Are you a person who has a had a dramatic political conversion from one end of the spectrum to another? Do you know anyone who has? And more importantly, if you think your "Party" is deserting you, do you look elsewhere or try to change it?
Here are a few examples -
Ronald Reagan - a vocal Democrat and Union leader who became probably the most disliked Republican of the modern era until 2001.
Hillary Clinton - former Young Republican and huge Goldwater fan. Now despized by every conservative I know.
Michael Medved - very leftwing anti-war activist and detested christianity. Now very devout christian conservative rightwing radio commentator.
David Horowitz - A Marxist until his early 30s (if I remember rightly). Now a raving bonkers "them darn liberals" commentator who is attempting to implement a Bill of Rights into colleges and skools that would ensure 50% of staff are Republicans.
A few other prominent people who've been chastized that I can think of are Chistopher Hitchens and Richard Posner - both definitely leftwing (Hitchens would certainly argue himself as a Marxist) but as supporters of the Iraq War have been villified by former peers.
Hilary Clinton was a Republican as a kid, basically cos her father was.
once she left home to go to Wellsley, she saw the light.
Hillary Clinton - former Young Republican and huge Goldwater fan. Now despized by every conservative I know.
Probably only despised because i) she was married to the most successful president of recent years who plays for the other team and ii) because the conservative media has vilified her. I doubt if many people really know what she stands for.
The conservative media is trying to do the same with Howard Dean and will try to do that to anybody who they are politically afraid of. There did it to John Kerry and I wish he wasn't so dang standoffish particularly with the Swift Boat Idiots.
Hitchen's didn't change, he argues that the left should be pleased that Saddam has gone and less worried that it happened to be the right that removed him. He has a point, many people on the left campaigned against Saddam long before the right caught up; indeed as we know some players in the current Administration were sucking up to Saddam in the 80's.
Hitchens has been consistent pretty much throughout - it is the world around him that changed. I don't think he has any more support for the Right now than he ever did - he leaves that to his bonkers brother, Peter.
I agree regarding Christopher Hitchens -- he seems to be cast by some on the left in Britain as a deserter who has gone over the conservatives, but if that were really the case I don't think I'd find myself agreeing with him so much (although there are pleanty of things I disagree with him regarding). I think of him as a fairly free-thinking sort, not bound by any particular ideology or agenda.
Oddly enough I've agreed with Hitchen's every word for an awful long time too. He really has been unfairly villified by some leftish press, who, as you say, were stood along side him since the 80s against Saddam. I adore his writing, and find it a little weird that some have accused him of ideological treason simply because he doesn't think the same way. Same with Posner - he's been campaigning against fascist dictators (his terms) for decades, and now that he's glad Saddam has gone he's often called a neo-con. Which is clearly mental. I thought his last book was exactly on the money.
Oh, and oddly enough, I don't agree with much of Peter Hitchens either.
As for why people hate Hilary - I know plenty of Dems who detest her also. Don't know why really - maybe she just has that type A personality? Still, her politicking over the last 6 months has been nothing short of genius. I'm being slowly convinced that in 2 years a huge chunk of the votership really won't remember the way she was lambasted during 1994-96.
As for why people hate Hilary - I know plenty of Dems who detest her also. Don't know why really - maybe she just has that type A personality? Still, her politicking over the last 6 months has been nothing short of genius. I'm being slowly convinced that in 2 years a huge chunk of the votership really won't remember the way she was lambasted during 1994-96.
I didn't particularly care for her, but after seeing her a few times in the last couple of months she seems to be right on the ball.
Oh, and oddly enough, I don't agree with much of Peter Hitchens either.
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The main problem with Peter Hitchens isn't his views so much as that he is totally bonkers. I've seen him speak in person a couple of times and once sat in pub somewhere with some friends whilst he let of steam. He is witty and personable - but comes across as a total fruit loop.
Christopher describes himself as a 'contrarian' - which I've always found attractive. However, be careful, he is superb at writing in a style which leads you to think that his contrarian views are spot on, but sometimes, on closer analysis, you can spot where he has skirted some inconvenient facts. I love his writing, particularly his occsional columns on Slate about Iraq.
But as a lawyer, and a human rights activist, it was hard not to read the Trial of Henry Kissenger without finding holes in the logic or some stretched connections. Kissenger is of course an evil little war criminal and I wouldn't want anyone to think otherwise :wink: but one needs to distinguish between argument and polemic.
Have you read Hitchens book on Mother Theresa? Now that was a VERY interesting read.
Have you read Hitchens book on Mother Theresa? Now that was a VERY interesting read.
A long time ago, yes. There was also a BBC documentary - I never trusted her anyway :o - but I think a few people would be surprised.
Only one I can think of is PJ O'Rourke.
Now he's a right-winger he's not as funny.
A long time ago, yes. There was also a BBC documentary - I never trusted her anyway :o - but I think a few people would be surprised.
I believe The Trials of Henry Kissinger made it onto the BBC a few years ago too. I'll have to dig that up. Reminds me of when Hitch and Tony Blankley had a blazing row on a US political show as to whether Henry Kissinger is a good man to cite regards foreign policy. Blankley adores Kissinger so tried to defend him. Hitchens tried reasoned argument till Blankley used the "you're a foreigner anyway" card, at which point he called Blankley a psychophantic turd or something similar. Good tv that was.
Oh, and I love P J O'Rourke. But when I hear him on NPR's Wait Wait Don't Tell Me he's so incredibly dull and unfunny it makes Carl Castle sound charismatic.
And of course there was the famous Paxman/Kissenger incident on Radio 4 lol
Its interesting to note that despite threats, Kissenger never sued either the BBC or Christopher Hitchens and, according to Hitchens, Kissenger only travels abroad after consulting his lawyers as to the likihood of being detained somewhere.
It was breathtaking when Bush tried to appoint him to the 9/11 commission (at least I think that is what it was). Isuspect he is seen as a hero to many in the current administration.
Having a quick look thru John Negroponte's history must make a huge bunch of people tense up in disgust too. I'm sure anyone who remembers Honduras, or the training of Nicaraguan Contras won't be too chuffed. Somebody on the radio yesterday mentioned at the airbase in El Aguacate (sp?) air base (which was actually a not-so-secret detention center) 180 or so boides were dug up a few years ago. All of them were believed to have been tortured and then killed.
So not a nice chap.
I dabbled in Student Labour Party Politics many years ago - at the time I was on the 'right-wing' of the party - and had many run-ins with Militant and their supporters who had 'taken control' of out student group (not that it was really worth controlling in the first place).
Didn't Derek Hatton move from 'Trot' to Entrepreneur is a short space to time. Don't know what he is up to these days..