Peter Beinart argues that times have changed in the world and at the U.N.; hence the confrontational style that worked for Daniel Patrick Moynihan and Jeane J. Kirkpatrick, when U.N. majorities deserved a spanking, would be counterproductive now, when the U.S. actually stands a chance to build coalitions at the U.N.

I think Beinart fundamentally misunderstands the appointment. Bolton isn’t there to criticize the member states so much as he is to criticize the demonstrably corrupt U.N. bureaucracy. The problem this time lies not with the emerging democratic states (save, perhaps, insofar as they insist on condemning Israel), but with the bureaucracy (I could do more of this, but just go here for all the links you could possibly want) and the few contrarian "allies" who are complicit with it.