Posted by
Michael on Sunday, November 12, 2006 8:58:00 AM
Will someone please give Christopher Hitchens his own show?
The man is fabulous, no matter if you're agreeing with what he's saying at one point or not.
Exhibit 1: Hitchens' classic appearance on Real Time with Bill Maher. Hitchens may not be a stand up comedian, but he stumps the simplistic Maher while manipulating the show's audience with little effort.
Exhibit 2: Hitchens' appearance on Chris Matthews. The loudmouthed Matthews asks a question about why Democrats and Hitch goes on to give an explanation of the origin of the term "Tory" and other insults taken into use by those they were aimed at, including "impressionist," "que*r," "f@ggot" and, yes, even "nigg*r."
Next up is his appearance on Hugh Hewitt's radio show. The transcript is available on Hewitt's Townhall site. This one gets a bit nasty, with Hewitt calling Hitch a bigot after he insults Harry Reid, the incoming Senate majority leader it would seem, by calling Reid's faith "a cult:"
HH: Now what do you think about Nancy Pelosi?
CH: I don't really think about her. She doesn't make one think, particularly.
HH: And so, what do you think of Harry Reid?
CH: Oh, God. I mean, I just don't...where do we find such men?
HH: (laughing)
CH: A Mormon mediocrity, and extraordinary, sort of reactionary, nullity.
HH: Now isn't that bigoted to say a Mormon mediocrity, Christopher Hitchens?
CH: No, no. I'm always in favor of pointing out which cult people belong to.
HH: You see, I think that is very, very harsh and offensive, but I will allow the Mormon listeners to call you on that.
CH: No, he's a Smithite, for Heaven's sake. I mean, he believes that some idiot found gold plates buried in the ground.
HH: But it is religious bigotry to call that out. And do you make similar comments...
CH: No, it's not me who says he's a Mormon. Excuse me, it's he who says it.
HH: I know that, but I still think...
CH: I say that anyone who believes that stuff is an idiot.
HH: I know you believe that, but isn't it sort of randomly bigoted to bring that out and throw it onto the table?
CH: Not at all, no. It's essential to point out...
HH: I disagree.
CH: Especially at a time when people are always saying it's the
Republican Party that's run by religious crackpots and nutbags. And
it's very important to point out these people have a big foothold in
the Democratic Party, too.
HH: I think that's terribly religiously bigoted. I think that is up
there with, like, saying about Jesse Jackson that he's African-American
in the course of commenting on him.
CH: Well, I don't really see how he could keep that a secret, how one could...
Now please tell me you didn't laugh out loud while you read that. Hitch, agree with him on this or that or not, is far more entertaining than Matthews, Olbermann, Jon Stewart, O'Reilly, Hannity or any of them and quite smarter. He has no trouble confronting adversaries, be it George Galloway or Henry Kissinger. And he has the controversy factor that could bring in the ratings.
So, why not give the man a show?