RSS Feed MenuWashington Post columnist Charles Krauthammer just marked his 25th year as a columnist. This is significant because 25 years is itself a long time, and also because Krauthammer is one of the truly great columnists. He certainly is the single most trenchant and insightful critic of the Obama administration.
Krauthammer, moreover, is a model of intellectual rectitude and rigor; his thoughts and pronouncements command respect and recognition. The Right would do well, therefore, to emulate his example as it does political battle with the Left.
What accounts for Krauthammer’s success? Well, for starters, it’s not that Krauthammer is some delicate diplomat who pulls his punches: because he’s not and he doesn’t. Krauthammer is, instead, a tireless and withering critic of the president. Indeed, his rhetorical gun is always loaded; and he is always firing away.
But unlike many on the Right, Krauthammer is an excellent shot and a superb marksman, who, no matter the distance, almost always hits his target.
This is in part because Krauthammer doesn’t waste shots on foolish and self-destructive issues. Unlike the Birthers, for instance, he doesn’t go after Obama’s birth certificate; and unlike Rush Limbaugh, he doesn’t say that he wants the president to fail.
(Yes, I know Rush meant that he wants the president to fail at enacting his left-wing agenda; but that distinction was lost on most ordinary people, who heard only that Rush wants the president — and, by extension they think, America, the country that the president leads — to fail.)
Krauthammer instead focuses his tremendous intellectual firepower on legitimate issues and, in so doing, completely destroys the intellectual foundations of the Left, while laying waste to the Obama administration’s pretense to greatness.
In other words, Krauthammer is an intellectual Marine sniper. You want him on your team, and you want him covering your back. He’s that good.
Consider, for instance, last summer’s healthcare reform debate and the vexing issue of “death panels.” Krauthammer, of course, entered the fray and used his superior rhetorical incision to explain what the Democratic healthcare bills really said and meant for aging seniors. He began by eschewing the overheated rhetoric sometimes used by the activist Right.
We might start by asking Sarah Palin to leave the room. I’ve got nothing against her. She’s a remarkable political talent. But there are no ‘death panels’ in the Democratic health-care bills, and to say that there are is to debase the debate.
But then in a remarkable demonstration of sheer intellect and clear and lucid reason, Krauthammer showed conclusively that although there were no “death panels” per se in the Democratic healthcare bills, there were, nonetheless, unmistakable legislative and financial entrapments which might pressure the infirm elderly to die a premature death.
It’s surely not a death panel. But it is subtle pressure applied by society through your doctor. And when you include it in a health-care reform whose major objective is to bend the cost curve downward, you have to be a fool or a knave to deny that it’s intended to gently point the patient in a certain direction, toward the corner of the sickroom where stands a ghostly figure, scythe in hand, offering release [from life].
Soon thereafter, the Democrats dropped end-of-life “counseling” provisions from their healthcare bills.
Obama and the Democrats, after all, could rightly and heatedly deny that their bills contained any “death panels.” However, they could not so easily dismiss the cool and powerful reasoning of Krauthammer, who showed that the Democrats had designed legislation which incentivizes doctors and other providers to nudge the infirm elderly “ever so slightly toward letting go” — letting go, that is, of life.
The problems that afflict the Right are as much stylistic as they are substantive. Stylistically and rhetorically, we are sometimes too hot and overwrought; and this can frighten voters. We need to take a page from Obama, who, despite his far-left ideology, projects an image of cool and reasoned moderation.
Charles Krauthammer understands this. He knows how to fight, and he knows how to win.
CentristNYer // Dec 22, 2009 at 5:45 pm
1fingerwillie // Dec 22, 2009 at 5:01 pm
“MI-GOPer:
What have I said to make you say:
1) i am a troll
2) i am posting under more than one name”
1fw: First of all, welcome to Frum Forum. You’ll soon learn that MI-Goper is like the drunk at the end of the bar who has only one idea and feels the need to shout it out to no one in particular, again and again, even though no one is actually listening. It’s very simple: if you have a viewpoint that shows any actual thought or moderation, you’re 1.) a leftist, 2.) a commie, 3.) a dailykos reader, and 4.) a member of something he calls “the troll tribe,” which is a complete figment of his overactive, drama queen mind. He’s convinced that one person is writing many posts under multiple names. At first it was disturbing to be indiscriminately attacked by this raving barfly, but after you read a few of his totally unhinged posts you learn to sit back, relax and enjoy the show.
My best advice, though, is that you not engage him directly. It’s kind of like taunting a caged animal.
