NRO: We're Just An Elitist Waste Of Time

h/t Hot Air - This pretty much sums up what's come to be my opinion of much of NRO these days. Jonah Goldberg writing on the Blagojevich scandal. This is what happens when you become "of the government" as opposed to "of the people" in an Inside the Beltway sort of way.

But in another sense, this is just plain enjoyable. It's like when you watch "Cops" and the idiot burglar tries to hide beside a tree in the dark, even though he's wearing light-up sneakers. It's like when Dan Rather dares the world to prove he's a clueless ass-clown. It's just good stuff. There's no tragedy here. No wasted potential. No undeserving victims.

With no apologiesto Goldberg whatsoever, some of us are not so jaded as to dismiss the profound tragedy a Blogojevich represents. But then we're the victims - the taxpayers. And as for wasted potential? Read the Constitution or contemplate that we are supposed to be a nation of laws, you insulated, to use your word, "ass-clown," a word which shouldn't even be on NRO imo.

Comments

[mark l.]

took them off my favorites a few weeks ago...

They're not a bad news/opinion source, but they are completely lacking a political soul.

Since Buckley died, it has been a death spiral. I don't blame the Lowery appointment, over junior, for it's failings though...

[Dan Riehl]

It's about legacy, I think. Just as with the Kennedy's, we are seeing that inherited wealth often produces poor offspring. Bucklet built it. Now you have a growing number of kids grabbing on for the ride without much to back it up. They're smart, no questioning that in most cases. But they are sorely lacking as pundits in many other significant ways.

[jharp]

So who are the top right wing pundits?

Kristol is a joke. Limbo, Hannity, O'Reilly are worse.

Is it George Will? No fan here but have found him to make sense occasionally. Unlike the others.

[SacTownMan]

I respect Thomas Sowell's opinion more than most. Michelle Malkin stays true to her conservative roots, it's too bad Geraldo pissed her off so that she won't do O'Reilly guest hosting.

I don't see O'Reilly as anything more than a moderate ego maniac.

Both he and Hannity spend a lot of time pumping themselves up on their shows but at least they have alternate veiwpoints expressed unlike the MSM and NPR tripe.

My co-worker has NPR radio on during the day sometimes and I just have to tune out most of the "global warming", Algore the hero crap they spew.

[Jake]

Charles Krauthammer

[Lala]

Sac,
Sowell my favorite, Krauthammer is up there.
Laura Ingraham, Mark Levine, Mark Simone, John Gambling, Ann Coulter, Kelly Fitzpatrick-Conway, Curtis Sliwa, Star Parker, Mary Catherine Hamm, Dennis Miller and one lefty, Ron Kuby.

[mark l.]

still limbaugh. very bright mind. hannity is probably the dimmest bulb in the box.
(although I'd bet a modest amount of money that he has relapsed)
oreilly, on a good night gets 1 million viewers. He has his own brand of 'conservative-lite', not to be confused with the 100 other various brands of con-lite.

I would put laura ingraham ahead of bill o or sean h, by miles.

sowell is taking over the role of domestic conservative voice, that goerge will held, circa 94. Krauthammer is actually the most salient blend of conservatism/neo-con-the go to guy for foreign policy. Love em both.

[WBestPresidentEver]

Lala, I agree, all of the above are good.
There needs to be even more. Maybe we will have some new up and coming faces sooner than later.

[Lala]

I forgot to put Michelle on my list and I spelled Levin's name wrong.

[Lala]

I have seen some I like on Fox who are new (to me) but can't remember their names.

[WBestPresidentEver]

Lala,
Yes, I like Michelle, she laid back and tells it like it is. Yes there are some new ones on Fox that are good like you said.
Only time will tell when we get a break from the luny left. They need to be reeled in and thrown into a cooking pot. LOL

[Lala]

I'm watching NCIS so I'm rushing. Mark Steyn, no one wittier than him, Maggie Gallagher, Lucianne Goldberg - Jonah's mother

[jharp]

I'll try to be polite but can't believe the trash I see named.

