It's Time For Buchanan To Retire

August 2nd, 2011
by F. Grey Parker

I am not calling for Pat Buchanan to be fired by any organization. I am not calling for a boycott of advertisers on networks which give him a platform. Yes, Last week he shocked us with his "analysis" of the Christianist terrorist, Anders Brevik, by saying he "may be right" about the vulnerability of Europe in the face of the Islamist movement.

Still, Buchanan has a history of making points poorly and being outright wrong. Consider his argument that America didn't really need to fight the Nazis in World War Two.

Buchanan's writings on international matters have always been useful, even when terribly misguided. Conversely, his contribution on domestic matters has been consistently appalling throughout his career. Who can forget his "Culture War" speech from the '92 Republican Convention? If I were to use his pronouncements from 20 years ago against him, I would be ethically obliged to go after MSNBC for hiring Rev. Al Sharpton as well.

Buchanan may be no William F. Buckley but he is also no Glenn Beck. He has been a participant in the reasonable pundit process for some time. Perhaps, I had just grown used to his various lapses of taste.

Then, I read his column from yesterday evening:

"Mocked by the WallStreetJournal and Sen. John McCain as the little people of the "Lord of the Rings" books, the tea-party "Hobbits" are indeed returning to Middle Earth – to nail the coonskin to the wall." Emphasis Ours

He wrote that. That's really what he wrote. Earlier this evening, he was smacked down during a discussion with Sharpton for calling President Obama, "your boy."

There is a new pattern in Buchanan's work and it's rapidly emerging. It is very ugly. Until recently, this capitalization on clever little race-tropes, naked aggression towards Islam and plays on "otherness" in general was more the purview of mouth-breathers like D'Souza and Newt.

Buchanan's experience with media can lead to only one conclusion: this is intentional. He's not stupid. He knows what he is doing.

It is time for Buchanan to go. I would, as free speech extremist, argue that he should take responsibility for himself, apologize and go away of his own volition. If, however, he does not?

Then we need to speak up, too.