My Favorite Columnist

Whenever I read Jay Nordlinger, I distinctly get the feeling that his pieces are virtuous, lovely, and of good report because I get the feeling that he is that way himself. I've posted him before on here, but he is an editor for National Review and contributes (at least) weekly columns called Impromptus where he addresses anything and everything. He'll always touch on politics, obviously, but he'll also do classical music critiques and comment frequently on food and sports. I just love him. I hope we all read stuff that is uplifting. Anyway, yesterday he wrote:

Hmm, speaking of public servants: Barack Obama gave the commencement address at Wesleyan University. And, naturally, he called for the kids to enter “public service.” That’s what they all call for. And this is of a piece with Mrs. O.’s infamous statement (one of them), to wit,

We [Barack and she] left corporate America, which is a lot of what we’re asking young people to do. Don’t go into corporate America. You know, become teachers. Work for the community. Be social workers. Be a nurse. Those are the careers that we need, and we’re encouraging our young people to do that. But if you make that choice, as we did, to move out of the money-making industry into the helping industry, then your salaries respond.

Just once — one friggin’ time in my life — I’d like to hear a commencement speaker say, “You know what I think you should do? If you can, I think you should start a business. You should think of an idea, and act on it. Give the public a product or service it needs. And make your company grow, and enrich your shareholders. That is a wonderful thing you could do for yourself, your neighbors, and mankind.”

But we are unlikely to hear that at a commencement ceremony, and you know why? Because America is a capitalist country where, curiously, a socialist mindset holds sway. Does Obama have any idea why he has such a rich country to play with, politically? Where does he think those tax revenues come from? Does he have any idea at all?

Building a better mouse trap, and selling it at an affordable price, is a public service. Michelle Obama speaks of a “money-making industry” and a “helping industry.” Evidently, she didn’t learn very much at Princeton and Harvard, or wherever she went. Henry Ford and Bill Gates have “helped” her a lot. Only she doesn’t know it.

Barack Obama looks out at veterans and says he sees “fallen heroes.” He wonders how the actors got up on Mt. Rushmore for North by Northwest. He says that the Reverend Wright “married Michelle and I.”

But never forget that George W. Bush is stupid — and Dan Quayle, and Reagan, and Ford, and Goldwater, and Ike, and nearly every other Republican. Never forget it.

Friends, I’ve got much more for you, but I think I’ve ranted enough today — and, if I’m not careful, we’ll have to rename Impromptus “Rantings.”

Catch you soon, dearhearts, and thanks.

Jay just feels genuinely friendly to me. The two points that he makes with respect to Obama are that the North by Northwest scene Obama is referring to was obviously done on a set, and then the language gaffe. He's right, though, because if Bush or Quayle or any of those other Republicans made similar mistakes in the same week, the press would be all over them. Or have you forgotten "potatoe?" I was probably only 8 years old when that happened and I still remember it.