Rolling Locomotives
At the end of David Grubin's LBJ, the landmark 1991 documentary about the tragic story of Lyndon Johnson, historian Ronnie Dugger says that Johnson "was just interesting as hell. I mean, you know, compared to most people who kind of go through life vainly, making their dreadful moral points of condemning this or hoping for that or scratching the back of their head, Lyndon really moved. He was moving all the time. The few times I was with him, it was -- he was just fun to be around.
"And you liked him. You liked him. I liked him when I was with him more than I did when I was thinking about him...heh-heh."
It struck me last night that the dual worlds of politics and the film industry are overflowing with people of this type. Slick operators who are quite likable and charming and have really gotten around and seen the world and learned about human behavior first-hand -- people you always enjoy talking to, hanging with and are always waving to at parties -- but when you take a couple of steps back and seriously consider what they do, what they've done and what they're actually about, you can't help but go "hmmmm."
I for one love morally or ethically dubious people who are walking energy forces as long as they're not sexually molesting children or serving as concentration- camp guards. I love wit, energy, color and intensity of spirit, and while I respect virtue, principle and goodness I've never been very enamoured of people who embody these traits. The truth is that I tend to like right-wing guys as people, in part because they tend to shoot straighter than liberals. I just can't stand their beliefs and alliances. I'd probably be okay with Bill O'Reilly over beers.
Posted by Jeffrey Wells on August 15, 2008 at 10:42 AM
comment #1
JHRussell says ...
"The truth is that I tend to like right-wing guys as people because they tend to shoot straighter than liberals. I just can't stand their beliefs and alliances."
For myself, as a conservative (really a libertarian, but I digress), I tend to like liberals on issues unrelated to politics...I find liberals tend to be more subjective than conservatives, and subjective is often more erratic and unpredictable (or at least less logic centered and more emotion centered), but subjective also often translates to more interesting, or more creative and artsy...I love the arts, especially movies, and the arts depend on creative types who tend to the liberal end of the spectrum, and that is OK by me...as far as the beer or dinner partner test, I would much rather spend a few hours with, say, Norman Mailer than Rush Limbaugh...
Posted by JHRussell at August 15, 2008 12:07 PM
comment #2
robbiefantastic says ...
I'd probably be okay with Bill O'Reilly over beers
this statement may just symbolize one of the four signs of the apocalypse.
Posted by robbiefantastic at August 15, 2008 12:16 PM
comment #3
Count Thread says ...
I dislike it when people disagree with me, but I dislike it even more when people agree with me for the wrong reasons.
Which is why I defend the "rubes" and "righties" from the Ahab-like diatribes, even though I share very little in common with their lives.
Just because I don't have time for most people doesn't mean they're worthy of my scorn, vitriol and hatred.
Posted by Count Thread at August 15, 2008 12:17 PM
comment #4
Count Thread says ...
Oh, and two things.
Guess Wells never really hated that whole "Vietnam War" thing enough to hold a grudge against LBJ.
Second:
"I for one love morally or ethically dubious people who are walking energy forces as long as they're not sexually molesting children or serving as concentration-camp guards. I love wit, energy, color and intensity of spirit, and while I respect virtue, principle and goodness I've never been very enamoured of people who embody these traits."
. . . I find it challenging to square this with Wells trouble with Bill Clinton.
Posted by Count Thread at August 15, 2008 12:20 PM
comment #5
Bocephus says ...
This is a trick. Jeff just wants to poison O'Reilly's beer.
Posted by Bocephus at August 15, 2008 12:22 PM
comment #6
MilkMan says ...
Oh, yeah, I'm sure Bill O'Reilly is a really pleasant drunk. Not belligerent at all.
Posted by MilkMan at August 15, 2008 12:24 PM
comment #7
Amazing Larry says ...
When O'Really made those calls to Andrea Macris, I'm sure he was stone cold sober.
Posted by Amazing Larry at August 15, 2008 12:32 PM
comment #8
thevisceral says ...
The great thing about Hitler was, you always knew where you stood with him.
Posted by thevisceral at August 15, 2008 12:39 PM
comment #9
MilkMan says ...
On a hot summer day, no one had more fun in the pool than Idi Amin.
Richard Ramirez was a great guitar teacher.
Pol Pot had a pet tiger named Jean-Luc, and watching him feed the cat bits of human thigh (Jean-Luc was partial to professors and doctors) made the cockles of your heart sing.
James Huberty was a big tipper.
Joseph Stalin's eyes would light up whenever he talked about the films of Dorothy Arzner.
Angelo Buono and Kenneth Bianchi always used their turn signals when chaging lanes on the freeway.
P.W. Botha could do the cabbage patch if you asked him nicely.
Ted Bundy always brought flowers on a first date.
Mussolini always shared his cannoli.
Charles Manson believed every woman had the right to extended cunnilingus, and was second only to James Caan in that department.
Mao encouraged everyone on the Long March to jog, going so far as to hand out running shoes.
Jeffrey Dahmer never forgot to send a card on Father's Day.
Posted by MilkMan at August 15, 2008 12:57 PM
comment #10
Walter Sobchak says ...
That's why I never understood why people look for in a president "someone I could just hang out with".
My college buddies were the coolest guys in the world, but I'm not sure I want any of them engaged in disarmament talks with Russia.
Back in '96 I probably would much rather have been out chasing tail and dropping pops with Clinton than watching "Matlock" with Dole.... but that doesn't mean that I wanted Bill running the country.
(And for the last time, O'Reilly is a conservative populist... quit trying to dump him on the Republicans)
Posted by Walter Sobchak at August 15, 2008 12:59 PM
comment #11
C-PhreekII says ...
Politics is not for those who like their world in neat, black & white boxes.
Without LBJ, you don't have the Civil Rights Act.
Without Nixon, you don't have the EPA & Clean Water Act.
Of course, Bush seems intent on being the exception to the rule.
Posted by C-PhreekII at August 15, 2008 1:10 PM
comment #12
George Prager says ...
MilkMan is the child molester in GUMMO.
Posted by George Prager at August 15, 2008 1:37 PM
comment #13
va says ...
milkman: +2 ---- still laughing, and wiping the iced tea that sprayed all over the screen on your Manson/Caan line
Posted by va at August 15, 2008 1:51 PM
comment #14
MilkMan says ...
You're right, George. That's why I want you to be my Chloe Sevigny. And take a chance, We can even used your boyfriend's cock if that makes you feel more comfortable. Or maybe you want me to be more like that dude who gets out of the huge white pick up at the end of 29 Palms.
Posted by MilkMan at August 16, 2008 1:25 AM
comment #15
nemo says ...
So much for this thread being about Lyndon Johnson.
Posted by nemo at August 16, 2008 10:21 AM
comment #16
SpinDozer says ...
'I find liberals tend to be more subjective than conservatives, and subjective is often more erratic and unpredictable (or at least less logic centered and more emotion centered)'
Amazingly, Rt Wingers are exactly what you have described here...except for the unpredictable part. Big time gender-appropriate emotional SR-types.
Posted by SpinDozer at August 16, 2008 2:54 PM
comment #17
janee
says ...
Si vous etes interesses par le dossier, ou desirez en savoir plus, contactez-moi par mail, et je vous mettrai en contact.
Best regards,Jane, CEO of high availability computing
Posted by janee
at May 18, 2011 12:17 AM