Is this a double standard? Sure. But a double standard is a standard nonetheless. Republicans can shake their fists at this reality and be continually marginalized in an ever evolving culture or accept it, adapt their behavior to comport with it, and be rewarded with increased visibility.

But this same admonition applies to the political left. In a way, theirs is a far more intractable problem than the one face by conservatives. Culturally conservative Republicans are all too aware that their views are considered antediluvian and distasteful by the nation’s cultural arbitrators in elite coastal enclaves. Liberals who stand in opposition to common morality, however, are utterly convinced of their righteousness and are more prone to lash out at criticism of their actions than to internalize it.

For one most recent example of this phenomenon, take the newfound fascination among some with the notion that lying to Amazon.com in order to take advantage of a discount available to mothers is not only justified but virtuous. This scam, proudly pioneered by Slate’s Matt Yglesias, has become something of an organizing principle within the community of respected liberal bloggers.