George Will, the pundit whose name is invariably followed by the words “Conservative columnist,” has made some memorable statements in his time. This is the man who once wrote, “You really don’t want a president who is a football fan. Football combines two of the worst features of American life. It is violence punctuated by committee meetings.” This is the man who once wrote, “In the lexicon of the political class, the word ‘sacrifice’ means that the citizens are supposed to mail even more of their income to Washington so that the political class will not have to sacrifice the pleasure of spending it.” He is a younger version of the late William F. Buckley.
George made an appearance on the Good Morning, America television program this morning, and during the course of the interview he said something not only a little less memorable but also, I think, intellectually dishonest. It was a typical mainstream media comment if I ever heard one. This is the latest from George Will: “Barack Obama is more or less liberal; John McCain is more or less conservative.”
He probably figured he was talking to the millions of Americans who don’t pay any attention to politics whatsoever but who do watch Good Morning, America. The Great Unwashed, in other words. Well, as someone who watches television but also bathes occasionally, here’s what I thought. Saying that Mr. Obama is more or less liberal is like saying the flood in Noah’s time was more or less wet. And saying that Mr. McCain is more or less conservative is like saying snow is more or less green.
If Mr. Will was being facetious, my facetiousness detector is definitely on the fritz. Either George is slipping or he’s just not a morning person.
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