Who Is Charles Krauthammer ?

Pajamas Media ^ | January 29, 2011 | David Solway

[RobinMasters]

There's something cryptic and elusive about Krauthammer, like the coy Waldo in the famous puzzle. (And don't miss Steve Green on "Krauthammer Correcting Krauthammer." )

Charles Krauthammer has long been recognized as one of America’s most astute and authoritative political columnists, acknowledged as a cut above the majority of his scrivening colleagues. And yet there is something cryptic and elusive about him, like the coy Waldo in the famous puzzle. Perhaps he resents being put in boxes and wishes to preserve his independence of judgment, or his unpredictability.

Still, one detects a growing tendency to pronounce upon critical affairs without sufficient grounding in the penetralia of things along with a positional inconsistency that renders him at times maddeningly unlocatable, like a slippery electron in a split-screen experiment.

In other words, it is becoming increasingly difficult to determine where he can be reliably found on the ideological scale. Is he a conservative, a centrist, a “situational libertarian,” or all of these at different times? Is he a fiscal conservative like Terry Corcoran and, simultaneously, a social liberal like Alan Dershowitz? He is certainly far to the right of the New York Times, as any thinking person must be, but then he writes for the ultra-liberal Washington Post. Does he share a secret sympathy with choice portions of its editorial line or is he the paper’s resident conservative, whose purpose is to impart a semblance of impartiality?

[miss marmelstein]

Mr. Krauthammer - because of his condition - may not travel so much, I don’t know. But if he knew Britain like I do, he would know that knife crimes are absolutely out of control there. When you don’t have a gun, you simply substitute a knive, a machete, a rock, you name it.

I’m continually shocked by Americans who want to throw our 2nd Amendment under the bus.

[Verginius Rufus]

Krauthammer was a Democrat and may still be a Democrat. He is to the right of most of the pundits who get air time on TV. A lot of that seems to stem from his concern for Israel and wanting the US to pursue policies that will make it less likely that Israel is obliterated. He used to write for The New Republic which was very much a liberal publication but also zealously supportive of Israel. He is also scornful of some politically correct cant.

That he is perceived as "conservative" means that when he comes out with pro-Obama statements, it is demoralizing. You expect the liberals to praise Obama, but if a "conservative" does so, it looks like the situation is hopeless and there is no chance of defeating Obama.

[668 - Neighbor of the Beast]

Wrong, wrong, wrong. Sarah’s voice is perfect for her. ... Why in the world would she change it?

To become President of the United States. Women leaders are held to higher standards. Especially now, when there is very little to be merry about. We are in deep trouble and peril. YMMV, YMMV, YMMV.

[Free Vulcan]

When Krauthammer’s good, he’s very very good. When he’s bad, he’s horrible.

[miss marmelstein]

What I’m saying is: she is already at a high standard. That’s why I don’t want her to change. And she certainly doesn’t need voice lessons. Did you listen to her speech in response to Tucson? I was so impressed I almost dropped my beer can. She was brilliant - one of the reasons the Left went so crazy. Hey, if you don’t like her voice, support another candidate. Romney has a nice, smarmy, low-pitched sound.

[ncfool]

He is a JINO too. Not that it matters.

[Chgogal]

I stopped listening to Sour Kraut after his orgasmic comments of Obama and his acidic critique of Palin during/after the 2008 debates. He knew Obama was a Communist/Socialist and was not honest about it. Shame on him. I am disgusted with the Feds and the Media, including Fox.

[668 - Neighbor of the Beast]

I almost dropped my beer can.

Miss Marmelstein! I am appalled!

Seriously now, I'm not talking about the effect of Palin's voice on us. Here on FR we are conservatives (ie, people capable of thinking and inclined to do so). I'm talking about the mushy middle, the independents, the non-political Americans. I believe they outnumber us. I believe their votes are needed to get SP elected.

And if Palin did not agree with me on this, why would she be gradually modifying her delivery? You have surely listened to her regularly since 2008, it's obvious she's working on it. And working well, not changing too dramatically and suddenly. She'll get your vote no matter what note she hits; and she'll get mine. Some others, she'll have to get with a different approach.

[x]

Media punditry has a complicated history and to be a pundit is to have a split personality. If you go back far enough, that role started with reporters and editorial writers -- with people who hunted out the facts and those who just wrote their paper's opinions. The next phase was the "inside dopester" who repeated the gossip of the nation's capital and (sometimes) tried to find out if there was any basis for it. There were also armchair analysts who tried to fill their readers in about events in foreign countries. Then the press got increasingly ideological, and facts and rumors took a back seat to opinions.

