Just after Christmas last month, Rep. Michele Bachmann told an audience in Troy, Michigan, that the reason she decamped from the Democratic Party (where she worked for Jimmy Carter!!) is because she was paging through Gore Vidal’s “snotty novel” Burr and “read how he mocked our Founding Fathers.” Blam! “And at that point I put the book down and I laughed,” she says in the video above (around the 5:00 mark). “I was riding a train. I looked out the window and I said, ‘You know what? I think I must be a Republican. I don’t think I’m a Democrat.'” And what does Gore Vidal have to say about Bachmann’s little tale? “She is too stupid to deserve an answer.”
Charles
So, I’m not a Bachmann fan at all, but Gore Vidal is pretty snotty and his response to her is proof of that. I don’t know what he thought he was accomplishing.
Lucius Vorenus
Gore Vidal is a true intellectual, a historian, a novelist, and a man that comes from a traditional family of US politicians. He certainly knows more than that little dumb girl, in any chosen topic. There is no comparison between the two. I am admired she is not blond.
Curt
All I can say is that Gore Vidal is one incredible writer. I read Lincoln and Julian in the last year. Historical fiction, I am sure, but pretty true to the time period. Burr will be my next reading choice. Vidal is a national treasure.
Ross
I have a love/hate relationship with Gore Vidal. He is obnoxious. But, I respect his knowledge and his intelligence. He is seldom wrong, in my opinion, about anything. And, he expresses himself well. Bitch. Maybe, I’m just jealous.
Lord knows, he is certainly right about Michele Bachmann. Regarding her, he is probably being charitable.
alan brickman
Gore Vidal showed proper ettiquette when dealing with someone stupid….they don’t deserve a response because they wouldn’t know how to handle it…Good Job Gore!!
Baylie
Gore’s books were instrumental in broadening my world-view in my late teens. After a strict Catholic upbringing, I’d had no idea that men of god and elected officials could also be morally corrupt individuals.
John
@Charles: I’m not a fan of either, but I don’t blame Vidal in this. This woman isn’t worth the time or energy.
justiceontherocks
If he responded she wouldn’t understand it anyway.
divkid
me thinks a fitting patrician-style bitch slap executed with economy and élan. it certainly is infra dig even to acknowledge the existence such of a piece of ordure.
Ted B. (Charging Rhino)
While a brilliant novelist, Mr. Vidal is also a condescending, pompous and obnoxious bore. While I don’t agree with Rep. Bachmann, she’s not some politically-overwhelmed housewife with a H.S. education;
Winona State University (B.A.)
Oral Roberts University (J.D.)
College of William & Mary Law School (L.L.M.)
divkid
@Ted B. (Charging Rhino): if she is as educated as you say thats even worse.
it wouldn’t surprise me if she and her ilk didn’t fully realise the utter erroneousness of their worldview.
instead they prostitute the great advantages of a good education by harnessing it to the cause of derailing human progress, to the detriment of the whole enlightenment project, by cynically pandering to the knee jerk prejudices of the less well educated, wilfully stupid, or simply hate filled or frightened; and all towards the ends of personal power and gain. using the tried and tested tactics of misinformation, conspiracy theories, demonisations, scapegoating, or good ole’ lying.
GregorVonK
She’s a hack. She’s working the crowd the way she knows they CAN be worked. “12 step” indeed!
romeo
Her thick ankles don’t necessarily denote stupidity, but those dead eyes sure do. Vidal’s my man.
GregorVonK
She’s a hack. She’s working the crowd the way she knows they CAN be worked. “12 step” indeed! She needs an effective one.
She also needs a fashion consultant. WHAT is she wearing?
missbaby4love
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WillBFair
Bachman turned Republican after reading Vidal? No. She turned when she thought it would get her elected, or when the campaign finance people told her to turn, or both.
Her statement here is an obvious lie meant to play to her ignorant base.
Next case.
thedarkchariot
@missbaby4love:
Well, dear MissBaby4Love. Just an FYI, you might be on the wrong site. =)
tjr101
Vidal has more intellect in his pinkie finger than that twat!
ewe
I agree with Gore Vidal in much the same way I would not pay a third grader to teach me about nuclear physics.
ewe
@missbaby4love: no you may not. OCD is not a turn on for me.
hephaestion
If I’d been Michelle Bachman’s teacher, I would have put her in classes for the mentally handicapped.
Apparently at least 25% of America is mentally handicapped today, thanks to Fox News.
L.J.
@hephaestion: You’ve got that right!
I’m afraid 25% is a conservative estimate, not pun intended.
declanto
I’m mildly surprised Gore Vidal is even aware of Ms.Bachman. She can be grateful he refrained from really making the effort of commenting on her pathetic account of political wishy-washiness. Now we all know what a compassionate creature Mr.Vidal can be.
Lee
Michelle Bachmann has repeatedly shown herself to be nothing but an idiot who makes up her own facts whenever she opens her mouth. She is a fool and Gore Vidal was correct in his response.
declanto
@Lee: Not simply correct, but kindly correct. I’d personally Love to watch Gore Vidal turn his astounding wit on this willfully stupid woman.
Jaroslaw
Yes Gore Vidal is witty, intelligent and a great writer. He is also condescending, pompous etc. What has not been said is regarding Gay issues, he has the social circle and money NOT to need same sex marriage or the protection of equality laws. That is why he says (or refrains from saying) things which could be very helpful to the Gay community at large, which he thinks he is superior to. THAT is why I don’t like him, not because he is pompous in general etc.
Fred
This guy can write a beautiful sentence that evaporates from ones mind immediately. Something about the way he communicates does not cultivate thought. He is so dogmatic. Here he says he won’t comment. He calls her stupid. The dialogue ends and the reader is left with two disparate characters disconnected….
Sorry Gore – team Truman here – nothing you have written has the fleshy glorious human frailty of Breakfast at Tiffany’s or In Cold Blood. It is true you are soooooo smart but knowing facts ain’t all that.
ethan
@Ted B. (Charging Rhino): and all that education did nothing.