It's the MOVIE tough guy!

Conservative columnist Kathryn Jean Lopez in the New York Post (via Matthew Yglesias) reviewing Hugh Hewitt's book on Mitt Romney.

Hewitt opens the book with an odd quote though: "Mr. President," Dean Acheson says in a call to Harry Truman. "The North Koreans have invaded South Korea." Hewitt writes, "It is with evenings like that one of June 24, 1950, in mind that Americans ought to cast their primary and general election votes for presidents. When devastating surprises arrive, whether on Dec. 7, 1941, Sept. 11, 2001, or any such future day - and there will be many - our country's survival depends upon the man or woman in the Oval Office." Now maybe it's a New York thing, but if I didn't know I was reading a Romney book by a Romney fan, I'd immediately have figured I was about to read about Rudy Giuliani.

Yglesias has a hard time accepting that right-wingers like Rudy Giuliani when Rudy's main skill is striking a tough-guy pose. He also wonders why conservatives can't distinguish between "acts like a jerk" and "would do a good job of organizing a military campaign.'"

Actually, it's worse than that. What right-wingers really want isn't just for presidents to project "images of toughness," they want MOVIE images of toughness. Conservatives want presidents to respond to crises by yelling lines like "UNLEASH HELL" at the top of their lungs and they would particularly love the reference to Gladiator. Conservatives like gestures, big gestures. Lines like "Make My day," "Tear Down This Wall," "Wanted: Dead or Alive," or "Axis of Evil" turn politicians and leaders into conservative heroes and icons. That's why right-wing pundits like Giuliani. They can see him making the big iconic gesture in times of trouble.

As for actually waging a war--Iraq has proven that actually fighting the wars is not nearly as high on their priority list.