Anyway, welcome to the Forum.
Ill-Will // Dec 22, 2009 at 6:17 pm
1fw
I too am new here. I can’t figure out the nastiness of some posters. I just don’t get why if I disagree with you (not you 1fw) I must be a {fill in the blank: commie,fascist,or anti semite}. I’ll keep readin here but as far as posting, it may just be to tot for me.
Can’t we all just get along?
someone will suggest that I’m really Harry Reid. lol
we surrvived W, you survive Obama,
teabag // Dec 22, 2009 at 6:18 pm
1fingerwillie // Dec 22, 2009 at 5:01 pm
MI-GOPer:
What have I said to make you say:
1) i am a troll
2) i am posting under more than one name
1fw
Welcome to the forum 1fw.
Ignore the site village idiot, please don’t engage him as you only encourage him.
teabag // Dec 22, 2009 at 6:22 pm
“ll-Will // Dec 22, 2009 at 6:17 pm
1fw
I too am new here. I can’t figure out the nastiness of some posters. I just don’t get why if I disagree with you (not you 1fw) I must be a {fill in the blank: commie,fascist,or anti semite}. I’ll keep readin here but as far as posting, it may just be to tot for me.
Can’t we all just get along?
someone will suggest that I’m really Harry Reid. lol
we surrvived W, you survive Obama,”
Again welcome to the forum. Please keep posting. There are only 3 real teabagging idiots here who do the whole socialist,communist thing.
They are WilleyP, MIGoper and Franco 2
Just ignore these three. The rest of us need your input and common sense.
franco 2 // Dec 22, 2009 at 7:11 pm
“I too am new here. I can’t figure out the nastiness of some posters.”
Teabag says”There are only 3 real teabagging idiots here who do the whole socialist,communist thing. ”
Hey Teabag, please define for us the word “teabagging” and is being a teabagger better or worse than being a Socialist? Please explain.
Independent // Dec 22, 2009 at 7:14 pm
“Just ignore these three. The rest of us need your input and common sense.”
talking to yourself, even if you are using a different name or new handle, is the first sign of serious illness, mr teabag. the second comes with all the newer handles here you and your pals have crafted opening with “I’m new here….”
who ever said you were the joke for thinking the balance of us can’t see through your fakery was right. even the authors of this site know of your underhanded tactics.
let’s stay on topic and stop your personal attacks. and please recall that you don’t speak for anyone here except for the 5-9 names you post under… and the few that balconesfault posts under… and the few that –oh well, we all get the point.
i like krauthammer. i think he is the best example of how conservatives can fight the left and still win the day. he never engages in personal insults. he never enters blogs and posts under 5-9 different names. he keeps on topic. and he calls out the democrats and obama for what they truly are –conscientious objectors on the war on terror. good for him.
Danny_K // Dec 22, 2009 at 9:25 pm
This Krauthammer article made me think that Joe Klein was right: Krauthammer is a guy in a wheelchair who gets a vicarious thrill from watching healthy Americans fight wars. His complaints about the 90’s, with their full employment, strong stock market, peace and prosperity, show him to be pretty far from mainstream American opinion.
And if you follow Krauthammer’s column over a year, you’ll see him advocate maximum belligerence in every area — he’d like the US to pick fights with Iran, Russia, Venezuela, China… you’d think two major wars would be enough for him, but no.
By the way, Frum is proud to call himself a neoconservative, and always has been. He’s the guy who co-wrote the book “An End to Evil”, the silliest title for a foreign policy book I’ve ever seen. He’s downplaying his warlike tendencies for strategic reasons, but count on it: if the GOP gets in charge again, he’ll be kicking the tires on brand new war within months.
John Guardiano // Dec 22, 2009 at 9:40 pm
Danny-K,
You should be ashamed of yourself. How dare you suggest that Mr. Krauthammer “gets a vicarious thrill from watching healthy Americans fight wars.” What evidence do you have for this nasty and mean-spirited accusation?
The level of vitriol that many leftist bloggers exhibit, on this site and elsewhere on the Web — and always, of course, under the cloak of anonymity — is sickening. Sickening and detrimental to serious-minded and substantive dialogue and debate.
Please, vent your anger and your spleen elsewhere.
John
teabag // Dec 22, 2009 at 9:56 pm
“John Guardiano // Dec 22, 2009 at 9:40 pm
Danny-K,
You should be ashamed of yourself. How dare you suggest that Mr. Krauthammer “gets a vicarious thrill from watching healthy Americans fight wars.” What evidence do you have for this nasty and mean-spirited accusation?
