Here is an irony for you. According to Peter Robinson, in this piece at Forbes.com, during a conversation with the late, great economist Milton Friedman, Robinson noted that the intellectual battle against collectivism was largely won in academia...

Academia as a whole may have continued its long, sorry wobble to the left, I continued, but the economics profession had proved an exception, moving the other way. Departments of economics across the country now grasped the importance of free markets. "Mises, Hayek, Stigler and you," I told Friedman. "You've transformed the intellectual climate. You've won."

Friedman shook his head. "We may have won the intellectual battle," he replied, "but in practical politics, it's difficult to see that we've had any effect at all."

Government spending had continued to grow, he explained. After a pause during the Reagan years, regulations had once again proliferated. For a moment, Friedman grew silent. Then he looked at me.

"The challenge for my generation," he said, "was to provide an intellectual defense of liberty. The challenge for your generation is to keep it."

With the most Liberal politician to ever sit in the Oval Office due to take up residence there in January, I guess I would have to say, "Good luck with that".

Those who advocate a strong internationalist tilt to U.S. policy are also hopeful.

Michael Gerson warns the President-elect about three potential showdowns to avoid. From a purely partisan viewpoint, I hope he blunders into all three.

Meanwhile, the future of the GOP is being debated, with Jonah Goldberg making the case that the soul of the GOP consists of those who combine social and economic conservatism.

Bill Kristol writes about the Republican Governors Conference, and Fred Barnes sees potential silver linings in an Obama Administration.

Finally, while the political world is buzzing about the possibility of Hillary Clinton becoming the next Secretary of State, the most important story in the papers this morning is this one, which chronicles the laudable efforts by some to eliminate the maddeningly secure packaging of most toys and electronics. Having spent too much time on Christmas morning struggling with such things (oftentimes too stubborn to simply get the proper tools for the job), I fervently hope they succeed in their endeavors. If the Obama Era brings change like this, well, that's something I can believe in.