Backbencher

Nothing wrong with a little rant now and then! Yes, Clark sure can be circuitous. The answer, I think, is that Clark does not consider himself a social scientist (hung up on hypotheses and such things) but rather a story-teller, who has to wait and see where the story goes. He's making his country out of stories, not theses. Because of that he went out of style in the late 20th century. Stories are back in style in the 21st century, however. Lucky I lived this long!