Wednesday, October 15, 2008

I salute you, Tony

Tony Blankley is the "right" on the KCRW's "Left, Right, and Center," which is a weekly podcast I never miss. Despite how I rail against the conservatives, I have a soft spot in my heart for Blankley.

As country-club conservatives such as Christopher Buckley jump ship, and the likes of Bill Kristol are calling for "John McCain to fire his campaign," the loyal conservative intellectual is becoming a very rare animal indeed.

Enter Blankley:

So, in the months and years to come, it falls to those of us who advocate for free markets to persist in making our case. It is true that momentary events likely will cloud the public judgment and provide nefarious opportunity for statists and other political hustlers. --Blankley for the Washington Times on Oct. 3, 2008.
That doesn't really do him justice. You have to hear his subtle British accent to get the full effect. Go dig a "Left, Right & Center" podcast if you have the time. If you don't, I suggest you make the time. It's good radio and good politics. While we're on the topic, I never listen to lefty radio. To me, Stephanie Miller is as useless as Rush Limbaugh. I only listen to point-counterpoint formats (although I admit to checking in on the lefty site HuffPo. It's sort of a guilty pleasure of mine).

Buckley's Obama endorsement earned him a chilly farewell from National Review. They may want to rethink that. They might want to hang onto all the thinking country-club righties they've got. Maybe that's why I'm a softie for Blankley, he symbolizes the last loyal intellectual conservative for me.

I picture him in his stiff navy blue double-breasted blazer, his pocket square a discreet dash of color across his heart. Frozen in a proud salute, Blankley stands at the bow of the great sinking USS Republican while the pulpit rises, rises, rises and the stern sinks, sinks, sinks. One can imagine a single tear tracing the line of his cheek as he silently succumbs to the final gurgle, gurgle, gurgle.

Tony, baby, that UnderDog outfit sure looks cute on you. Come on over here and I'll brew you a cup of recession coffee any day of the week.

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

"...gurgle, gurgle, gurgle."

Blankley gives me on "The Left" an opportunity to hone my guilt by association skills.

Seven years as Newt Gingrich's press secretary.

Longtime hack for Rev. Moon at "The Washington Times."

Nazi.

But I agree with your thesis. If this election plays out like it's going now there will have been a fundamental change in the GOP. Ironic that we just talked about the sixties. This election is shaping up to be the GOP's 1968.

RJ

Anonymous said...

Since I failed the internet and can't properly post a link go over to Real Clear Politics and check out:

October 15, 2008
McCain's Next Duty Call
By Tony Blankley


RJ

Anonymous said...

(S)wine pointed me in the direction of Christopher Hitchens' recent surprising endorsement of Obama as well...check out hisSlate Article funtimes.

Erin O'Brien said...

Here is the link RJ's talking about

Yeah, baby, that's Blankley all right!

Viva Viagra!

Erin O'Brien said...

Blankley--from RJs link: "For example, as Obama has portrayed his political career as one extended beau geste to the ideal of American democracy, a slightly curious media would have thought to report on how he ran his previous elections."

Fuck me! That is exactly what I'm talking about what a fucking gas bag!

GURGLE GURGLE GURGLE

Erin O'Brien said...

Moment: welcome Hitchens!

Anonymous said...

Drunken, godless, Iraq war supporting motherfucker Hitchens.

Welcome.

RJ

Erin O'Brien said...

All Hail drunken, godless, Iraq war supporting motherfuckers!

Erin O'Brien said...

Can you tell I'm a little punch-drunk?

Verdant Earl said...

I like the point/counterpoint stuff as well, but my guilty pleasure this election season has been Keith Olbermann over on MSNBC.

Just as partisan as Limbaugh or Hannity but a lot funnier.

Anonymous said...

Worked w/Blankley in the mid-late 90s when I was doing Matthews' show; he was then, and continues to be an arse. He did lose a lot of weight sometime around '96 or so and looked mah-velous, though he still sounded like a donkey.

Stephanie Miller took over as host of "Equal Time" (formerly w/Dee Dee Myers and Bay Buchanan). She was an awful Liberal. We missed Dee Dee. Bay was all over her. I've heard her program on a limited basis since then...and I'm happy to see she's still awful. Her dad was Barry Goldwater's running mate...not that that makes a difference. Just useless trivia.

Erin O'Brien said...

Earl--I usually catch the big O online, but I loves me some 'o that, baby!

Swine: what I wouldn't do to set a spell and listen to all your Matthew's stories ...

Anonymous said...

Erin, meh, they're not that juicy. Day in day out kind of stuff. He was always nice to me, although he could be a major pumpkinhead to other staff members or members of the crew. I started with him in late '94 when he was basically unknown (he was writing a column for the SF Examiner and had been a Capitol Hill cop, then a staffer for Tip O'Neill) on a network called "America's Talking" which quickly became MSNBC. I think because of that longevity thing, he was nice to me. One interesting thing: his brothers are all diehard conservatives. He's the black sheep.

Unknown said...

Blankley once called George Soros, who was 15 years old when World War II ended, "a Jew who figured out a way to survive the Holocaust."

For that reason alone (although there are others), I regard Blankley as a piece of shit.

Erin O'Brien said...

Anthony, that is a stunning link. Thank you.

I love the way Blankley keeps using the term "self-admitted atheist." Is it an accusation? Last time I check, a person had a right NOT to believe in god.

And if such a believe is not "self-admitted," what is it?

Fucking Blankley, what a fucking tool ...