Delegate Dysfunction

Matt Welch has been asking RNC delegates a simple question: "Why should a small-government libertarian vote for Bush?" The answers (I, II, III, IV) have been uniformly pretty bad. That's not to say that more articulate efenants can't make that case, just that the delegates may not be the people to be asking. The primary way one gets to be a delegate, in my experience, is by doing a lot of grass roots work for the party. The people that do the work are not usually the deep thinkers of the party. This is not to imply that these people are stupid, and most are far from it. They know why they support the GOP, but may not be able to make a case to you why you should.

However, judging from the pictures I've seen, the delegates excel at one thing: wearing silly hats. Something about the convention inspires these people to strap on any ridiculous thing to cover the brainpan.