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Throw the Book at Him
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Testimonial to a Great American
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A Close Call at the Newseum
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Obama’s Imbroglios
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My Rahm Reunion
May 16, 2013 | 16 comments
The Current Crisis
The Coming Election and My Life Jacket
Captain Tyrrell navigates the Great Lakes.
WHITEFISH POINT, Michigan — I have just cleared the “Soo” locks of Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, passing from the lower Great Lakes to Lake Superior. In fact, I am now anchored just off a beautiful lighthouse on Lake Superior. Yes, you have guessed correctly. I am in a boat, a cruise ship in fact known as the “Yorktown,” possibly in honor of the famed battle that ended our War for Independence, though possibly for some other achievement. I shall not hazard the question to our extremely busy captain. He has enough on his mind, and I am told these waters are treacherous. My life jacket is never far away.
This is the first American Spectator cruise undertaken with National Review. The editors and writers at the National Review are old hands at conducting cruises, and so I am watching them closely for instruction and wise counsel. How is a landlubber like me to conduct myself on a cruise? When do I put on my life jacket? Do I wear it at meals? When do we abandon ship? When do I speak? John Miller, the national correspondent for NR, and Jay Nordlinger, a senior editor for NR, are sage mentors and very knowledgeable speakers. Along with them are AmSpec writers Grover Norquist, John Wohlstetter, and John Fund, who AmSpec shares with NR. Giving even more heft to our discussions of politics is George Gilder, an expert on practically everything.
Then there is the audience. They are erudite readers of both magazines, joined by a leavening of bystanders along for the lectures and the sun. It is cool here on Lake Superior, the largest of the Great Lakes and the deepest by far. Deep water makes for cool temperatures. The rest of the country may be sweltering, but here we are cool and relaxed. Great transport ships ply these waters with iron ore and other commodities as we hold forth, basically on politics. If our bystanders have learned anything they have learned that we conservative readers of AmSpec and NR believe that the election this autumn is a mere formality. President Barack Obama is destined for one term. President Mitt Romney is destined for two. Another way of putting it is that Liberalism is Dead.
I got the proceedings off to a brisk start by delivering a lecture on the topic of my recent book, The Death of Liberalism. In policy terms the Stealth Socialist in the White House has gone well beyond Liberalism and spent money like a Greek prime minister. He has governed like a particularly extravagant European socialist, nationalized a sixth of the economy (healthcare), and threatened the financial system (Dodd-Frank). He thinks America is just another failed colonial state. He is headed for defeat.
I wondered how this would play with the audience and with our speakers. As it turned out, it played out just fine. Except for my admiration for Chief Justice John Roberts’ decision two weeks ago on Obamacare, the assembled celebrated my optimism. I expected as much from Grover. He has for years struck an optimistic chord, even in grim moments, and I think his optimism will be borne out. But even a “confirmed pessimist” like Nordlinger was sunny. On a panel whose rubric ran “Can Romney Win,” Jay said Romney would win “big.” He said that a majority of voters would ask themselves the question, “Would you like to rehire Obama.” The answer was thumpingly no. This President would be retired on his job performance alone. Romney strikes people as a “Turnaround Artist” who is “likeable.” Obama will “turn bitter, caustic, and dislikable.”
John Fund said Romney could only lose if he “read too many biographies of Governor Tom Dewey,” the New Yorker who went down in defeat to President Harry Truman in 1948 after running as a moderate Republican race. John called for Romney to “outline his own vision,” a conservative vision. Yet he cautioned that Romney must go out from his tight circle of advisors and reach out to the conservatives. Fund said that he knew no one on Romney’s inner-circle, and that he was concerned about the guy (Eric Fehrnstrom) from the Romney inner-circle who kept repeating blunders: his etch-a-sketch blunder and his initial claim that the healthcare mandate was to be paid for by a penalty rather than a tax, as the Congressional Republicans insisted.
Grover said we need to implement a vast program of reform and we need to do it soon upon Romney’s election. Luckily we have that program, “the Ryan Plan.” He was referring to Congressman Paul Ryan’s “Roadmap for America’s Future.” That sounds good to me. And upon hearing it I wandered off to look for my life jacket. One never knows when a squall might come up and the result could be catastrophe.
