Gore Vidal on Buchanan/Braden (1984)

Discussion:
Vidal's then new book Lincoln
F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemmingway
Film Autours
Caligula
William F. Buckley

[@bull829]

"Probably the single greatest work of art, to my mind, in the last thirty years, and I've seen it about five times, is Airplane!" A man after my own heart.

[@tribudeuno]

I hope that Robert “Purple” Hays has heard Gore Vidal’s opinion about the movie. This fact will go into the same folder where the great hater of movies, Charles Bukowski, saw one movie he liked, David Lynch’s first movie, Eraserhead…

[@matthewgabbard6415]

He was just joking. But I’m sure you know that haha

[@bull829]

Shirley he can't be serious

[@harryantino]

@@bull829HE IS DEADLY SERIOUS! And do not call a great man like Gore Vidal, Shirley

[@kubagalinski8724]

​@@matthewgabbard6415 actually, he did like Airplane and the other Leslie Nielsen movies, I've heard him say that in other places.

[@josephdegennaro6819]

Gore Vidal. Can't get enough of him. Really, really witty, and knows the rich part of society.

[@phildalessandro5720]

Gore Vidal was an American treasure, He had his finger on the pulse on the state of our republic. Although he passed away in 2012, all of his predictions and observations were spot on.

[@dengelke]

Vidal at his best here. Great upload.

[@ET-RAMBLINGS]

Both Vidal and Buchanan understood U.S. foreign policy as imperialist and destructive of republics. They differed regarding domestic cultural matters, but it's obvious from this interview that they were cordial to each other.

[@katiemangiagli3878]

Yup. Most people do not realize that there is a reason that they get along. One was old left, the other is still old right. Both have a grasp of history and how wars destroy empires(Trotsky wanted perpetual war to ruin non communist nations.) They both actually criticized the type of capitalism that is running America. One good book written after Tragedy and Hope was 'The Naked Capitalist.' It's from a hardcore conservative, but the guy understands what's happening.

[@BenMedia7]

Buchanan didn't start calling out US Foreign Policy as Imperialist and destructive until after the Cold War. Prior to that, he was fully backing Nixon, Reagan and Oliver North. I guess an Imperialist, destructive foreign policy was fine when it was being used to crush people for trying to develop their countries independently of US/Western Capitalism.

[@jadezee6316]

Vidal was a giant.....few were his match...he is sorely missed

[@powerofone1645]

Solid foundation, never gets rattled. Too smart for most.

[@Adkturn]

If America can still produce a Gore Vidal there's hope for us yet. Find Vidal's "A Distasteful Encounter With William F. Buckley" and Buckley's "On Experiencing Gore Vidal" for real insight into the infamous TV exchange during the '68 Democratic convention. You'll notice right away that Vidal is vastly superior as a writer.

[@harmlesstree]

Airplane LOL. Vidal is a treasure.

[@bsbungie]

It's a wonder to realize that just approx 27 years ago, Crossfire was actually a place where reasonable discussion could be had, between people who were on opposing sides. Buchanan mentions his college years without any sort of sneer about higher education or the like. Vidal gets to throw some zingers without being shouted down. And now our country is suffused with rancor and bile, esp. on the 24 hour news networks. How far we have fallen. How long for us to pull ourselves out?! :(

[@tommym321]

bsbungie during Corona I’ve been watching a ton of these old talk show clips. This style is completely dead insofar as the major networks are concerned. Now you have to go to podcasts or KZbin, but the problem with that is that people only seek out the interviews of people who they agree with. It’s a real bummer.

[@tarnopol]

Definitely treats Lincoln as a human politician, though still as a great man -- "great" in the old sense of the word. Very much worth a read; one of his best novels, and damn good history.

[@bogeyat3]

"I was just Joshing!!" Fair play Gore, love ya work.

[@tarnopol]

No worries; thanks for uploading! I loved the Chomsky interview, too, and the RIF thing almost psychedelically nostalgic.

[@rickyhiley8575]

Great discussion is what is missing on today's televison.

[@reidwhitton6248]

Most people today would be bored with a program featuring serious discussion or at least the network producers think so with their cynical outlook. All we get is cheap spectacle and endless "breaking news" devoid of any historical context. The kinds of long form discussion programs we enjoyed up through the 1990s have all vanished from the television airwaves.

[@Portugal2025]

Gore Vidal was a national treasure

[@shaheer151]

Would love to watch the whole show, Mike Gardner...Please put it up if you have it

[@edbarreras83]

Hear, hear. And the interesting thing is that Buckley was given well over six months to write his piece (and obviously worked very hard on it, as Vidal points out). Vidal had only a month and yet managed to come up with a perfectly crafted essay that contained some of his most biting salvos. "Needless to say, identifying authors with their works is a feckless game. Simply to go by their books, Agatha Christie is a mass murderess, while William Buckley is a practicing Christian."

[@alexlee7773]

airplane! love it

[@Guedingen]

Great stuff - many thanks

[@theonlygoodlookinghabsburg2081]

It's so goddamn cute and hilarious at the same time seeing him try to distance himself from that Caligula movie.. so funny.

