The bad news is that St. John’s turns liberals conservative. The good news is that it installs a brand of conservatism so paleo as to become neo, thus neutralizing the ability of graduates to play directly into the culture war. The sort of ideological orientation Johnnies are given is such a rara avis in the political canopy that a Johnny possesses the special ability to bewilder and frighten partisans simply by stating his well-considered opinion. The source of the fright: a person with a strangely unwarranted confidence voicing weirdly undemocratic political opinions who displays no apparent awareness of either the New Deal or the presidency of Ronald Reagan. It doesn’t help matters when this holy fool sheepishly admits to having presented a refurbished gloss on the Laws to support his position on Social Security.