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May 20, 2006

The Discourse Abides

When I saw that Ramesh Ponnuru was going to be on The Daily Show last week, I was pretty excited. Ponnuru is an excellent writer and one of the few reasons I regret letting my National Review subscription lapse. Sadly, his interview with John Stewart illustrated two things:

1. Ramesh Ponnuru doesn't get to appear on television very much because he can't talk in soundbites.
2. John Stewart is a pompous ass.

I agree with Kevin Drum that, "Stewart was in one of his moods where he treats the interview like a monologue, and Ponnuru hardly got a word in edgewise." The irony is probably lost on Stewart that in playing to the crowd, he was imitating the talkshow blowhards he so disdains -- though now that the brilliant Stephen Colbert does this on purpose full time, Stewart may feel that his sanctimony is excused.

Drum is on to something when he suggests that Ponnuru really set himself up for this by writing a book called The Party of Death. The title alone dispelled my initial buzz when I learned that Ponnuru was coming out with a book. What's more, it immediately brought to mind something he wrote a couple of years ago:

The Economist's "Lexington" column snipes at National Review this week, describing NR as a magazine from which a Republican will learn only that "abortion is a bad thing yet again." There is a lot that could be said about that comment, but I think the key thing to say to Adrian Wooldridge, the Economist's Washington editor, is this: I'm sorry my review of your book hurt your feelings, and I promise to write a rave of your next one if it's any good.

I'd now like to know what else Ponnuru had in mind that could be said about a statement he's now confirmed in Regnery form.

Posted by Zach Wendling at May 20, 2006 10:37 AM

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Posted by: Democrat at May 20, 2006 11:17 AM | permalink

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