The Isolationist Imperative

Dick Morris has a very perceptive article today about the importance of isolationism in public policy debates. Here's the key graf.

Why do majorities support the Patriot Act and NSA wiretapping but oppose the war in Iraq? Because the true swing voters in politics today are isolationists, who vote with the left on Iraq and with the right on homeland security.

It is impossible to understand politics today without grasping the essential power of isolationism in our political community. The voters who rate Bush's performance in Iraq negatively or who call for a pullout are not, in the main, dedicated liberals or even Democrats. Rather, they're marching to the beat of a drummer never stilled in our political music — the desire for the rest of the world to go away.

Morris notes that polling shows that true isolationists make up about one third of the voting public and a similar proportion of both major parties ' constituencies. What is more, about half of the voting public is situationally isolationist. Only about 15 percent of voters are reliably internationalist. This has been true for a long time, and 9/11 apparently has in no way diminished the isolationist impulse.

Read it here.

Smart guy, that Morris, even if he is vaguely repulsive.

UPDATE:

Taranto over at the WSJ notes Morris argument and suggests that Democrats are making a big mistake in arguing that the Bush administration is exaggerating the danger of terrorism.

Read it here.