flag burning (an act I find repulsive, but nevertheless understand to be a protected form of political dissent under the First Amendment), to name just a few. I am also the only conservative I know who doesn't watch or particularly care for the television program "24." I am more of a Stephen Colbert kinda guy, and that makes many of my GOP buddies deeply suspicious of me. :)

Well, as far as the preferring Stephen Colbert to 24, make that two. (I happen to think 24 jumped the shark a couple seasons ago, probably after Jack Bauer discovered there never was a problem he couldn't solve through torture and the fictional-United States being on the receiving end of several presidential coups, a presidential assassination and a smorgasboard of WMD attacks (including not one but mmultiple nuclear detonations) -- at this point, FOX is scraping the bottom of the barrel for plot-lines).

Anyway, a hearty welcome to Alexam. I commend Michael Joseph for inviting him. I look forward to what I hope will be an airing of diverse (yet Catholic) perspectives.

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