I have always kind of liked P.J. O’Rourke, but I have a piece of advice. Snark just doesn’t work that well if there isn’t even a hint of sincerity underlying it. It would be one thing if O’Rourke took a look at his options in this presidential campaign, threw up his hands, and said that these are no choices at all. But, if that’s what he wants to do, he should be clear about it. And it would be more convincing coming from someone who had once been a believer in something who now finds themselves in despair. The problem is, O’Rourke has been doing this routine for too long. It’s cynicism without calories.
In half-endorsing Marco Rubio only to demonstrate what a ridiculous person he is, he makes the case against his candidacy, but his criticism of everyone else is even more dismissive. The only joke in this piece that really lands is this one: “I’m a Republican.”
The only reason he’s a Republican that can be inferred from the piece is that he doesn’t like deficit spending. Social Security is insolvent; the navy buys ships it can’t afford; Marco Rubio borrows money to pay for a lifestyle beyond his means…just like Uncle Sam!
Harping about deficit spending is actually below O’Rourke’s intelligence. Significantly below, actually, which is why it is so consistently disappointing to see him engage in it by rote.
He’s a funny guy and super bright. If he could just add an ounce of seriousness and maybe a tablespoon of sincerity to his work, he’d be a welcome and pleasureful voice.
As it is, he’s painfully boring.
So, Saudi Prince Al-Waleed Bin Talal has a twitter quarrel with All American King Donald Trump!
Can P.J. O’Rourke Get Serious? No. Simple answers to simple questions…
It’s revealing that O’Rourke begins by claiming that he must support the Republican candidate. When you’re positioning yourself that way before going on to talk about how horrible all the GOP POTUS candidates are, including the one you’re supporting, you’re asking us to ignore you.
The worst thing about this column is that its satire is not funny. Even though it is clearly intended to be funny, there’s not a laugh to be found. That’s even worse than calling Sanders nutty and Hillary a fishwife, which is plenty bad enough.
He got his thirty pieces of silver.
couldn’t read it. sophomoric insults that he deludedly thinks are funny.
I mostly don’t like PJ O’Rourke for the reasons elaborated in the post. Yes, he can be amusing. But he is smart, and yet he continues to support this travesty called the GOP campaign for POTUS and give support to a worthless politician like Rubio? Please spare me.
I come a from a family who is well educated, well traveled, reasonably sophisticated and quite bright. That they can support what’s happening in the GOP and come up with “excuses” for why so-and-so is really “great” just makes me sick.
I’m outspoken about why I don’t like the “Democratic” party anymore (haven’t in a while) and why I have been opposed to a lot that Obama has done in office. While I may still vote for “Democratic” pols at the state and local level, at least I do my best to really learn about them and what they stand for.
For me, O’Rourke is much worse than someone like Limbaugh bc he does come off as smart, savvy, funny and in the know – and not just some brainwashing jerk.
Frankly, it’s way past time for thoughtful, smart people who want to identify with a truly conservative political party/movement to speak out about what a travesty the GOP has become – and how fascist.
JMHO of course.
I live in Illinois, so our state and local Democrats are corrupt, almost by definition. However, I’ve lived in the Republican suburbs long enough to know the Republicans are corrupt too. You just have to evaluate the individual and decide whether you like how they are doing their job (incumbents) or whether you like their track record/proposals (challengers). Either way, they are lining their pockets and their crony’s pockets. The question you have to ask is “Where’s mine?”
I’ve long thought of P. J. as a washed-up libertarian who hasn’t been funny since his National Lampoon days, and who made the mistake of reading Hayek and Milton Friedman during a bad acid trip (“whoa, I can have sex, drugs, and lower taxes. Sign me up!”).
the mistake of reading Hayek and Milton Friedman during a bad acid trip
Very good.
Jackson Childs:
“Genocidal air-guitar” — worth stealing.
I have never liked PJ O’Rourke. Not only because his reasons to be a republican seem stupid (and he gets more credit than he deserves), but because he reminds me of Atrios whose snark has prevented him from showing passion for anything.
I don’t much care for P.J. O’Rourke. His stuff impresses me as mostly a lie or half truth. When you suggest the deficit is bad management and SS is bankrupt you are lying, but lying with a purpose. There are some people who believe it as actual truth. And to those people you have, at best, told a half truth. And that may be the worst of all. The clown car is doing their worst – or is it best- to emulate him. One day the working people, who have little time to understand the nuance, may buy it all hook, line and sinker as if written in the Holy Book, and that is what worries me.
That day has come, Jonf.
He picks a Republican candidate by process of elimination and all 3 of the Democratic candidates are crazy for unspecified reasons. Maybe he should start writing about things other than politics.
Kicks down.
Unattractive in a comedian.
He should stick to “Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me” where he’s at least mildly amusing.
That’s because his competition is smart, funny, and liberal in that forum. If he couldn’t rise to the level of a “mildly amusing” conservative, they’d have to replace him with someone that could fill that role.
True dat. At least he rises above the Mallard Fillmore level there, perhaps because it’s mostly nonpolitical.