Good old Bill McClellan, he does try to please all people regardless of their political stripe depending on the circumstances. In his article today in the Pravda Post he feeds the ultra-liberals some Bush red meat.
sophmore journalismWell actually he feeds them the Bush daughters. A really sleazy amateur move that a journalist of Bill's ability should not have to stoop to but there was the matter of the Koran Toilet article from a few days ago that he had to make penitence on to the rabid left.
Bill's Koran Toilet ArticleBill is an interesting journalist. I personally like his writing and agree with about 80% of his assertions in his articles that are not politically based. I agree with Bill about 5% of the time when the article is based in political content. Bill is a smart guy and like I said a really good writer. However, Bill is convinced in his mind that he is balanced on the political spectrum. I know this from personal communications with Bill. I insulted Bill about two weeks ago and hurt his feelings. I did not intend to hurt his feelings but from his email I know that I did. I had written a letter to the editor
here early MayBill took great exception to being called "liberal" even though I did not call him liberal. Why do liberals have such thin skin when called liberal? He told me he was not of the same political stripe as Eric "the" Mink or Sylvester Brown Jr, which I never said. He told me that he supported the death penalty and that he did not vote for Clinton or Gore and never would. I really did not understand how supporting the death penalty or not voting for Clinton or Gore ( he did not say who he voted for ) makes someone "not" liberal. Certainly not a lot of liberals support the death penalty but that in itself certainly does eliminate someone from left of center. After reading Bill's articles, there is overwhelming evidence that he is in fact left of center. Regardless, Bill is real clear in his mind that he is not "liberal". He told me not to include him in emails that put him in the "pool" of liberal media journalist. To say the least, I hit a real sore spot with old Bill and it hurt him. Again, I did not intend to hurt Bill's feelings but that's how I see it, and I say it how I see it.
I did however find it fascinating that someone who is so obviously left of center would be so offended by being put in a moderately liberal placement by a person who has read his article for seven years. I have never before had communications with anyone else like my communications with Bill where I walked away saying "this guy is really uncomfortable with his own skin" and where everyone else sees them. Anyone who has ever read a McClellan article knows that Bill is left of center, that holds up only if Bill does not read his own articles. Bill has a true paranoia about being a liberal that I don't really understand.
Bill is a third party kind of guy in my mind. I see Bill as a Green Party, Ralph Nader, John Anderson kind of guy. A progressive socialist if you will, that really does not trust the government, but really hates private companies and capitalism more. Bill's a big union guy and would really like to see a European Socialist model here in America. A progressive socialist model where the press was "heavy duty" and hampered away at the corrupt government that was by the way better than capitalism (like the Pravda Post here in STL). Bill is a guy who grew up a part of the counter culture and I think the trust no one especially government is a root that grows very deep in Bill's soul. He has the Vietnam ghost in his heart & soul and it controls his mind.
Bill is like my own real world frumpy uncle who like Bill grew up as a teenager of the counter culture. He never really grew out of that socialist democratic mindset, and does not trust anyone especially government. The Grateful Dead, lots of weed, and doing your own thing man. What must it be like to go through life trusting no one because of something that happened 30 years ago? Bill and my Uncle are big fans of the little man which is noble until the union of the little man makes it Delta, United or GM and takes away thousands of jobs because of socialist union demands. He is like my uncle in that he is intelligent and interesting and even engaging from my experiences, but you walk away after fun conversation and bantering asking how someone who seems so intelligent could be so lost on the political topics of the day. But the most revealing thing I walk away from after reading or communicating with Bill McClellan is why is he not comfortable in his moderately liberal place. It's ok to be a moderately liberal person Bill, it really is. Hope I don't hurt your feelings again with that revelation.
I don't know Bill personally but from reading his articles and our communications, that's how I see him and his political base, convictions, and offerings in his articles. I have read Bill's article for seven year even though I don't usually agree with his political liberal leanings. That's fine and how it should be, we should all be able to read opinion and thoughts of others who we don't share the same convictions with and try to gain a better understanding. Most importantly, where Bill McClellan is on the political spectrum is about the last item of real concern on my radar, but it is interesting and that's why I have posted on it.
