America’s Next Top Jester, Err, Pundit?

by Mark Thompson on October 2, 2009

This is absolutely meaningless in the grand scheme of things, but I just want to say that I fully support Ezra Klein’s endorsement of Jim Henley (entry here) for the WaPo’s “Top Pundit” contest.  Jim probably has as much chance of actually getting the gig as Freddie has of denouncing his patent neo-Stalinism, but I can’t imagine anyone who would better shake things up in the pundit class: irreverent, honest, creative, self-deprecating, and almost always actually right.   

Also, props to Klein for the highly deceptive ingenious use of the description “conservative foreign policy wonk” in relation to Mr. Henley. 

(Post title explained here and in full here.)

Mark is the Managing Editor of The League of Ordinary Gentlemen.

{ 7 comments }

1 ChrisWWW October 2, 2009 at 7:41 am

Neo-Stalinism? I thought Freddie was just a run of the mill communist.

2 Mark Thompson October 2, 2009 at 8:12 am

Nah, dude – Freddie’s all about sending libertarians and conservatives to gulags and stuff.

3 Jaybird October 2, 2009 at 7:50 am

The comments on Ezra’s posts are *SPECTACULAR*.

“Yeah, just what we need! Another conservative! You sold out, man! YOU SOLD OUT!!!”

Kids these days.

4 Mark Thompson October 2, 2009 at 8:10 am

Those comments were absolutely priceless, weren’t they?

5 Scott H. Payne October 2, 2009 at 8:27 am

My favourite response to the “you sold out, man” line has always been, “no son, I bought in…”

6 Katherine October 3, 2009 at 11:44 pm

Well, the combination of “conservative” and “foreign policy” does give the impression of “neocon”, and it’s not as if the press needs more of those. Reading Henley’s stuff, though, he doesn’t look like a necon so I guess Ezra was going more the combination of “conservative” + “foreign policy wonk”.

7 Scott H. Payne October 5, 2009 at 9:46 am

Jim is a long standing and committed libertarian. He’s conservative on foreign policy insofar as he thinks the US should do far less than it currently does.

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