[@DermochelysCoriacea]

I love Gore Vidal.

[@tmgore64]

I didn't say that he loved or worshipped Lincoln, but there is a respect for him. GV gives both sides in the book.

[@lucianopavarotti2843]

0:25 Vidal instantly deflating Buchanan and taking charge

[@tarnopol]

Hey, do you have the whole thing? Would love to see it. _Lincoln_ is possibly his finest novel.

[@johnreynolds5407]

"Gynecological magazines"

[@mrearlygold]

And there's no one better than Dr DiLorenzo to do so.

[@tmgore64]

Well, hate to disappoint you, but Vidal does respect Lincoln, but at least he can give the pros and cons of the man -- as opposed to giving just one side of it.

[@mistercut8331]

he talks of FDR and RFK in that same vain pros and cons/likes and dislikes

[@lucianopavarotti2843]

I find Vidal's account of Lincoln very compelling. America's Bismark.

[@mattja52]

Gore Vidal will never bore you, he will get your attention, the rascal!

[@redetrigan]

He was definitely right about Calvino

[@davidallen346]

They brought up Caligula movie lol

[@pfflyer3381]

The original crossfire

[@BelatedCommiseration]

I wish they would let Vidal get a word out, rather than talking over him. He's far more interesting than both of them!

[@pool2587]

Flaubert

[@jeffersonianideal]

One thing is certain, a question such as, "Was Lincoln a good man?" needn't be asked twice to DiLorenzo. Prior to the completion of the inquiry, the Lincoln mavin would have already begun his answer. Undoubtedly Included within his response would be heard the word "scoundrel".

[@tyleranyways]

"Iiiii have not seen it" 😭😭😭 5:53

[@pool2587]

Jean LeCarre

[@Szaam]

I realise this is three years old but Vidal wasn't gay, he pursued men and women during his life.

[@Reprodestruxion]

Whoa Saul Bellows

[@jeffersonianideal]

Gore Vidal did not answer Pat Buchanan's question, "Was Lincoln a good man?" Now that Mr. Vidal no longer able to answer for himself, perhaps it will not disturb him all that much if Thomas DiLorenzo answers the question for him.

[@tatuloa]

Abe was not a good man , a great politician , good men are not shot in the back of the head ....

[@shaheer151]

When somebody writes a whole book about a Historical figure, the reader understands what the writer thinks of the man....and that cannot be reduced to the simplistic good or bad level. Great book, btw.

[@pool2587]

Farley Mowat,WP Kinsella

[@ArchieThomas3seesea]

In the Lincoln movie with Dennis Daye it indicated Lincoln had a son who died in the Civil War. Did he?

[@brennonguilbeau569]

Archie Thomas yes, Willie died in Feb. 1862.

[@brachio1000]

He was twelve when he died in February, 1862, probably of typhus. He died during the war but not in it

[@nathanbridle]

@agriope23 here here

[@Jelperman]

Italo Calvino

[@pool2587]

Literatissimo, Ptolemy of Mauretania murdered by Caligula

[@pool2587]

Brian D'AMATO

[@sirfortesque8757]

Wtf kinda show is this…. No Kyron, no yelling, no personal attacks of Communism, nazism or racism. You dint get more polar opposites than Buchanan and Vidal except in foreign policy. . But there’s respect, wit, listening and great questions and thoughtful answers. Besides Cornel West or Glenn Loury I dint see this anymore.Vidal is such an enigma to me. Coming from a family so connected politically and with wealth…. He cares about poor and working class people and that is so rare. People in that “club” very rarely defect.

[@ColdCypher]

@45erwx7 Overkill...

[@larrywexner4163]

gore says its unnatural but i do believe the host was correct in assuming it would be natural to exclude ones self.

[@shaheer151]

Buchanan may have been serious but Gore was trying to be funny....

[@gha23ify]

Tom Pynchon

[@ArchieThomas3seesea]

Cortana indicated Falkner won a Nobel Prize.

[@pool2587]

Eustace Mullins

[@tarnopol]

Well, there is much to respect, especially in his writing and his masterful politics, but Vidal, being from a Southern family and being intensely anti-imperial, is in no sense fawning, and quite clearly critical. Lincoln, in Vidal's opinion, was our Bismarck, with all that entails.

[@pool2587]

Gunter Gras

[@danrode104]

Watch the vid timmie

[@tommym321]

I downloaded Gore’s book on Lincoln but I couldn’t get through it. I didn’t like the style which is odd since I’m a big fan of his political writing.

[@mantle64]

lol - he probably was

[@SlimeOgre]

"nabob of negativism" - who are you describing? yourself?

[@krisscanlon4051]

Vidal spares no one lol

[@BamfFromLA]

He isn't a liberal.

[@RealAgentOfSHIELD]

I'm sorry, but I don't

[@matthewgabbard6415]

He loves messing with Buchanan. But I also think he recognized Pat as a closeted homosexual

[@villain7140]

I love him but he was always embarrassingly off the mark in his view of movies as art. There are a handful of directors who are as significant as any writer in the 20th century.

[@thefakenewsnetwork8072]

Long live communism and eugenics