The level of vitriol that many leftist bloggers exhibit, on this site and elsewhere on the Web — and always, of course, under the cloak of anonymity — is sickening. Sickening and detrimental to serious-minded and substantive dialogue and debate.
Please, vent your anger and your spleen elsewhere.
John”
Hi Johnny Neocon.
We just tell it like it is, the fact that you don’t like is is all good.
The Kraut was a major warmonger on Iraq, and totally wrong on every aspect of the push to that shameful war. And it’s subsequent aftermath.
The facts don’t fit your ultra warmongering stance, that’s tough. Live with it.
Zilu // Dec 22, 2009 at 10:46 pm
Krauthammer:
“It’s surely not a death panel. But it is subtle pressure applied by society through your doctor. And when you include it in a health-care reform whose major objective is to bend the cost curve downward, you have to be a fool or a knave to deny that it’s intended to gently point the patient in a certain direction, toward the corner of the sickroom where stands a ghostly figure, scythe in hand, offering release [from life].”
I guess I’m a fool or a knave. I’m not sure which. But Krauthammer’s “marksmanship” here leaves me unimpressed.
I’d like to see John or Krauthammer explain the leap of logic in the sentence between the need for cost-cutting to the intention behind introducing end of life consultations being motivated by the desire to see people choose to die instead of choosing costly medical care.
John/Krauthammer act as if end of life consultations as a concept were invented by Democratic activists bent on cutting costs. Instead, it turns out that it emerges from different ways of thinking about end of life issues in medical ethics — of advocating full patient consent and autonomy (which requires a thorough discussion of all options and then allowing the patients’ values to play a strong role in determining treatment). The idea here is to acknowledge that for some people, they would prefer not choosing every method to extend life and instead let other values that they hold regarding a “good life well lived” play a role.
Will this mean that some will choose not to take advantage of every life-extending option? Of course – as soon as one person does it, the statistic will exist. That’s what happens when you present options — sometimes people actually choose them.
However, to suggest — as Krauthammer and John do — that the intention behind end of life consultations is to actually lead people _to_ choose not to take advantage of life extending options is a charge with zero substantiation, no evidence, and a leap in logic that is not only vicious but astoundingly uncharitable (and uninformed).
athensboy // Dec 22, 2009 at 11:47 pm
People like Krauthammer and John don’t have new ideas, their just to be attack dogs.The gop was a utter failure in governing, Katrina, Iraq. John just likes that Krauthammer is rigid in his attacks and doesn’t back down from the libruls.wow. I could listen to Beck or Rush and get the same bs. The gop has nothing to offer this country except Sarah Palin and John. Great talent pool there.
MI-GOPer // Dec 23, 2009 at 9:15 am
John G, there is no “Danny_K”, just like there is no “HardlyConservative” or “1FingerWillie” or “IndependentVoter” or “BarryS” –they’re all the same disgruntled, angry, bitter troll known as TeaBag.
When something like Danny_K’s line is too much even for BarryS or the TeaBag character to handle, they manufacture another character and continue the game in earnest.
Last week, one of the far Left trolls here said the “droopy eyed” “pathetically unanimated” “Jew defending” Krauthammer never seems to move on TV and his lack of animation bored them to tears so they didn’t listen… I noted Dr Krauthammer was paralyzed. You could hear the crickets chirping for the balance of the thread.
This is a mean-spirited, spitefilled group of trolls here, John G. They learned their trade from guys like JimmieCarville and HowieDean and TerryMcAuliffe –shamelessness is their best virtue.
MI-GOPer // Dec 23, 2009 at 9:18 am
athensboy offers: “The gop has nothing to offer this country except Sarah Palin and John.”
Ahhhh, TrollTribe Tactic #12: “Look, over there, it’s Sarah Palin!! It’s a Palin sighting!!!”
You gotta either get a new act, athensboy, or lay off the standard HuffPo gamesmanship. Your end-game is getting too transparent.
balconesfault // Dec 23, 2009 at 10:14 am
they’re all the same disgruntled, angry, bitter troll known as TeaBag.
Wait! I thought they were all me!
I must be slipping.
Or perhaps teabag is also me.
And we’re all actually Bill Ayers working out of an ACORN office in Chicago that’s been funded using jackboot thuggery to extort money under a side account set up by Rev. Wright.
CentristNYer // Dec 23, 2009 at 11:16 am
Balc, that, of course, is the paradox of Gopher’s grand delusion. He can’t keep straight who is the supposed ring leader and who are the sock puppets.