Friday, October 06, 2006

Feeling Dirty

I wasn't always a political animal. Until I was 23 I couldn't have cared less about government (or much of anything else, for that matter) and until I reclaimed my brain from the Navy I don't think I had ever been a real person. Upon my parole--I mean discharge--I quickly turned into The Guy With An Opinion About Everything, and more slowly began building some knowledge to justify my opinions.

George F. Will has been writing for the Washington Post for years, and I've sneered at him for thirteen of those years. I've taken too much pleasure in the idea that "George Will" and "Republican Shill" rhyme. During the Clinton presidency Will marched the Elephant party line, his voice ringing as the stereotypical partisan. He vilified Clinton and the Democrats on every issue the Newt Gingrich-led reds dredged up, and polished the Republican pedestal when he could.

Things have changed, though. The Republicans are no longer just evil--now they're visibly and demonstrably incoherent and delusional. And Will is making sense. He's been dislodged from the party line and seems capable of objective analysis, and the new Will is one of my favorite political writers.

His latest column, about the Foley scandal, made me laugh this morning. I don't know if it's generally accessible, but I'd recommend it.

I admire George Will now. And that makes me feel a little dirty, but I can live with that.

5 comments:

thomas said...
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Jason said...
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Anonymous said...

Benesh,
Thank you for fianlly posting something new. I've been checking
all damn week! Hopefully, you will be able to pull yourself away from the TV long enough to post some more this weekend. Bleargh!

Diana said...

I know EXACTLY what you're saying about George Will. I used to watch This Week With George Stephanopolis on Sunday mornings, and every time George Will opened his mouth, I plucked a dirty sock from under the couch and threw it at the television.

But now he is actually making sense.

Anonymous said...

If you want something similar from the flip side, you should try listening to Harry Shearer on "Le Show" (weekly podcast at http://www.kcrw.com/etc/programs/ls). Harry is certainly liberal, but not of the Al Franken vernacular. Much more tongue in cheek.

If you recall, Harry is the voice of Monty Burns and many others on the Simpsons. Also, Harry is "Derek Smalls" from one of my all time favorite movies "This is Spinal Tap". If you haven't heard "Big Bottom" you have been cheating yourself ;-)