The American Spectator

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The Dearness of Life

7.14.08 @ 12:01AM

(Page 3 of 4)

Enough already with the lauding of Hunter Thompson. The guy wrote one pretty good book (Hells Angels and two that a lot of people like (the Fear And Loathing... volumes), which isn't exactly the same thing.

But he was also a pitiful wreck of a drug addict and an alcoholic and a reckless gun freak. What is most bothersome about that is that apparently other people who really should have known better (including law enforcers up in Aspen where he lived, who granted him a tolerance of his afflictions that surely no one else ever got there and he didn't deserve) found his obvious decline and substance abuse and firearms sloppiness funny. So he felt encouraged to continue on in his stupidity. Until the point where, I'm guessing, he realized himself how much of an embarrassment and a washed up phony he really was.

People tried to maintain the laughter after he killed himself, of course. They kept on recalling "funny" stories about his sad behavior. But drunks and drug addicts really aren't that funny, and that Thompson's friends insisted on trying to make his last decades funny only says something very sad about them.

In a page of generally burnished reminiscences of him I read shortly after his suicide, I remember but one wary voice who recalled Thompson's absolutely stupid firing off of his large caliber pistol through the roof of a San Francisco apartment and into the floor of the apartment above where a family with children slept. The writer was repulsed by both the act and by the encouraging laughter Thompson got from others when he pulled this stunt, and wrote that he never again found Thompson likable. I think this observation says it best about a writer who, sadly for him, outlived his most productive years and spent the latter part of his life entertaining his "friends" and admirers merely with the aggravated extent and obvious physical evidence of his decline.
-- Richard Szathmary
Clifton, New Jersey

ONE CHOICE ONLY
Re: Tony Perkins and Chuck Donovan's John McCain's Opportunity:

As a conservative and supporter of Fred Thompson during the Republican primary, I will say that if McCain does not pick a staunch conservative as his VP, I will seriously consider not casting a vote for president.

Mr. Perkins was afraid to mention any of his personal preferences for VP because he felt his choices would automatically be rejected by McCain. I think that is probably a fairly accurate prediction of McCain's behavior. It is a shame that Republicans have nominated someone who is so against people of faith and true conservatives. Some of the most common names mentioned as a VP choice should be wholly rejected by McCain, and conservatives should make it clear to him -- just as we made it clear to Bush that Harriet Miers was not Supreme Court material. If Bush had managed to get Miers on the Court, there is no doubt in my mind his next selection would have been Alberto Gonzales. We put our foot down on the Miers matter and we got Roberts and Alito instead. We had better put our foot down, now, and let McCain know that nothing short of a solid conservative as VP will be tolerated if he wants to be president.

Some of his recent pronouncements (such as on immigration, again!) have been disturbing and only a solid conservative as his running mate can off-set some of his positions, and assure me that there will be better days ahead when McCain does leave office, hopefully in four years.

Some of the most common names mentioned are Colin Powell, Condi Rice, Kay Bailey Hutchison, Tom Ridge, Joe Lieberman, Christie Todd Whitman, and J.C. Watts. All but Watts are ridiculous choices and it is a complete waste of time to consider them. All except Watts are pro-abortion; and all except Watts are moderate to liberal on several other issues. Although I have always liked Watts, my objection to him now is because of his recent statement that he, along with other black conservatives, are considering voting for Obama. They claim it would be hard to vote against a black man. Such a shallow reason disqualifies Watts, in my opinion. I don't understand how even a run-of-the-mill Republican can consider Obama for president, much less someone who calls himself conservative.

Bobby Jindal is attractive because he is a fixer of problems -- not one who tinkers around the edges. But at 36 years old, and less than one year as governor, he should wait for four or eight years.

Huckabee should not be considered because he is NOT a conservative, although he tried very hard to convince us he was during the primary. Other than life issues, guns, and his firm belief that God does belong in public life, the Huckster is a liberal. As a former pastor, he was the most deceptive and dishonest candidate in the Republican primary -- just as Obama was and still is on the Democrat side.

Mitt Romney will not be able to attract the Evangelical or conservative vote. Conservatives turned to him late, very late, in the primary when the only choice was between Romney and McCain.

Fred Thompson just doesn't appear to have the desire to go for it. Thompson and Romney would both be excellent in other top positions of a McCain administration.

I don't believe Rob Portman, Charlie Christ, and John Kasich (to a lesser extent), or some of the other governors mentioned will generate enthusiasm with the base of the party.

McCain had better look for someone who can get the "real" Republican base excited or he will lose. He needs to choose someone like Christopher Cox, the current head of the Securities and Exchange Commission and ex- House member for 16 years, or Rick Santorum, ex-House and Senate member from Pennsylvania, and maybe even someone with less experience like Sarah Palin, current governor of Alaska. If the readers are not familiar with those folks, please check their professional and personal biographies. They are very impressive all around and all are solid conservatives. Cox has a lifetime rating from the ACU (American Conservative Union) of 98%, and like Jindal, is a problem solver. As to Santorum, I realize he lost his re-election bid for the Senate, but that was in blue Pennsylvania. They may feel different about Santorum as a VP, especially after those small-town people in PA wholly supported Hillary over Obama in the primary. There is no doubt that Cox and Santorum meet the "credible president" test.
-- David Tomaselli

Letter to the Editor

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