Patriotism is an indispensable weapon in the defense of civilization against barbarism.

For all the talk about the bitterness and the partisanship in American politics, is it really that bitter and partisan? Think of American history. Think of Joseph McCarthy. Think of the New Left. Think of [George] McGovern. Think of [Ronald] Reagan. Think of George Wallace. We've had an awful lot of real extremism on both wings.

Having defeated and then occupied Iraq, democratizing the country should not be too tall an order for the world's sole superpower.

I still would say generally that more people have access [to] and take advantage of more diversity of opinion than was once .

I think it's fine that there are five million people who are watching [politics on TV], and obviously I'm happy they are since they're on the air, and there are a couple hundred thousand people reading The Weekly Standard online, and that's great too, but most Americans aren't engaged that intensely, and are much less partisan.

Mitt Romney has to convince the American public that they need to do something they're not usually inclined to do - replace a sitting president with a challenger. And unlike in 1980 and 1992, when the public was persuaded to do just that, the incumbent president has not been weakened by a primary opponent.

He has a competent person, I think who will be confirmed as HHS secretary, Congressman Tom Price.