Limbaugh? C'mon three time divorced, limp dicked, drug addict?

Coulter? Malkin? Please. You can't be serious.

I will give a mention to Laura Ingraham. Though I disagree with her she at least has a little credibility and common sense.

And no Pat Buchanan? Not a fan but seems more reasonable than he used to be.

[Lala]

The Clare Booth Luce org. has a calendar out for those interested - Pretty in Mink

http://www.cblpi.org/calendar/

[Jana]

This is not a tragedy. People in Illinois vote for these corrupt jokers over and over again. The primary victims, for the most part, are the voters of Illinois, who willingly accept corruption from their politicians. I know, I lived there, and thankfully escaped.

Goldberg getting some amusement out of it isn't elitist. It's a perfectly reasonable response. But what a nice opportunity to whine again about how other conservatives super suck!

[jana]

I agree with Jana (and my name is Jana, too.... whoa... wacky karma connections? Maybe... there aren't that many "jana"s roaming around....)

This isn't about a tragedy -- it's about finally seeing some justice in this hell-hole. I currently live in Illinois, and so far? This is my favorite day since I moved here.

Illinois politicians are corrupt. End of story. No one cares. As a matter of fact, most people (from here) seem to think it's quaint. So long as the parks are nice and the union thugs are fed, it's just another day in the hood.

Thank God this corrupt jag is being indicted. If they could bring down Daley too, I would jump for joy.

[Dan Riehl]

For the two Janas - and the first sounds like an idiot. I'm not bashing conservatives, I'm bashing elitism. Look them up, they are different things. And it damn well is a tragedy that this is what large sections of America have done with their right to elect representatives. They've squandered it and will continue to because they are so ignorant. The other tragedy is that they will drag the rest down with them.

As for getting amusement out of it - read around. I did in my previous post. I'm not judging that. It's dark or actually sardonic humor. And I like it myself. It laughs because there is tragedy involved, not due to the lack of it. And that's precisely what Goldberg wrote - that there is no tragedy, no victims. How about the huge percentage of "conservative" Illinois residents who didn't vote for the crook? Looks like they are victims to me. Andthey'll go without a Senator for a time, as well as probably having to pay for a special election.

[mark l.]

look at the corner...

a collection of incredible 'border' fighters reporting in from the wilds. Yeoman work on their niche battles, but there is a much larger political conflict while their individual pursuits draw them away. It's painful, 20 or more frogs that might 'croak' twice a day

campaign spot, media blog...good stuff-those blogs have a life, but also fewer, if not singular writers.

Two issues that I would like to see them take stronger stands on. (It doesn't have to be either, but they are 'examples' of a strong stand.)

"no" on esaclating Afghanistan. It's a drug war on top of guerilla war with an endless stream of fighters, and absolutely no end in sight. buckely actually opposed Iraq,

"yes" on decriminalization of marijuana, provided that distributing to a minor is punishable as a felony in ALL cases. Buckley would have led the charge on this, especially given the soical permissiveness that already exists. Tax it, you'll make more money than tobacco. Budget shortfalls for states? here you go. Arnold should be jumping on the possiblitiy of taxing it (and, snicker, the jobs it would create).
http://www.nationalreview.com/buckley/buckley200406291207.asp

[mark l.]

one other name, sorry I forgot,

neal boortz.

[jharp]

And not one mention of Glenn Beck?

Isn't he the latest at the fair and balanced, we report you decide, network?

I believe the resurrection of the GOP is in a dire predicament relying on the names I see.

These were the folks that led you into irrelevance.

Maybe you ought to see what Pat Boone is up to. I think I saw that he was contributing to worldnetdaily recently.

