Matt Yglesias

On conservative philosophy (or lack thereof):

"As a result, there's a tendency of conservatives to revert to (full-blown Nozickian) libertarian arguments when doing so suit them and then to drop these arguments (think of the gay marriage debate where we're constantly told that liberty must be restricted for the sake of the greater good) when the subject changes. Liberals, I'll admit, don't demonstrate much philosophical rigor either, but liberals mostly don't reach for such rigor either, choosing to splice together utilitarian-type arguments with emotional appeals (think of the children!) in a pretty slapdash day."