Conservative Competition
The WaPost's Peter Carlson marks the 10th anniversary of The Weekly Standard with an jocular article focused on the magazine's contents and influence. He misses, however, one of the Standard's most important effects: Lighting a fire under National Review, which had grown moribund.
Today NR has reclaimed its position as the leading conservative magazine and is far more influential online than either the Standard or the once-mighty New Republic (which is getting lapped online by liberal competitors The Washington Monthly and The American Prospect). Even in the decidedly unprofitable world of think magazines, there's nothing like competition to spur improvements.