Cass. R. Sunstein: On Charles Fried, one of the most important conservative thinkers in the US

[babylonsister]

http://blogs.tnr.com/tnr/blogs/the_plank/archive/2008/10/24/reagan-appointee-and-recent-mccain-adviser-charles-fried-supports-obama.aspx

Reagan Appointee and (Recent) McCain Adviser Charles Fried Supports Obama

Charles Fried, a professor at Harvard Law School, has long been one of the most important conservative thinkers in the United States. Under President Reagan, he served, with great distinction, as Solicitor General of the United States. Since then, he has been prominently associated with several Republican leaders and candidates, most recently John McCain, for whom he expressed his enthusiastic support in January.

This week, Fried announced that he has voted for Obama-Biden by absentee ballot. In his letter to Trevor Potter, the General Counsel to the McCain-Palin campaign, he asked that his name be removed from the several campaign-related committees on which he serves. In that letter, he said that chief among the reasons for his decision "is the choice of Sarah Palin at a time of deep national crisis."

Fried is exceptionally thoughtful and principled; his vote for Obama is especially noteworthy.

--Cass. R. Sunstein

UPDATE: Fried writes to TNR: I admire Senator McCain and was glad to help in his campaign, and to be listed as doing so; but when I concluded that I must vote for Obama for the reason stated in my letter, I felt it wrong to appear to be recommending to others a vote that I was not prepared to cast myself. So it was more of an erasure than a public affirmation--although obviously my vote meant that I thought that Obama was preferable to McCain-Palin. I do not consider abstention a proper option.

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http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2008_10/015353.php

A FRIEND IN FRIED I've been following these Obama-endorsing Republicans with great interest, but there's clearly a distinction between surprising GOP support and the more predictable GOP support. Scott McClellan? Not a surprise. Ken Adelman? A surprise. Colin Powell? Not really a surprise. William Weld? A mild surprise.

But Charles Fried is not only a surprise, he's a first of sorts.

snip//

Fried is not only a respected lawyer and credible voice on judicial issues, he's been an advisor to the McCain campaign. And as of this week, he just couldn't go through with it. He'd seen what McCain had become, and he threw his support to Obama.

Are there practical implications of notable Republicans siding with Obama? It's hard to say without any real data, but I do think it undermines of the McCain campaign's central talking points -- Obama the "extremist." I suspect there are probably at least some independents out there wondering, "If Obama is so far from the mainstream, why do Colin Powell and a bunch of Republicans keep endorsing him?"

[speedoo]

1. K&R. Thanks for posting.

Great point re. extremism.

[babylonsister]

3. It does take the wind out of their argument, doesn't it. nt

[FKA MNChimpH8R]

2. Interesting, indeed.

Fried was always considered to be a genuinely principled conservative and the antithesis of a table-pounding RW nutbag. I believe he was at HLS at least part of the time when I was there, though I can't be sure. He's without question an extremely brainy guy who has had a distinguished career both in the judiciary and in academia.

I can't help but think that Fried's choice reflects a bit of old-boy pride in an HLS magna who was President of the Law Review. Fried knows what these things mean as intellectual accomplishments as a long time professor at the school.

[grantcart]

4. Fried well there is only one word for him

MAVERICK

[babylonsister]

6. More mavericky than many, but maybe he'll start a trend. nt

[FrenchieCat]

5. This is the intellectual part of the GOP who understand that

we are in deep doodoo here and around the world....and that it will take skill and strategy to get us out. That is why they are endorsing the brain trust of Obama-Biden! They are not fools. They may have the wrong policy, but they ain't crazy.

[babylonsister]

7. I know there appear to be few intellectuals, but may the rest of them

come forward and make their cases, too!

[Hissyspit]

8. Cool. Kicked & Recommended.