Will has highlighted the growth of anti-Wilson sentiment on the left and the right. Writing in Democracy, Trygve Throntveit tries to counter the wave:
True, Wilson sometimes described himself as conservative. But Wilson’s understanding of conservatism bears little relation to modern conceptions. To him, it meant eschewing theory and taking experience–past, present, and most important, social–as one’s guide for responding to change. Essentially, it meant pragmatism. When, in 1910, his gubernatorial rival promised never to ignore “constitutional limitations” in serving the people’s needs, Wilson retorted that he would be “an unconstitutional Governor” who would do just that if circumstances demanded it. Three years later, he inaugurated his presidency by promising tariff reform, progressive taxation, expanded credit, and several other measures designed, as Cooper puts it, “to bring justice and protection to ordinary citizens” struggling with rapid economic change–and in 18 marathon months he pushed nearly all of them through Congress.
At the crest of anti-Wilson sentiment, a liberal magazine has published a defense of Wilson that is so thoroughly unconvincing it seems like a prank. How to explain that after years of claims that Bush assaulted the Constitution, liberals are now ready to praise Wilson’s willingness to shred it?
For Throntveit, the answer seems to be “pragmatism.” Discarding the constitution for pragmatic as opposed to ideological reasons is not only unobjectionable, but laudatory. This line of argument is a little eccentric, but its possible to see how it follows from the liberal love-affair with Sandra Day O’Connor. If a liberal jurist can shred the constitution for praiseworthy, non-ideological ends, why can’t the executive? Maybe we’re all doomed to love and hate Woodrow for the wrong reasons.
Patrick Cahalan 
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Borat: “I do a picture, only small, of the Tishnik Masacre. Where many Uzbeks…crushed!”
Kindly Gray Hippie: “How did you feel when you drew this?”
Borat: “Very proud!”.
KGH: “I’m just listening with sadness…a little sadness for your people…?”
Borat: “Yes…no, it is not sad. It is us who do the kill!”
When in doubt,
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It makes me sad to think that Sandra Day O’Connor is what passes for a “liberal jurist” these days.
Yeah, I probably should have qualified that.
I opted to strike through “liberal.”
Is there a site like “Things liberals like”? Because, if not, there should be. I had no idea they liked Wilson so much. When I was an undergrad, our professor basically told us he was an overzealous, feeble-minded ideologues. (Actually, come to think of it, that prof probably was not a liberal.)
well its news to me i like him so much, and i have a my life membership card as a liberal.
Mild liberal, never thought Wilson was worth a damn. Very surprising to discover that I liked him.
I was taught that he had the best of intentions but just couldn’t close the deal… now, FDR!!! *THAT* was a *PRESIDENT*!!!
Wilson was deeply racist. I guess it says something about liberals that they can overlook that in favor of his anti-trust policies. Wilson is also responsible for the intellectual argument in favor of having the executive be at the center of our political system, rather than Congress. I just don’t see a lot to like about him.
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