Not too long ago, the columnist and die-hard Never Trumper Max Boot posted a video to his Twitter account, in which he alternately read from positive reviews of his book (mainly from liberal outlets) and harangued his ex-friends for failing to engage with his important critique of conservatism. Why is the right ignoring Boot? Is it because we are afraid to face the hard truths he tells in The Corrosion of Conservatism?
It is odd to watch Boot bemoan his ostracism from the right when the upsides have been a Washington Post column and contributor gigs on cable news. And it took a certain mania to solicit reviews from people who, I suspect, have steered clear of The Corrosion of Conservatism for old times' sake. When a former friend publicly burnishes his own rectitude by casting doubt on yours, the most gracious thing to do is keep silent.
I'm not as gracious as others, so permit me to accept Boot's invitation. Perhaps the encounter between two conservative writers, who vigorously objected to Donald Trump during the 2016 campaign but took different paths after his election, will clarify the American right's internal tensions. The divergence has proved poisonous to friendships. It has derailed some careers while catapulting others (on both sides of the divide). So be it.
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