The (Ex) Washington Realist

One of the subjects of the discussion at today's magazine forum "New Divides on the Right?" was the question of where the "young realists" are and why the "older generation" did not do more to cultivate them.

After pondering a bit, I wonder if it is because most of the "older realists" came out of business--and came to some form of "realism" not through academic study but found it out of a pragmatism that was based in real world experience. Perhaps the assumption was that newer generations of business figures with international experience would continue to serve as a recruiting ground for senior appointments and that those who came out of business--where there are real world consequences for failures, like losses--would continue the "realist tradition."