All of a sudden, the fire-breathing socialist from Venezuela is beginning to make some sense

LET'S NOT CALL IT a fresh start. It may not even be a pattern. But all of a sudden, the fire-breathing socialist from Venezuela is beginning to make some sense. Never one to miss an opportunity to razz 'the empire' (aka the United States), President Hugo Chávez seems to have been taking double doses of 'nice' pills lately. It took Mr. Chávez only a few days to decide that his new and vastly unimproved intelli- gence law was a no-go. Requiring citizens to snitch on each other, Cuban-style, set off a firestorm of protests from those concerned about civil liberties. Then came the most surprising turn of events. Mr. Chávez transformed himself from the No. 1 cheerleader for the FARC rebels in Colombia, who long ago were corrupted by the drug trade, to being their biggest obstacle. Call off the war and release the hostages, advised Mr. Chávez. And what do the rebels get in return? Nothing, suggested Mr. Chávez. So what's going on here? For starters, you can forget the idea that this Bolivarian radical has somehow been born again as a peaceable democrat. Mr. Chávez's radical goals remain intact. But it's clear that the president's highly refined political instincts have convinced him that he can push only so far. Despite Mr. Chávez's consolidation of power over the past decade, this key oil-producing nation remains a democracy. It is that democratic resilience that helps explain the good news coming out of Caracas.