So The Economist semi-declares:

A SPECTRE is haunting the United States—the spectre of Europe. Republicans such as Newt Gingrich, the grand old man of the party, and Mike Pence, one of its firebrands, say that Barack Obama’s Democrats are imposing “European-style socialism” on America. “As they try to pull us in the direction of government-dominated Europe,” says Mitt Romney, arguably the front-runner for the Republican nomination in 2012, “we’re going to have to fight as never before to make sure that America stays America.”

The piece, as it happens, is awful, and Steyn (who is mentioned by name) and Hanson are going to want to take a look at its misguided Europeanization musings.

UPDATE: Mark, of course, already did take a look at that! (It was a long weekend.)