Bowling Blindfolded

Today, David Brooks invokes the Wild West and pleads with Republicans to recall the power of "community building" and "neighborhood life."

One wonders how he made it through this op-ed without once using the phrase "social capital" or referencing the work of Robert Putnam, whose "Bowling Alone: America's Declining Social Capital" outlines precisely how "successful outcomes are more likely in civically engaged communities."

I feel for Mr. Brooks, I really do, whose party was so quick to cheer Sarah Palin's mocking attack on President Obama's role as a community organizer. 

It'll be a long, hard road if Republicans want to reclaim this territory. I will, however, applaud any genuine efforts to do so.