[mark l.]

how's air america doing?
each person named has a following, beyond standard tinfoil muster.

they can draw an audience that pays the bills. The major reason why the libs haven't gotten ANYONE near this successful, is that they can't speak for an hour without offending common sense. Try doing it three hours a day, 48 weeks a year.

[mark l.]

I've seen several conservative writers mentioned.

jharp-you got any libs worth reading?

[WBestPresidentEver]

I'll try to be polite but can't believe the trash I see named.
Posted by: jharp | Tuesday, December 09, 2008 at 09:35 PM

--------------------------
Only trash I see here is you !

[Fred Beloit]

jharp can read? Anyway mark, I was just going to write, "Harpo, who asked you?" I detest that arrogant popinjay.

[Lala]

Me too, Fred.

[jharp]

jharp-you got any libs worth reading?

Posted by: mark l. | Wednesday, December 10, 2008 at 01:42 AM

Juan Cole for middle east issues.

Glenn Greenwald for Constitutional issues.

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/ just in general.

Talkleft is a good law blog

And also like washingtonmonthly.com and kevin drum.

And for health care issues Ezra Klein.

[jana]

Hmmm...Dan, I didn't think you were bashing other Conservatives. I get the difference between elitism and Conservativism. And I do agree that there is a tragedy here: the tragedy is that Conservative voters in Illinois are left out in the cold (pun intended, it's 26 freaking degrees here) when it comes to politics.

But... I didn't take Goldberg's comments that way. I didn't think that he was taking the larger picture lightly. I took his comments to mean that he was SPECIFICALLY talking about Blago and his cronies when he said there was no loss of talent, no undeserving victims. And that is absolutely true. The loss of Blago is a victory, not a tragedy.

The part I agreed with Jana #1 about is that the majority of people here keep voting these clowns into office. Like I said, so long as the Chicago parks are nice and the union thugs are satisfied, it's all good. Until the citizens of Chicago (and let's face it, Illinois is run by the Chicago machine) are ready to change the way things work, nothings going to change.

The only people who run for office here are Democrats and Democrats who run as Republicans (see: George Ryan). If an actual Republican (see: Jack Ryan) tries to run for any office of importance, they are taken down by the machine in the shadiest of means.

[mark l.]

a small irony on your collection?

between the group there might be 5 or 6 articles a year that get publicly syndicated.

none work for a major paper, or have a broad following.

[LOL]

probably explains why these guys at NRO have to beg for money every year too. It's freaking pathetic. Some of them have published books out and get fees for speaking. But I guess they must not be selling enough books, or these fat lazy idiots are just incapable of any other kind of income except begging for it over the internet.

In a way it's similar to those emails you get from Nigeria every once in awhile. They'll type a bunch of bullshit and expect you to send money with the promise that they will somehow enrich your lives.

[Troy Riser]

I tend to agree with NRO on this one: watching the crooked Governor of Illinois do the slow frog march to prison is downright delightful, and so is the spectacle of Rahm Emanuel ducking behind his kids for political cover from embarrassing questions, and so is watching Jesse Jackson, father and son, proclaim innocence while hiring lawyers. The Chicago Machine is coming apart, so why shouldn't good people laugh at the discomfiture of shady operators and con men? I also agree with NRO on another issue, as well: you do come off as a sanctimonious twit here.

[BobFrench]

Two things: 1) I would add Dennis Prager to the list. He is one of the few talk show hosts who seem to contextualize his message. It's not just conservatism in a vacuum. It's conservativism in the real world. 2) Baloney. everyone I talk to is happy to see a slimeball like this governor busted. And I mean SEE it. To SEE him get blindsided is wonderful. I agree that the language of NRO should be more elevated, but the sentiment is completely understandable.

[Easyliving1]

But in another sense...

Doesn't that negate Dan's point?

Wouldn't Dan's point be stronger if Jonah had written "in every sense..." as opposed to "But in another sense..."?

I just bought Liberal Fascism and eagerly await its arrival.

