THIN SOURCING

by Virginia Postrel  •  Oct 9, 2003 at 9:40 pm

http://www.dynamist.com/528/thin-sourcing

Will Wilkinson unmasks the hilariously in-group sourcing of Noah Shachtman's credulously received American Prospect article on the alleged libertarian disillusionment with Republicans. Will writes:

If all libertarians are blogging, Dean-leaning, Washington, DC libertarians, who at one point or another were Koch Fellows and/or have worked at the Cato Institute, then that might really throw a wrench in an election. Way to dig, Noah!

The libertarians who matter to the Republican party are mostly people you've never heard of--or really famous people like George Shultz. They aren't a few college pals hanging around Cato and IHS. And judging from the mass email I got inviting Dallasites to this Cato event, even Cato is still warily friendly with the GOP: "Our keynote speaker will be Rep. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.). Jeff will discuss the prospects for the 108th Congress and what can be done to bring limited government principles back to the Republican Party." Real Dean voters don't like Jeff Flake. (I do.)