National Review review

Given that this is the mini-silly season and that it reaches to apogee tomorrow here in NH (FINALLY, the First In The Nation Primary Is Here – And Soon Will Be Over For Another Four [no, Three, {er, Two? <screw it - Wednesday>}]).

As I said before, enough is enough, even for political junkies. And yes, a conservative one (Doug and I joke that we are just to the left of Attila the Hun).  But even our friends on the left (bloggers, politicos) are also agreeing with us – Please, let it be over!

Yup – conservative, I am.  And I read conservative things – National Review magazine subscriber as well as NRO (The Corner, Phi Beta Cons, The Campaign Spot) every day.  And this past Saturday could have been considered the dessert for this political feast – The National Review held a Forum consisting of Mark Steyn, Rob Long, and Jonah Goldberg.

Now, with a blog and a radio show, I sometimes read their work and go "gee, maybe if I buckled down and stopped doing so much stuff, I could do that".  You know, like most Senators upon looking into the mirror in the morning and see the next President of the United States. 

After listening to the three of them riff for two hours straight on subjects far and wide, I began to have my doubts.  When I realized that almost every second or third line evocated laughter from the crowd, well, not so much.

They are the A team…..and I’m maybe….M?  They were virtuosos, playing the English language like world class musicians playing their instruments or world class athletes plying their sports.  In their big dog world, I (and almost all other pundits) are mere chihuahuas.

It was great fun!  Entertained, informed.

I tried to live blog it.

THAT was a mistake and abolutely senseless.  As opposed to the campaign events, I went to be entertained, and was hoping to get a few choice lines.  It didn’t take long to realize that THAT was not happening tonite either (great, oh for two).

My short set of notes:

Commenting on that factoid was Jonah Goldberg: 

Members of AFSCME just might spontaneiously combust if they knew who was next door!

He also introduced Mark Steyn in the following manner (noting the "trouble" he is having up in Canada:

Steyn – the Salmon Rushdie of Canada

Rob Long comments on the major cause of Islamofascism and Bill Clinton’s proximity:

It’s the birthrate, stupid

Silliness on my part: 

I’m sitting here, and I just told TMEW that the three debaters should get the crowd here to all scream “Hi AFSCME, we’re National Review Online and we’re evil and you’re deluded!” after opening the door to the folks next door!

That’s why they are the A team and I’m at the M level

Can’t remember who said these:

Bill is the jazz player in the world of politics – Hillary is tone deaf

Jonah:

Look at who the Dems are voting for: the most experienced Dems finished last, going upward in less and less experience

Steyn:

John Edwaqrds would be the ideal candidate – for us pundits.

What has the Dems done for black America? Viable black candidates Obama, Powell are not American born blacks. 

Obama is a sign of the mark of the maturing of the black americans…

Jonah (quipping afterwards):

…as opposed to Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton 

Again, these guys virtuosos in talking and riffing and going off on tangents and bringing stuff from way out there and make it sound like it was absolutely scripted to a T.  Jonah and Mark are the best at this, and Rob brings in the one liners.

Talk about world class pundits and extemporaneous speakers with a wealth of info about “stuff”!

I thank Thomas More College and National Review for holding this event!

Again, Jonah Goldberg:

Mark Steyn:

and Rob Long:

Also there, I found my Meet The New Press co-host, Pat Hynes (as he was scurrying between the NR even, the debate goings on, and the McCain crew over at Jillian’s, on the left, below).      

AND, I finally got to meet Ramesh Ponnuru (who has been on the show a couple of times) on the right:

Amusing final note: A well known NH House Representative from the Lakes Region brought her full size Ronald Reagan cut-out to the event.  She reported today that it was stolen by the end of the event. 

My observation:

Maybe it was the AFSCME folks – I guess they’re still upset with him for PATCO!