Chris Wallace Takes on Ron Howard
Over a year ago I posted an item about FROST/NIXON filming on the USC campus. The film is now completed and screened last night in Washington, D.C.
When Ron Howard and his fellow filmmakers repeatedly compared President Bush to President Nixon during a post-film Q&A session, Fox News Channel's Chris Wallace raised questions about the comparison.
Wallace pointed out to the filmmakers that Howard and his colleagues had no facts to back up their critiques of President Bush. Wallace also said, "To compare George W. Bush to Richard Nixon is to trivialize Nixon’s crimes and is a disservice to Bush... Richard Nixon’s crimes were committed solely for his own political gain, whereas George W. Bush was trying to protect the American people."
Wallace asserted that the filmmakers were engaging in "a grave misrepresentation of history, then and now."
I wasn't all that thrilled when Wallace joined Fox News as Tony Snow's replacement on FOX NEWS SUNDAY, but over time I've come to appreciate his work. I also think he's become more balanced as the years have passed. Last night he went up even further in my estimation.
Filmmakers such as Howard and George Clooney do outstanding work making movies, but when it comes to politics, it seems to me that they continue to live in a fantasy land which doesn't have much to do with hard facts.
posted by Laura @ 3:18 PM
2 Comments:
In the last election cycle, Wallace has seemed to be very much interested in the facts and has little patience for BS. I very much admire him for this latest example of speaking up for the truth. I saw him on The Factor last night and his biggest critisism was for the historian on the panel, of whom he said, "You would think that being a historian, it would be important to wait for the facts." Touche.
My field is replete with academics more interested in the politics of academia, that they hardly have time for things like facts and historical analysis. Wallace's critisism was true and pointed, but the historian probably took no notice.
We can't rely on changing people or arguing with those set in their ways and their minds firmly fixed on their willful interpretation of the world around them. As a historian- my job is to teach history and the facts about it- not the spin, and not the PC. I really think our efforts as Conservatives and Americans is to teach the upcoming generations and the current batch of students the truth and to teach them well. We've got to take back our education and the discourse.
Speaking of which I am currently reading Michael Medved's latest book, The 10 Big Lies About America. It's great! You should add it to your (already huge I'm sure) reading list! He doesn't footnote as often as I would like, but that's just me I guess. Otherwise, it's a thoughful, carefully written point by point refutation of the talking points of the left and the PC crowd of the last 30 or so years. Great stuff.
Enjoyed your comments very much, J.C. Needless to say, I agree!
I'll be on the lookout for Medved's book. Always glad to have a tip on more good reading. :)
Best wishes,
Laura
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