Some of John Bolton's answers were unsettling but ultimately I agree with his sense that someone had to be the adult in the room on foreign policy. I would choose a different adult in the room but when he sets the bar as low as Steve Bannon or Kash Patel, then, yes, I'd prefer John Bolton. Charlie, maybe you already know this, but if you…
Some of John Bolton's answers were unsettling but ultimately I agree with his sense that someone had to be the adult in the room on foreign policy. I would choose a different adult in the room but when he sets the bar as low as Steve Bannon or Kash Patel, then, yes, I'd prefer John Bolton.
Charlie, maybe you already know this, but if you don't, as someone from the other side of the aisle, let me assure that conversations like the one you had with Bolton are so necessary. Because for years - thanks to things like Crossfire and the McLaughlin Group and the rhetorical tactics recommended by Newt Gingrich in the 90s - political dialogue in this country almost always get turned quickly to distraction. Change the subject if you don't want to discuss what the other person wants to discuss. Point fingers. Shout down the other side. You and others at the Bulwark are uniquely positioned to have honest discussions with figures like John Bolton that tackle important subjects in a substantive way.
We still have not, more than two years later, had a real two-sided national dialogue on January 6. And to be sure, I am on one of those yelling sides. But I'd like it if we had an honest conversation where both sides could be discussed somewhat rationally. Some of those January 6 protesters had an actual grievance beyond cos-playing as revolutionary figures - I might not agree with their concerns or fears, but the nation might be healthier if we talked about it honestly and calmly.
I remember when Megyn Kelly went to NBC, I thought maybe this will make a difference, maybe she'll be a bridge-builder in the mainstream media. Yeah, that did not happen (and to be fair, while I think she can be said to have largely dropped the ball, much of the left-of-center was closed-minded to her too.) The Bulwark can be a conduit for the kind of discussions we need to have in this country, I think. If I met you in person, I think we'd find that my views are to your left and your views are to my right. But I think we'd be able to discuss issues civilly.
Some of John Bolton's answers were unsettling but ultimately I agree with his sense that someone had to be the adult in the room on foreign policy. I would choose a different adult in the room but when he sets the bar as low as Steve Bannon or Kash Patel, then, yes, I'd prefer John Bolton.
Charlie, maybe you already know this, but if you don't, as someone from the other side of the aisle, let me assure that conversations like the one you had with Bolton are so necessary. Because for years - thanks to things like Crossfire and the McLaughlin Group and the rhetorical tactics recommended by Newt Gingrich in the 90s - political dialogue in this country almost always get turned quickly to distraction. Change the subject if you don't want to discuss what the other person wants to discuss. Point fingers. Shout down the other side. You and others at the Bulwark are uniquely positioned to have honest discussions with figures like John Bolton that tackle important subjects in a substantive way.
We still have not, more than two years later, had a real two-sided national dialogue on January 6. And to be sure, I am on one of those yelling sides. But I'd like it if we had an honest conversation where both sides could be discussed somewhat rationally. Some of those January 6 protesters had an actual grievance beyond cos-playing as revolutionary figures - I might not agree with their concerns or fears, but the nation might be healthier if we talked about it honestly and calmly.
I remember when Megyn Kelly went to NBC, I thought maybe this will make a difference, maybe she'll be a bridge-builder in the mainstream media. Yeah, that did not happen (and to be fair, while I think she can be said to have largely dropped the ball, much of the left-of-center was closed-minded to her too.) The Bulwark can be a conduit for the kind of discussions we need to have in this country, I think. If I met you in person, I think we'd find that my views are to your left and your views are to my right. But I think we'd be able to discuss issues civilly.
In general, this country needs that desperately.