Gore Vidal opines on George Soros (relevant due to his Kerry comments)

[Myra]

I may be the only one here that cares so deeply about Gore Vidal's
opinions. I think he's *the* great mind of the cosmos. Really
couldn't admire anyone more. Those that don't care what Vidal
thinks probably shouldn't bother to read further.

But since Soros is eyeing our Dem candidates, and has commented
on some (Kerry lately), I thought I'd offer this anecdote.

I went to Seattle's opera house last week to hear Vidal speak.
Much of the session was audience Q&A. One of the questions
from a smart audience member was the following (all of which is
paraphrasing to be best of my recollection):

--

Q> Mr Vidal, what do you think of George Soros?
I don't know much about him and don't know if I trust
him, or even understand his motives and sincerity in saying he
wants to use his fortune to get rid of Bush.

--

A> Vidal made it clear that he did *not* know Soros personally,
so was just offering his for-what-it's-worth insights. But he felt
that there was no reason to doubt Soros' sincerity, he'd never heard
anything horrible about him, his philanthropic endeavors in the
past had been admirable and effective, and most important...

He thinks Soros' rational is reasonable and logical from the
perspective of a businessman. The BFEE is trashing the US dollar.
Soros built his fortune on the US dollar. He's not going to sit idly
by and watch this regime undermine the value of the dollar, and
thereby his fortune, possibly even to the extent that the Euro
replaces it as the world's dominant currency.

So from a purely practical business standpoint, he considers it
likely that Soros is truly alarmed at the BFEE and their sabotage
of the USD, at the peril to his fortune as a result, and therefore
is probably sincere about wanting to oust this regime.
Because if he doesn't use his fortune for that cause, he may
lose much of it anyway when the dollar tanks.

Again, this was just Vidal's off the cuff thoughts on the subject.
But to me every word out of that brilliant man's mouth is gospel.

[Dover]

1. What did Soros/Vidal say about Kerry?

.

[Myra]

2. He didn't say a word about Kerry. Wasn't asked about any candidate

specifically. But did volunteer comments on certain candidates.

He referred to Kucinich as "my candidate."
Gushed about him more than I've ever heard him gush about *anyone*.
(Vidal's not a gusher.) He went on about him quite a bit, then
said that he believed now was not DK's time. But that he believed
in the near future he would be the leader of a currently undefined,
and powerful, progressive movement.

He spoke briefly about Dean, jokingly refering to him as
Dr Dean and Mr Hyde. (Vidal loves such bon mots.)
After a while he did make the strong point that we all owe Dean
a huge debt of gratitude for forcing focus on this outrageous
illegal war, and continuing to do so.

That's all he said in person.

Online, many quotes can be found about the candidates.
So far I can't find a quote about Kerry, tho' I'd expect one
soon, since Kerry emerged so suddenly.

Again, keep in mind he's an tart fellow, rarely says anything
good about anyone...'cept Kucinich (he's a realist :)).

Examples of some less than scathing quotes:

"General Wesley Clark is viewed by some as a potential General Boulanger. But whatever he is or will be, he too is on record as saying that the war in Iraq was the wrong war at the wrong time in the wrong place. He is rising in the polls, despite having no discernible gift for American-style politics, as well as attracting numerous hate pieces about him in the press - the work often of jealous, lazy generals.
...
Perhaps the election after next - should we survive this one - will have as its subject the necessity of a new constitution, obviously a dangerous but inevitable notion. That is when the most eloquent of the presidential candidates this year, Dennis Kucinich, will come into his own. He is already shaping up as a leader of an as-yet-unborn progressive alliance. Naturally, he is branded a leftist, the word used for any thoughtful conservative. Actually, we have never had a left or even a conscious right. We divide between up and down. The downs may now be on the rise."
http://argument.independent.co.uk/low_res/story.jsp?story=482276&host=6&dir=140

"Of the living, Vidal speaks nothing but evil. "The cheerleader from Andover" is the worst of a very bad lot. Howard Dean "assessed the unpopularity of the war, but you can't just do anger at the war. For a second act, why not restore the Constitution and the Bill of Rights? Take your stand on the recovery of our liberties." Wesley Clark's resume is too long: "I don't like these men of great accomplishment who've accomplished nothing, and who mean nothing." Of Dennis Kucinich: "The hair is deplorable... but it's the only negative thing I can say about him."
http://www.bopnews.com/archives/000106.html

"Dean, he said, should stand for something other than opposition to the war in Iraq, and Ralph Nader, he responded to a member of the audience, lacked the natural charisma of a born politician. Airbags are "not really the sort of thing that makes the blood tingle," he quipped, mocking Nader's consumer safety gains. "There are other things that would. What about the restoration of the Constitution? What about returning the right to declare war to the House of Representatives?"
Only U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich won Vidal's praise, albeit cautious. "They won't take him seriously because he's the wrong height and his hair is deplorable," he chided."
http://www.news.harvard.edu/gazette/daily/0311/21-vidal.html

"Only U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich won Vidal's praise, albeit cautious. "They won't take him seriously because he's the wrong height and his hair is deplorable," he chided."
http://www.news.harvard.edu/gazette/daily/0311/21-vidal.html

[Myra]

3. More Gore on Kucinich:

Gore Vidal Interview with Christopher Lydon at Cambridge (November)
Streaming download:
http://media.skybuilders.com/Lydon/vidal.mp3

Some excerpts:

"I like Dennis Kucinich, even though he looks rather peculiar. But
he...this is not a beauty pageant!... and everything he says is quite
correct. He hasn't missed one issue...that he's turned to... that he
hasn't been, in my view, at least, right about. They won't take him
seriously because he's the wrong height, and...uh,...the hair is
deplorable. It's the only negative thing I can say about him. If
they'd take him seriously, people would listen to the issues; if
they'd listen to the issues, then things might start to change. But
they won't, they can't. The same people who own the political system
own the media, and they're not gonna betray their own kind, and who
may have invested so much money...to allow them tax breaks, and to
privatize, deregulate... it's been a field day for the last 20 years
for the ill-intentioned."

[DemBones DemBones]

4. Now I see why you call yourself Myra.

;-)


Gore Vidal's opinions are always interesting. And I certainly agree with him about Dennis Kucinich. (I'm afraid Dennis can't do much about his "deplorable" hair, though he has restrained it, and getting taller isn't an option. But it damned well ought not to matter to progressives.)

When it comes to looks, the "cheerleader from Andover " is hardly much to speak of.

[veggiemama]

5. I, too, adore Gore . . .

and I'm green with envy that you got to see him in person. He's so charming and urbane in person--I saw him decades ago in Los Angeles. He's the most profoundly intelligent political critic alive today. I've been a fan of his writing since "Visit to a Small Planet", and I still hang on his every word. I'm so glad to know he supports my candidate!