One of the funniest things I saw was columnist and news commentator Bob Novak swearing and walking off set during a program segment with the ragin’ cajin’. I admit that sometimes the rapid fire mumbling of James Carville can drive one nuts but decorum demands that you sit there and make it through the segment and not loose your cool.
I have read some off the columns by Novak. In newspaper archives I have found articles by him and another columnist named Rowan.
I have found Novak to be an independent conservative (for the most part) thinker, which is good. It means that I can find some unique perspectives (occasionally) in his column and if his opinions do coincide with others (as opinions by people very often do) I can still be sure that he has thought out the issue and come to his conclusions independently. This is what you look for in a world where various sides of an issue will have a list of ‘talking points’ that a person on one side or the other of an issue religiously will follow.
Notice in parentheses I put the phrase “for the most part”. It seems Novak my have wittingly or unwittingly been used by someone in the Bush Administration to reveal the identity of a CIA agent.
I have very little time for those who act as if they are part of an Administration that is in power and just repackage the ‘talking points’ and then use them as if they themselves came to that series of points of discussion or conclusions.
I expect the talking points to be used by the political appointees of an administration although I wish they wouldn’t use them.
On CNN Novak has been a host of several programs and segments. My impressions of him are of a strong capitalist (he almost seem to have a contempt for the struggling masses like if you can’t make it in America it’s your fault), moderate to conservative on social issues and kind of elitist.
I have seen much more severe elitism among college professors though, so Novak’s attitude is not that bad in comparison.
He was a soldier in the Korean War, which means he has to have some ability to get along with and work with the ‘average joe’. He can’t be as snobbish as he comes across on TV.
Bob Novak has made me laugh on appearances on other television news programs. I remember watching Meet The Press on NBC television once where one of Novak’s eyebrows began to peel off. Were they paste on eyebrows or were they his real eyebrows peeling off from sever sunburn or something?
I sat there in amazement because although Novak’s eyebrows were thick and well groomed I had no idea they were fake It reminded me of a story one of the cast members of SNL told about the opera singer Pavarotti who made an appearance on the show and wanted his eyebrows drawn in very thickly until they looked like those of a clown or like strips of black electrician tape- not saying that Novak’s brows make him look like a clown. They probably help his appearance in some fashion.
Bob’s up there in age now and he doesn’t really need the money plus he’s been under some pressure concerning the revealing of the CIA agents identity. I guess he was thinking, “I’m tired of this crap with this ragin’ cagin’. I’m too old for this sh*t. I’m outta here.”
All I can say is (repeating an often heard phrase with a slight modification), “you go guy!”