From my new post at David Horowitz’s NewsReal:
“So while it’s endearing to witness the Rushmore-level regard with which the likes of President Reagan are held by conservatives young and not-so-young alike, I’m automatically a bit saddened by it, too. We hope, perhaps, that the dead won’t disappoint; after all, they aren’t alive to show up doing a Hasselhoff with a cheeseburger on a hotel floor. (…)
“I’m not saying Ermey is Reagan. But consider a few people with actual power who — it seems like yesterday — were being touted as The Great Right Hope: Fred Thompson. Rudy. Arnold.
“Did you just cringe? I call them “the Future Presidents of the Past,” and I’m old enough to have seen a dozen of them flicker on “the Sunday morning shows,” maybe make the cover of TIME, and then…”
UPDATE — good comment from a NewsReal reader:
“I’m a Marine too- in fact, I’ve known Ermey for almost 50 years. We were in adjacent recruit platoons in boot camp and were best buddies at Pendleton. My sister still has a PX photo machine picture of him. But I have to say this: He was wrong to make the comments he did wearing imitation Marine gear, purporting an attachment to the Corps. It was a breach of military discipline and bearing. He’s entitled to his views, but you don’t use the Corps to push a political agenda. The Corps was, is, made up from people from all walks of life, and the Republicans do not have an exclusive on military service or patriotism.”