About the Author
R. Emmett Tyrrell, Jr. is the founder and editor in chief of The American Spectator. He is the author of The Death of Liberalism, published by Thomas Nelson Inc. His previous books include the New York Times bestseller Boy Clinton: the Political Biography; The Impeachment of William Jefferson Clinton; The Liberal Crack-Up; The Conservative Crack-Up; Public Nuisances; The Future that Doesn’t Work: Social Democracy’s Failure in Britain; Madame Hillary: The Dark Road to the White House; The Clinton Crack-Up; and After the Hangover: The Conservatives’ Road to Recovery.
Letter to the Editor View all comments (25) | Leave a comment
More Articles by R. Emmett Tyrrell, Jr.
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c. j. acworth| 7.12.12 @ 6:58AM
"President Obama is destined for one term. President Mitt Romney for two."
I hate to see hubris, Mr. Tyrell, especially coming from a man who confidently predicted that George H. W. Bush would easily dispatch the upstart frat boy from Arkansas. (I'm a long-time reader of AmSpec., and I have a good memory.) Also, I think the very best a true conservative could wish for wouldbe something like this: After winning his first term and just barely keeping the country from going over the cliff, Romney gets primaried out and replaced in 2016 by a real conservative who will fight for full restoration of our republic, not just nibble at the ankles of the welfare state.
TLP| 7.12.12 @ 9:02AM
Ya want a life jacket, R?
How about a Flat Tax? 17% No deductions.
How about we Drill EVERYWHERE, and Build that there Pipeline, eh?
How about we get rid of every single Job Killing Regulation, put in place by President Job Killer's Über Marxist boy - Cass Sunstein?
How about we give Dodd-Frank the quick Death, that it so justly, deserves?
(Really. How Fcking Stupid do ya have to be, to let the two guys MOST RESPONSIBLE for the Economic Collapse, in this Country, write the supposed FIX, just hours before they're headed out the door?)
That's the Real Definition of INSANITY.
How about we Repeal Cuban Health Care, and put one in, of our own? We'll open up the Insrance Business, so that anyone can shop for Health Insurance Anywhere, the same way as they do Car Insurance, Flood Insurance, and Life Insurance.
People with Pre-Conditions will be put in to the Medicare System.
National Tort Reform, wouldn't hurt, either.
How about we Reign in the Outta Control EPA, and get rid of the Obsolete (as shown by their actions against Boeing) NLRB.
Open up the West for Mining Jobs.
Get Water to drought stricken Farmers.
Have the Ag Dept. stop Slaughtering people's Livestock.
And on, and on, and on.
This isn't The Gordian Knot.
And, even if it is?
I have just provided you with Alexander's Sword.
buckeyeman| 7.12.12 @ 10:23AM
Would you mind if I added:
How 'bout we make it a FELONY to illegally enter or remain in the US with a mandatory prison term followed by deportation and a permanent ban from re-entering this country?
TLP| 7.12.12 @ 4:10PM
I wouldn't mind, at all.
fmm| 7.12.12 @ 1:17PM
Please add Keep your hands off my IRA.
Johnimo| 7.13.12 @ 1:27AM
Problem is, Romney's neither a fiscal conservative nor a libertarian, and he cannot therefore instinctively respond to Obama's socialism. The best we can hope for are well written speeches delivered clearly and professionally. This is what Romney is actually good at. When he's speaking extemporaneously, he's too prone to wanting to be liked by everyone and too casual to be taken seriously.
Suzyqpie| 7.15.12 @ 7:15AM
Hi TLP. You hit on my favorite example of Washingtonian irony, DoddFrank. They named the reform after the architects of the disaster, seemingly unaware that they did so.
Appleby| 7.12.12 @ 7:26AM
"John called for Romney to "outline his own vision," a conservative vision"? Really?
Romney is nobody's idea of a conservative and probably wouldn't know a Conservative Vision if it came riding up in his car elevator. He's counting on the fact that people will vote for him because they want to "send a message" to the socialists and because no matter what he may say or do or believe, "he's better than the alternative."
My family and many of my friends and acquaintances are asking one another how we ended up with Romney as our "only choice" in the first place. We know almost as little about him as we know about King Zero, with the exception of his religion and his net worth. Who is this Romney, anyway? When is he going to start being "a choice not an echo" and tell us anything about himself and his plans that we can tie to?
C. Vernon Crisler | 7.12.12 @ 10:21AM
Dittos Appleby. If it weren't for Roberts, I'd still be voting for a write in. Conservatives are in for a lot of dissapointment if they see Romney as anything other than an any-one-but-Obama candidate.