[Easyliving1]

I agree the ass clown stuff is inappropriate, and although I liked it when Buckley called Vidal a queer whom should stay plastered (because queer doesn't compare to crypto-Nazi), I liked it more that Mr. Buckley was not particularly proud of that moment.

[sammy]

Are our only choices Goldberg's elitism or Riehl's tenderfooted sanctimony? I guess I'll go for whichever is funniest.

[John Thacker]

The governments of Illinois and Chicago have long been corrupt, and continue to be corrupt. There's pure enjoyment in seeing Blago caught. Anyone who had a clue what was going on knew he was corrupt, like so many of the pols there. Being shocked by it is just ridiculous. This was in no way a revelation.

The situation of the local politics is terrible. Seeing him caught in such a way is indeed wonderful. Most of the local politicians are too smart about their "honest graft," and wouldn't get caught so directly.

Wasted potential? In Illnois? All the races for governor have been between members of the same bipartisan corrupt Combine machine. You can't hope that someone else would've won; corruption fights never get a chance-- the most you hope for is someone personally honest willing to "get along" and ignore the machine.

Given that everyone should've known it was happening, there are no regrets in seeing him get caught.

[mcg]

I'm with Jonah on this one. I think it's very helpful to read his entire comment, to see these words in context. I particularly agree with his dispute over the use of the term "evil" to describe what is going on here. Bin Laden is evil; Blagojevich is an idiot, and there is a wide, wide gulf of nefariousness in between.

And it's really not fair to suggest Jonah is saying there are truly no victims in this case. He is, after all, calling him a criminal, and criminals have victims. But he is indeed saying that the people of Illinois aren't victims in the same degree that the victims of, say, a terrorist are. And he's right. I mean, yes, the people of Illinois have been duped by a lout of a politician. But they are still alive to see justice done. I think the distinction is a reasonable one; even if you disagree about the level of distinction, you must at least concede it's real.

And finally I have no problem with Jonah's sense of humor, either.

So I'd say you've got a stick up yer butt on this one.

[John Thacker]

And that's precisely what Goldberg wrote - that there is no tragedy, no victims.

Wow, Dan, I think you completely misread what he wrote. In the precise sense, there is no tragedy here. But maybe I'm just being elitist by using the classical definition of tragedy, and that's what I automatically assumed Goldberg meant.

He said, "There's no tragedy here. No wasted potential. No undeserving victims."

A political tragedy is typically where a political figure with great potential gets caught up in the machine and becomes corrupt and fails to achieve the great things that he could have. He falls from good circumstances to worse because of his hamartia, often called his tragic flaw, but is otherwise a hero. The hamartia does not have to be a flaw, but could be a simple mistake from an otherwise undeserving hero who suffers.

This is not a tragedy. Blago had no wasted potential; he was a stupid, corrupt pol who married into the machine from the moment he started in politics. Blago was not going to achieve anything great-- the fact that he thought he could run for president in 2016 is laughable, not some kind of serious might-have-been. This is not a tragedy; it's a comedy or a farce, which describes Illinois politics for those paying attention.

[Jim Treacher]

Aw, jharp's reading list is so cute!

[daniel]

Someone did not read the final paragraph of Goldberg's column. here it is: "Hopefully, Obama will take away from this the humility that comes with realizing we are all — even The One — built from the crooked timber of humanity. Hence the genius of the Founders who built a government that took our imperfection into account. As James Madison said, If men were bleeping angels ..."

If you want tragedy, I suggest reading Shakespeare or Sophocles; and if you want an appreciation of the Constitution created by our Founding Fathers for a nation of human (that is, imperfect) beings, Jonah Golderg's column is not a bad way to begin. And that he has a sense of humor helps, too, a sense that anyone in the Riehl World might try to employ more often.

[Leigh]

Enjoying this immensely - "Our only native criminal class" - Understand this (and the doctrine of original sin) and one will never be disappointed - only amused.

