Contempt for Wingnuts by Today's Respectable Conservative

411guy · **Joined:** Mon Mar 16, 2009 8:55 pm **Posts:** 903

Here is what Dee asked in a previous post:

mazdee wrote:

Do you mourn the death of Wm Buckley, Steve?, because I do! There used to be intellectuals in your party, people I admired, debates going on. Now, the reasonable voices of your party are being completely overshadowed by a bunch of crazies.

Interesting. Today's torch bearer of Wm Buckley's ideals, NATIONAL REVIEW senior editor Richard Brookhiser, seems to be likewise disturbed by this situation. Here was what was said in an interview:

"He (Buckley) made conservative ideas respectable. And the way he did that was by making sure he presented them at the highest level. You know, whether he was doing it himself, or whether his magazine was doing it and he also did it very aggressively."

http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/10302009/watch.html

"But none of the celebrity standard bearers who have replaced him, as spokesmen or voices of the conservative movement, Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity, Sarah Palin, Rush Limbaugh, would last a minute on "Firing Line." (Buckley's show on Public TV)"

OUCH!

gringal · **Joined:** Mon Nov 24, 2008 4:42 pm **Posts:** 619

I miss Buckley. It would have been interesting to watch him skewer a few of the lightweight minds attached to big mouths. :mrgreen:

AustinC · **Joined:** Mon Dec 01, 2008 8:45 am **Posts:** 273

I think that very few would watch Buckley's show were he alive today. For me, the mark of American society's decline began with the popularity of Jerry Springer, a mayor turned comical rabble rouser. Political commentators today appeal to those seeking entertainment i.e. "skewering" rather than challenge of the intellect. Al Franken is a SNL comic turned US senator. Dubious credentials until one considers that his state also elected a pro wrestler as governor :roll:

sparks · **Posted:** Sat Oct 31, 2009 4:15 pm

But Al Franken is smart and had every right to call Rush Limbaugh what he did - A Big Fat Idiot - because he is.

gringal · **Joined:** Mon Nov 24, 2008 4:42 pm **Posts:** 619

To be a successful comedian.......you'd better be smart. I wouldn't venture an opinion on the intellectual gifts of a wrestler turned governor.....but then, CA has a bodybuilder turned gov....so I guess the next thing might be a beauty queen turned governor turned presidential candidate. :mrgreen:

BTW, my reference to "skewering" a lightweight mind referred to Bill Buckley's amazing gift for language and analysis........hardly in the Jerry Springer class of entertainment. I don't think we've lost our collective ability to appreciate that ...yet.

sparks · **Posted:** Sat Oct 31, 2009 4:35 pm

I was never sure if Buckley believed everything he defended or just enjoyed the debate .... so would upset any apple cart he ran across. If he just enjoyed making fools of others ... he would have had fun with the latest wingnuts

411guy · **Joined:** Mon Mar 16, 2009 8:55 pm **Posts:** 903

I can just imagine Glenn Beck bawling on the "Firing Line". Waaaaah!

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Contempt for Wingnuts by Today's Respectable Conservative

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