Drunken Sailor| 7.12.12 @ 10:38AM
You forgot to add the Mormon bashing that you were spouting just a few short weeks ago.
CJW| 7.12.12 @ 1:05PM
DS
Every day this pompous canadian third party voter that helped elect Jimmy Carter and Obama feels compelled to inform us she cannot vote for Romney. Who cares?
Drunken Sailor| 7.12.12 @ 2:22PM
Point taken
janetd| 7.12.12 @ 8:01AM
Notwithstanding the fact that I'm a Michigander, you cannot find a more beautiful state then Michigan and her Great Lakes coastlines. Frankly, I'm tired of the Romney-bashing. It's time to join forces and defeat the REAL enemy here, Obama. I am a conservative, have been my whole life. Romney is what we have now, and you will find no more decent of a man then Mitt. His wife, Ann, is a gem and if not for any other reason, vote for Romney so we can get Ann.
DTOM| 7.12.12 @ 8:37AM
Except for Wisconsin, honey.
We aren't broke and we're heading in the right direction.
Yeah, Romney is no true conservative - but there is absolutely NO excuse for not getting everyone out and voting for him - four more years of Obama will have us in a new Great Depression and a real shooting war, featuring repeated terrorist attacks here, coming in our unprotected Southern border, facilitated by well armed Mexican drug lords...
Pecos Pete| 7.12.12 @ 10:10AM
The shootin' is already happening in Chicago and NY and lots of other places especially along the southern border.
benny havens| 7.12.12 @ 8:12AM
Writers who enlighten the people about the Marxists’ running our government should not be allowed to board a ship at the same time, especially on Gichigami. If the ship goes down, we the people will be relegated to Wolf Blitzer, George Stephanopoulos and David Gregory. The horror, the horror.
JimH| 7.12.12 @ 8:37AM
Have no fear. Mr Tyrrell at least is an expert swimmer.
DTOM| 7.12.12 @ 8:38AM
Benny,
Don't worry, it's not November. Ever listen to Gordon Lightfoot's song? It's gotta be November...
Peter McGrath| 7.12.12 @ 8:48AM
RET -
Your cruise will (if hasn't done so already) sail past the Pictured Rocks National Lake Shore - a national park on the north coast of the Upper Peninsula - a fantastic place to hike and camp this time of year. Look for Chapel Creek - a place where the tea colored waters of the creek flow into, and discolor, the otherwise stunning blue waters of Lake Superior. My favorite campsite is right next to Chapel Creek, a few hundred yards from the shore. Enjoy !
Who Knows?| 7.12.12 @ 10:42AM
Ah, George Gilder.
Brings back devastating---for me---memories.
I loved his writings, especially “Wealth and Poverty”.
Around 2000, I was also taking his newsletter, and being STUPIDLY in awe of his tech stock picks and previous amazing winnings, I “invested” in Globalstar, one of his favorites.
Lost almost all of it!
Thanks, George.
This was a “better late than never” lesson, for me, about investing. Ever since then, my stable strategy has been to invest in myself, by saving as much money as I can, one day at a time.
And, where to put the Federal Reserve funny money?
Real, physical things, durable goods, and gold. And, no debt.
As I wrote---thanks, George!
R Martin| 7.12.12 @ 11:31AM
Where to put that money? Don't forget classic Ferraris and Aston Martins.
Who Knows?| 7.12.12 @ 6:26PM
Hey, I am not rich!
Skippy| 7.13.12 @ 2:10PM
Nice garden planters for when personal vehicles are banned.
Ronsch| 7.12.12 @ 1:06PM
Mr. Tyrrell,
I see you are still among those who continue to try and find that "silver lining" for conservatives among the Chief Injustice's decision.
There is no silver lining in that! I am not the erudite scholar and writer you are, but my simple thought process can comprehend that we were let down, betrayed, and regardless of the idea that the Court is not here to protect the citizens (can you say checks and balances?) from bad political decisions, that this opens the door to any invasive taxes the congress people wish to foist upon the citizens (now serfs) of the former United States of America.
bluecollarbytes| 7.12.12 @ 10:14PM
Sounds like revitalization. Nice reading.
Romney could surprise some of his detractors given the low expectations. But he might turn out to be a great president. His turn at the NAACP podium got my attention. He made his points without pandering to, or diminishing the audience. They deserve the same president that we do, as Americans.
I hope Romney builds on his promise to eliminate obamacare, presenting, godforbid, a 'conservative' platform.