[Paul A'Barge]

I'm with Dan.

The NRO'ers have turned in to nothing more than slick little hot house flowers, giving each other effeminate little conservo fist bumps on each others obscure policy points.

What wastes of flesh.

Book 'em Dano.

[LH]

Juan Cole for middle east issues.

Glenn Greenwald for Constitutional issues.

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/ just in general.

Talkleft is a good law blog

And also like washingtonmonthly.com and kevin drum.

Oh good God, That explains everything from jharp.
whack jobs one and all!

[syn]

"watching the crooked Governor of Illinois do the slow frog march to prison is downright delightful, and so is the spectacle of Rahm Emanuel ducking behind his kids for political cover from embarrassing questions, and so is watching Jesse Jackson, father and son, proclaim innocence while hiring lawyers."

Oh pleeze...nothing will happen to the crooked Governor of Illinois or Rahm Emaneul or Jessie Jackson or Jr or anyone wlse associated with this corruption.

First, they're Democrats (Think Spitzer, Schumer, Murtha, Franks, Reid, Dodd, Clinton, Rockefeller...et all...nothing ever happens to Democrats)

Second, they're well protected by the Party of Marxist Lawyers in both Congress, Ivy TOwer and private sector.

Lastly, NRO is too busy killing Republicans to bother with Chicago's whorehouse.

The very most that will happen is Blogo will resign and we'll never hear another word about what just happened.

[jummy]

to posit the constitution and the citzenry as direct "victims" of blagojevich's crimes is a treacly over-extension. i'm not a frequent reader here, but i suspect that there are other issues with goldberg and nro at play. what, i don't know. have they been insufficiently worshipful of st. palin?

[Donna V.]

How about the huge percentage of "conservative" Illinois residents who didn't vote for the crook? Looks like they are victims to me. Andthey'll go without a Senator for a time, as well as probably having to pay for a special election.

Well, the people of Illinois already have plenty of experience in going without a Senator for a time, since Barry ("I vote Present") Obama began running for Prez 20 minutes after he was elected to Congress. And, personally, I'd rather have potted plants in the Senate seats rather than the most of the bozos sitting in there now. Ficus trees can't lie and have never tried to steal my money.

I like this blog, but I agree with Goldberg and John Thacker on this one. This is farce, not tragedy and I'm enjoying the spectacle of seeing a foul-mouthed, dim-wit crook squirm. One of my favorite columnists is John Kass, who has been writing about "The Chicago Way" for quite a while now. If the rest of the media followed Kass's leads instead of dumpster-diving in Wasilla, the outcome of the election might have been different. And Kass has been very funny on the sorry subject of "Gov. Dead Meat."

[Marcus Auerlius]

Jonah's writing is being taken out of context, you are right up their with the MSM dimwits Dan.

Jonah's point is, this is a slam dunk case of someone doing wrong. There is little the press or Democrats can do to try to paint Blago as some hapless victim of a overzealous GOP prosecution. He is out and out a guy caught in circumstances no one can deny (except for Blago himself). That is why Jonah used the Cops illustration, that Blago is essentially could star in a white collar version of Cops - a guy too stupid to realize how caught he is.

And please everyone, give up "I am more conservative than..." crap.

Blago is going to go up, he might even get a cell next to the former Gov of Illinois.

[reliapundit]

you are 100% correct. bravo!

[reliapundit]

i will forgive jonah because he wrote liberal fascism.

[Charlie]

Are you saying that Blagojevitch is NOT an ass-clown?

[Dood]

I'm with Dan.

The NRO'ers have turned in to nothing more than slick little hot house flowers, giving each other effeminate little conservo fist bumps on each others obscure policy points.

What wastes of flesh.

Book 'em Dano.

Paul A'Barge
-----------------

You don't even read NRO, just like the other me-too elitists that just parrot each other's nonsense.

Perhaps, you can lecture to everyone now about the horror of Sarah Palin.