paul krugman says,

"The prevailing theory among grown-up Republicans — yes, they still exist — seems to be that Mr. Bush is simply doing whatever it takes to win the next election. After that, he'll put the political operatives in their place, bring in the policy experts and finally get down to the business of running the country.

But I think they're in denial. Everything we know suggests that Mr. Bush's people have given as little thought to running America after the election as they gave to running Iraq after the fall of Baghdad. And they will have no idea what to do when things fall apart."

as usual, he's right -- except for the part where "grown-ups" believe in magic. i may have some sympathy for the occasional religious miracle, but in general political miracles are few and far between: it's all strategery as far as the eye can see. so can we allow that these folks in denial are really grown-ups?

the "prevailing theory" that krugman cites reminds me rather uncomfortably of a passage in nick hornby's about a boy: the main character, who has not yet truly come to terms with the consequences of lying to people you care about, recounts an episode from his childhood wherein he told a friend that a wardrobe in his parents' home, rather like the one in the lewis novels, was a portal to an alternate world. he knew it was false. he could have cancelled. but he really wanted it to be true, so he and the friend spent an embarrassing saturday afternoon poking around a large, dark closet.

the moral of the story is that, despite the desperate hopes of "grown-up republicans," there's about as much chance of responsible governance from this administration as there is of finding narnia in my bedroom closet.

another moral of the story is that nick hornby novels ROCK.