Art of Manliness

Politics and books

Currently reading one of the books by P J O'Rourke and I am wondering, why doesn't the GOP get more like him out into the popular media and muzzle the likes of Glenn Beck? I think they'd pull in a lot more voters. He's more entertaining than John Stewart and unlike Beck, shows that the right has a lot more brains than one would think by skimming Fox.

Also, I recently read Atlas Shrugged (not bad, but could have done without the entire philosophy of obectivism being shoehorned into one part. That could have been done in about three lines.). I also find it strange how popular it is with Christian conservatives since its protagonists are clearly anti-religious. I also read once that Paul Ryan was inspired by it to go into politics. That doesn't make any sense to me. It would be like being inspired to becoming a pirate after reading Peter Pan.

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Permalink Reply by Jack Bauer on January 23, 2013 at 2:37pm

I like O'Rourke quite a bit.

We don't muzzle people. Beck carries enough audience to justify himself. Unlike Ed Schultz, for instance.

Permalink Reply by Titus Techera on January 23, 2013 at 2:49pm

You read Atlas Shrugged? That's a lot of time you shan't see again in a hurry. It's longer than the collected speeches of Abraham Lincoln!

Permalink Reply by Nick H on January 23, 2013 at 3:13pm

I shouldn't lie. I didn't read, I listened. Audiobook. I had a lot of driving to do recently. It was 60hrs long. I think my eyes owe my ears a big thanks. There was quite a bit I agreed with. Not all and the characters were oversimplified and unrealistic but my inner fiscal conservative definitely found areas it agreed with.

I think O'Rourke is my new favourite author. I feel bad I'm only discovering him now.

Permalink Reply by Titus Techera on January 23, 2013 at 3:30pm

Listening is almost as bad as reading. Ayn Rand is one of those things that reassures me that Americans do not pay attention, being good-natured folk. People still buy it in astounding numbers, because it's supposed to have to do with how Americans have that frontier spirit. Then again, Americans also like Born in the USA, but if you read what that Springsteen guy is shouting, you might begin to wonder whether they're really paying attention...

But if you want to see a good novel about the kind of man that Rand saw in her way, read The hunter. The guy who wrote it was one of America's best novelists, especially 20th century. It's action-packed & the stuff you see is astounding. Not a moment of the bad prose of the intellectuals either. You're never being told about the higher selfishness &c., you're just shown the most independent man known to literature, at least modern literature.

O'Rourke is reliably funny. I hope he won't be forgotten anytime soon; don't know how he's selling these days. You don't need to feel bad; just enjoy the man's humor; give the stuff a moment to sink in & you're well on your way.

Anyway, what you need is to understand the importance of what are called social conservatives. I think the easiest way to do that is to see what neighborhoods look like once they're taken over by drugs; or cities for that matter. That turns anyone with a head on his shoulders into a law & order conservative post-haste.

Permalink Reply by Nick H on January 23, 2013 at 4:33pm

reply function acting up again.

I think like Born in the USA, the feel of the tune seems to affect people more than the words.

Ever hear Lenny Kravitz sing "American Woman". Sounds like he's talking about how hot and sexy American girls are.

Listen to the original version by the Canada band, The Guess Who, and it sounds completely different. The song was interpreted at the time as an anti-Vietnam Protest song. The Guess Who played the White House once (Nixon's kids liked them) but were told not to play that song.

The Guess Who version
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkqfpkTTy2w

Lenny
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzWHE32IxUc

Permalink Reply by Titus Techera on January 23, 2013 at 5:17pm

Well, the guy rhymed 'war machines' with 'ghetto scenes'--with such insight into the nature of things & of the times...

Yeah, people like the sound of something or they don't; it's the same with poetry. People like it or they don't; it's unusual to have people listen or read like they're doing detective work...

Permalink Reply by Erg on January 27, 2013 at 12:28am

Couple reasons:

1. Populist anti-elitist are a core part of the Republican party. They respond to Glenn, not PJ.

2. The audience for for-profit conservative media dictates what for-profit conservative media outlets show. Beck is what they choose, therefore that is what they get. Conservative elites don't have much control over media outlets. (that said they did get rid of Beck on Fox)

3. The GOP is mostly conservative, O'Rourke is mostly libertarian.

Sidebar: I am so sorry you read Atlas Shrugged. I am not a Rand person, but Anthem or the Fountainhead is the right choice for nonobjectivists.

Permalink Reply by Nick H on January 27, 2013 at 7:22am

Being a diehard Rush fan I think I owe it to myself to read Anthem one of these days.

Permalink Reply by Nick H on January 27, 2013 at 7:24am

NOTE, Rush the BAND (Geddy, Alex, Neil), not Rush, the fat version of Glenn Beck

Permalink Reply by Titus Techera on January 27, 2013 at 7:28am

Nobody would ever suspect you of sympathy for El Rushbo, Nick...

At least Anthem is pretty short. The problem is, there's little plot, dialogue or character to talk about-

It could have made a good Twilight Zone episode; the show did have very clever ideas every now & then, didn't it? Just shows that clever stuff can be startling, too.

Permalink Reply by Michael D. Denny on January 28, 2013 at 7:50am

Currently reading one of the books by P J O'Rourke and I am wondering, why doesn't the GOP get more like him out into the popular media and muzzle the likes of Glenn Beck?

Because that end of our economy is still relatively free-market, and Glenn Beck is better at getting himself out there. You see Nick,, neither of these Men work for the GOP. They both produce a product, then market that product. The rate at which the product is consumed is governed by the demand within the consumer population that is created by the producer and distributor of said product.

By the way, neither of them work for fox news, either.

I think they'd pull in a lot more voters.

That is an argument AGAINST O'rourke, not one for him.

I'd rather be correct, than the most common denominator. We live in a world where just about half the population would vote for Obama again, despite the fact that he is one of the worst performing Presidents in American history and blatantly one of the most corrupt. Engendering their vote is not smart politics, it's prostitution.

I can't comment about Atlas Shrugged or it's author. I've read about ten pages of it and found it dry and tedious.

Permalink Reply by Erg on January 28, 2013 at 1:49pm

As a Democrat I certainly hope your fellows continue to feel that way Mike. I'd like to continue winning.