So if you're a pundit like Krauthammer, you're writing about your opinions, which usually fall into one ideological camp or another. But you're also an "inside baseball" analyst, looking at who's lagging and who's gaining in the political world and trying to predict the future. In that role, you can't help but give praise to people when they succeed, even if you disagree with their goals. And then it's always possible that you may stumble on some stubborn, unavoidable fact and have to do some real reporting.

A lot of the complaints about Krauthammer reflect this split nature of columnists. One week he'll present a dissection of Obama that seems brilliant and ideologically impeccable, and the next he'll praise the president for getting out of a jam and bringing his poll numbers up. That's because he, like other columnists, are trying to do two things: to represent a point of view, and to pick winners. If you're only trying to do one thing, you'll resent it when he shifts his weight to the other horse. Those complaints are valid, but if you read columnists who only bang an ideolgical drum in season and out, you may find them less insightful and less worthwhile.

Articles like this are something else altogether, though. Solway is looking at Krauthammer from one narrow, limited point of view and complaining that Krauthammer doesn't agree with him. So? A lot of people probably don't, and their views may be better informed or grounded than Solway's own. There's a valid criticism in what he says, but his own view isn't immune from criticism either.

[mountainfolk]

I read that sentence aloud to my husband and we both had a good laugh and a following conversation about Masters, not CK. Sometimes a writer would do better curbing their enthusiasm for the unique word and just lay out what they mean to say in every day vernacular. CK uses language in an interesting and easily grasped way whatever his position is. At least on FOX news which is where I generally hear him. CK is intelligent and it irritates me when he goes left but he, as well as others on FOX, are hired to do a particular job and that has to be factored in as well.

[mountainfolk]

Correction, the author was not Masters, it was Solwey in an article from PJ media. Sorry.

[Recovering Ex-hippie]

You only see what YOU want to see....He is on TV as a commentator for crying outloud...Not in the therapists chair.

Hey, why not attack the man personally ? that comment was uncalled for....his physical disability makes him “look rigid” on TV, but his empathy comes through.

[wtc911]

Penetralia (noun) a region in sub-saharan africa known to be inhabited primarily by roving bands of benobo chimps.

[MinuteGal]

Palin's annoying chirrupy speech pattern and Alaska-Gold Rush days dance-hall-girl hairdo are main reasons that many folks don't regard her as having "gravitus".....like a Thatcher, Indira Ghandi or Golda Meir.

But...let Sarah be Sarah, I guess.

Leni

[mountainfolk]

When I heard Sarah’s speech after Tucson, I was gratified that she spoke in a lower tone and am hoping this continues. The high pitch used at rallies is alright but reminds me of Hillary Clinton screeching at her crowds. I think one of the reasons that Sarah has had such a good reaction to her speech was the better voice tone which was serious and subdued.

[dennisw]

TNR on its own wouldn’t raise too many suspicions, but when working for Carter and Mondale>>>>>>

Ages ago. 20-25 years. Liberalism is for the young

[arasina]

Regardless the reason anyone does it, low and slow is powerful speech.

Like Ronald Reagan. (the "low" [voice] not being the same as "deep" [voice]) Radio news programs yesterday were playing playing clips from his speeches about the Challenger space shuttle blowing up 25 years ago. I'm certain even "liberal ears" responded positively to Reagan's voice as well as his heartfelt words.

[MinuteGal]

You are absolutely correct in your observation. Her pitch was more subdued in her Tucson speech....and it was more effective as a result.

I recall that some months ago after I suggested in a sympatico post on Sarah that voice modulation lessons from a speech expert would be most helpful to her.

KABOOM!....a pack of banshees and warlocks swiftly and on cue descended on me like I had insulted Mother Theresa, the Pope and Jim Robinson combined.

No critiques are allowed of various favorites on FR, and she's one of them, of course. These shriekers never heard of constructive criticism, I gather.

Leni

[Stentor]

...but perception is everything in a campaign.

True, if you're campaigning to win the support of execrable dopes.

[tarheelswamprat]

See 53. Your response?

I had to go away for a few hours, and in checking back in on this thread I see you never got a response. That's what usually happens when Krauthammer fans are confronted with this quote. They simply cannot deal with it.

My pessimism about the future of this country is all too frequently validated by the fact that most discussions about these issues and people are still approached by most Freepers as some sort of sports contest. They're so wrapped up in rooting for "their team" or "their guy" that they don't realize they don't even know what the actual "game" is that's being played.

Thanks for all your efforts, though, here and elsewhere... /g