Somewhat Shorter David Brooks: Dissent

From the New York Times:

You know what makes the Republican party great? Dissent. Dissent, and lots of it.

I can't tell you how much we Republicans like dissent. Just a bunch of straight white dudes, sitting around dissenting.

That's us.

I mean, look at you Democrats, what with your multi-hued conformity. What has your recent emphasis on party discipline gotten you, besides defeating our plan to undo the Great Society?

Nothing.

You should really try dissenting.

Please.

UPDATE: The other frayed thread in Brooks' column is that Republicans are the party of the smarty-pants:

Moreover, it's not only feuding that has been the key to conservative success - it's also what the feuding's about.... Different factions looked back to different philosophers - Burke, Aquinas, Hayek, Hamilton, Jefferson - to define what a just society should look like.

Conservatives fell into the habit of being acutely conscious of their intellectual forebears and had big debates about public philosophy....

Unfortunately, Pandagon notes that this neatly contradicts an earlier Brooks oeuvre:

Knowledge-class types are more likely to value leaders who possess what might be called university skills: the ability to read and digest large amounts of information and discuss their way through to a nuanced solution. Democratic administrations tend to value self-expression over self-discipline. Democratic candidates — from Clinton to Kerry — often run late.

Managers are more likely to value leaders whom they see as simple, straight-talking men and women of faith. They prize leaders who are good at managing people, not just ideas. They are more likely to distrust those who seem overly intellectual or narcissistically self-reflective.

Republican administrations tend to be tightly organized and calm, in a corporate sort of way, and place a higher value on loyalty and formality. George Bush says he doesn't read the papers. That's a direct assault on the knowledge class and something no Democrat would say.