Joe Hagan of New York magazine went on the recent post-election Caribbean cruise held by the conservative publication, the National Review. And his limning of the event is a revelatory classic on a par with Philip Weiss’ 1989 foray into the Bohemian Grove in terms of laying bare the functionings of those who consider themselves our betters.

During the holiday break (at least it was my holiday break, maybe not yours) snooty elitist New York magazine published an article by Joe Hagan about his adventures aboard the post-election National Review cruise on the S.S. Brutally Disappointed where he documented passengers – who ranged in color from alabaster to eggshell white as long as they stayed out of the noonday sun – commiserating with each other over the failure of the Republican party to woo enough of the dusky horde over to their side of the aisle in the previous weeks election.

Yes, Mark Steyn equated Mann with If-I-Had-Become-A-Priest-Like-My-Mother-Wanted-Me-To-Instead-Of-A-Football-Coach-I’d-Be-Sitting-In-A-Seminary-Right-Now-Trading-Beiber-Cards-With-The-Guys Jerry Sandusky.

Needless to say Michael Mann was not amused and threatened to sue. This in turn caused National Review editor Rich Lowry to substitute his wipe-n-clean plastic Palin-Watchin’ pants for his man pants, lather himself up with some Androgel and exhort Mann to “bring it on, bro!”

Poor sad little Rich. Today he echoes the conservative lament that the GOP just “doesn’t have our A Team on the field.” “A” apparently stands for Anonymous, because he has trouble even imagining who that might be.

Times change, the approach skews a bit, but at its vestigial-heart National Review remains the go-to source for the same ol’ racist claptrap.

You just knew after the historic events in New York on Friday night that there would be some truly deliciously unhinged wingnuttery coming from William F. Buckley’s old place. After all, under Buckley, the National Review was objectively pro-Jim Crow in the ’50s and ’60s.

Those sensitive, shrinking violets on the right took a day off from their racist dog whistles and comparing Barack Obama to murderous tyrants to whine about their hurt fee-fees.

Rich “Starbursts” Lowry haz a big sad over the GOP’s shitty 2012 candidates.

Truly, a mini-masterpiece of wingnuttery.

In case you missed it, the New York Times reported on some newly released recordings of Richard Nixon doing an excellent impression of Archie Bunker.