UPDATED WITH POLL
William Kristol unlike his other conservative Republican intellectuals has decided to go down with the McCain Ship. While most of his cocktail party buddies consider Sarah Palin an anchor, rather than a lifesaver, Kristol is her advocate. It has been reported that Kristol urged McCain to choose Sarah Palin over the objections of Karl Rove.
Leaving aside the question of whether the Palin choice was a result of Kristol's big brain or the swelling of another part of his anatomy, it has puzzled me why Kristol has jumped on the populist Republican bandwagon, rather than abandoned ship with the other intellectuals.
His editorial answers that question.
The entire column is worth reading here:
Viva McCain by William Kristol
But I want to focus on the part that reveals Kristol's and McCain's motivations. He quotes McCain discussing his favorite movie, Viva Zapata:
"It's a heroic tale of a person who sacrificed everything for what he believed in, and there's some of the most moving scenes in that movie that I've ever seen. And one of them is he gets married--the night of his wedding night--he gets up and he and Jean Peters are in their hotel room--this little room and she says "What's the matter?" And he says, "I gotta go to Mexico City tomorrow. I've gotta be with Pancho Villa and Modero and these people." He says "I can't read." And she reaches over and takes the bible from the--table and opens it up and starts, "In the beginning." You know, it's a great scene. It's great and there's many others that are wonderful too, especially when he dies--when he gives everything for his country and what he believes in."
Having noted that Obama merely named the some of the most important movies of all time as his favorites, revealing none of his true self, Kristol concludes:
Which one of these two men do you want to be president in a time of crisis and difficulty? Viva McCain!
McCain does reveal himself -- accurately I believe -- as someone whose admiration is not for intellect, or judgment, or problem solving, or leading his troops against the enemy, but rather the heroism of a kamakaze. Thinking, resolving issues, working to build a concensus, not McCain's thing. Going out in a blaze of glory, guns blazing, suits him better.
Who do I want for a president? The person who will remain calm and focused on solving on the problems at hand; the person who will follow the arguments of the smartest people in the room and poke holes in them where necessary; the person who will be able to summon the rhetoric to lead.
Billy Kristol -- having failed to live a heroic life of his own -- has decided to vicariously live McCain's true heroism. Kristol may never field dress a moose, but he sure can support a woman who can.
But, for me, I want my plane piloted by someone whose aspiration in life is NOT to go out in a "blaze of glory!"