Pretty Sane for a Crazy Person
Going all the way back to the Nixon days, I always thought Pat Buchanan was the most sane out of all the crazy Republicans:
The GOP needs to confront the truth: The failure of the Bush presidency lies not in a failed execution of policy but in the policies themselves and the neoconservative ideology that informed them.
A letter writer in the NYT today (David Berman) channels some Buchananesque questions —
The real questions are these: Are conservatives interested in making a contribution to the next phase of American history, or will they continue to conduct politics as a team sport, in which winning is the only thing?
Will beating Barack Obama in 2012 be their only goal, or will the welfare of the nation and its people matter? When Mr. Obama reaches across the aisle, as he will, will there be anyone home?
And will William Kristol and the rest of the conservative elite turn their considerable intellects toward serious policy matters, or have they become so habituated to spin that they just can’t stop?
Are conservatives interested in making a contribution to the next phase of American history, or will they continue to conduct politics as a team sport, in which winning is the only thing?
Team sport. Winning is everything for them.
Will beating Barack Obama in 2012 be their only goal, or will the welfare of the nation and its people matter?
Beating Barak in 2012 is 100% of the agenda.
When Mr. Obama reaches across the aisle, as he will, will there be anyone home?
Mike Castle maybe.
Will William Kristol and the rest of the conservative elite turn their considerable intellects toward serious policy matters, or have they become so habituated to spin that they just can’t stop?
HA! This one is a hoot.
Oh here’s a fun one! Also from the NYT — Ted Nugent declares open season on moderate Republicans.
Third rate rock star – heh.
Sarah Palin & Ted Nuget 2012
YES!!!
OMG! I can actually picture that ticket!
Buchanan is about 30% truth and 70% delusion. He will startle you sometimes with insight before he goes back to the crazy. I have to say that Buchanan has never been a neocon, he has been pretty critical of the Iraq War all along. It has to be tough to be a true believer like Buchanan and see your party become the party of Bush.
Buchanan still thinks he can rewind the clock to 1959 so we can all drive large American cars, gays go back in the closet, those uppity Negroes get their smackdown. Jews are marginalized so Israel can be overrun. George Will calls him a mercantilist. He even wrote a book about WWII being “unnecessary” as in, the US should not have gotten involved. Why is anyone listening to him?
Buchanan is definitely a paleocon, and as UI notes he is often delusional with the occasional flashes of real insight, especially on the failures and hubris of the nonconservative project. Some of the latter are worth listening for.
I can see the Palin/Nugent ticket in 2012 too — and, really unfortunately, I can see Bill Kristol cheering this on as the best thing since Dick Cheney made himself Vice President.
I am so proud that I never liked Ted Nugent or his music. What an idiot.
Buchanan also surprises me at times, but I’m thinking those surprises will be diminishing. He loves him some Palin. His perspective will be greatly influenced by her rise or fall.