A very well presented piece -- but it failed to completely convince me on two counts. First, Beinart doesn't lay out a clear explanation of how the New Left of the 1960s translated into the mainstream liberalism of the past two decades. For me this is a hole in the narrative and deserved a paragraph or so somewhere near the top of page two. Second, he seems to downplay conservatism's huge sway in the 1990s and early 2000s. He writes as if beginning with Gingrich's Congress the Republicans' trajectory has been downward. I find this assessment to be a bit weak.

Beinhart's sells his stability theory of American politics using historical narrative. It's a good read and a interesting way of thinking about American politics. He's careful to highlight the roadblocks for liberals, but his analysis of conservatism is a little empty.

This article provides fresh perspective on historical trends with which everyone is familiar. The line of reasoning is sound and the analysis compelling. Very balanced--not overboard in any respect.

This article contrasts: liberals of 1968 with liberals of 2008, FDR with Obama, and talks about what Obama could achieve.

The story is a bit superficial. It reports some of the shifts and trends, but implies that they happened magically, without cause, like a shower on a hot sunny day.