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What could be more interesting than an hour with Bill Kristol? When it comes to political talk, not much. Jay and he talk politics, sure. That includes 2016. But they talk about a lot more, too. They talk books and history. They talk about words (within politics, true): “neocon,” “establishment,” “socialist.” They talk about growing up, and the Iranian bomb, and abortion.
Listen to it once, listen to it twice. Kristol has a lot to say, and every bit of it is worth hearing.
*Besides Kissinger. And Krauthammer. And Dwight Gooden.
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Gentlemen, please read of The Ingenious Gentleman not simply for your edification but for the unbridled pleasure it will bring!
Jay,I think you should put the question of what people mean by ‘the Establishment’ out to the Ricochetti and see what people say.
Here’s just a few possibilities:
People so steeped in the Wash/NY mindset that they seem to have a Stockholm syndrome relationship with the Democrats, The NY Times and Washington Post and try more to please them than their own supporters .
People so immersed in the Wash NY corridor that they think hiring a Democratic operative like Stephanopolous to moderate Republican debates is perfectly reasonable,not just once but again and again and then even after his despicable behavior in 2012 they were on track to do it again if he hadn’t dropped out on his own.
People who seem to have no fight in them whatsoever but always want more money so they can play ‘opposition theater’ where the Democrats get everything they want while we get told, ‘there’s nothing we can do’
The people who keep hiring consultants like Schmidt and Murphy who despise Republican voters and whose advice to Republicans basically comes down to ‘ be Democrats’
That’s hilarious.
Establishment has come to be personified by Boehner and McConnell / Pelosi and Reid and the DC cabal imo. It is certainly not as complicated as Jay and Bill characterized the word’s political meaning. Much of the media is also part of the cabal; those who are not are easy to identify
Jay – I finally found some bit of knowledge not held by Bill Kristol and yourself. Listened to Don Quixote and there are some overlong portions (typically not part of the story line) but some good laughs. Near the end were some interesting quotes that I used on Facebook (below).
Apropos current issues, I quote Don Quixote’s advice to Governor Sancho Panza on governing:
– “one is to be civil to all” – (Mr. Trump that hairdo befits you)
– “Make not many proclamations [laws]; but those thou makest take care that they be good ones” – (Congress, not so much, it’s time to recess);
– “above all that … [laws] be observed and carried out; for proclamations that are not observed are the same as if they did not exist” – e.g., immigration laws, good, bad …or indifferent enforce something.
– “encourage[s] the idea that the prince who had the wisdom and authority to make them had not the power to enforce them” – only 17% of Americans approve of Congress and 23% still think we have a monarchy.
– “laws that threaten and are not enforced come to be like the log, the king of the frogs, that frightened them at first, but that in time they despised and mounted upon” – make your own obscene reference and then fake-apologize for it.
– “Let it not be seen that thou art … covetous, a follower of women, or a glutton” – may have solved that over-crowded debate and “first husband” problem.