Don't give Pat Buchanan too much credit
If you ever wanted to know what Ron Paul is going to be doing in a couple of years, just flip on MSNBC. His model is on that network right now ... Pat Buchanan.
For some reason, Buchanan is getting attentuion these days. But I really don't know why. He was one of Richard Nixon's top henchmen -- one of the few who managed to escape unscathed and didn't have to go to prison.
After a few years on TV punditry, he decided to make a run for the presidency. Like Paul, he was good at getting headlines. Like Paul, he had his avid, diehard followers. Like Paul, there weren't enough of them to make him a serious contender.
In the end, Buchanan is one of those guys who can be interesting to listen to. But nobody in his party seems to be take him very seriously. John McCain isn't going to him for advice (as opposed to folks like Karl Rove and probably Newt Gingrich) and Barack Obama will simply ignore him as a rightwing gadfly.
It doesn't make him a bad guy. But there is no reason to think he represents anything more than a small, loud segment of his party. Just like Ron Paul.
Not a bad guy?
Go look at his website.
May 25, 2008 12:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
Go to amconmag.com and you'll know why he's not a particularly popular guy within the party. Pat is a fierce conservative and an unrepentant Republican, but he has no problem ripping the party (and particularly the Bush/neocon wing of the party) a new one whenever they deserve it. And they deserve it every day of the week.
The American Conservative is one of the best anti-Bush sites on the web.
May 25, 2008 1:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
I watch Pat every week on the McLaughlin group.
J. McLaughlin is getting old. When I was a little kid I remember him being this scary old pundit man. I respect him for staying so sharp as the years have gone by.
I can't fault him for having balanced input, but I can fault him for inviting the most annoying members of both sides of the aisle, pundit-wise, to his show. I'm thinking of Pat Buchanan and Monica Crowley on the Right, and Eleanor Clift on the Left. I do like the other fellow on the show, though his name escapes me at the moment.
Of course I agree with Eleanor's politics; but when she raises her voice to talk over Pat.... *Shudder*
May 25, 2008 3:21 PM | Reply | Permalink
The other fellow on the McLaughlin Group depends the on schedule. Clarance Page usually sits there but I have seen Mort Zuckerman and Chrystia Freeland of the Financial Times. Tony Blanklely was sitting in Monica's sit for along time.
May 25, 2008 4:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
Thanks 1849!
May 25, 2008 8:12 PM | Reply | Permalink