Gore VIdal on HARDtalk (22nd May 2008)

[@lucianopavarotti2843]

Gore was by this stage in freefall in terms of his talent and faculties, but I still love how he could entertain with his acerbic frame of mind.

[@Imgayactormichaeldouglas]

I agree, I watch this every once in a while just for the entertainment value.

[@LethalBubbles]

This interview has me wondering he would've reacted to the Hillary Clinton Email leak, the 2016 election, Obama's treatment of Snowden and Assange, and the division since.

[@psychedelic.dreamer]

This interviewer seems rather rude, honestly. If he had some strong dislike of Gore, why have him on to just try and rile him up?

[@tylerlately]

2:31 3:27 4:10 10:37 12:00 22:46 LOLL

[@CarlosBacardi]

As much a fan of Gore Vidal as I am, he’s clearly past his best here, clearly believing in his own legend, not even bothering to explain himself with coherent arguments. In order to win arguments, you need to back up what you are saying. All he seems to be doing here is saying “I’m the great Gore Vidal, I’m popular and I don’t have to explain what I say to you”. Unlike him, age has not done this to Noam Chomsky for example, who despite a bleak social outlook, remains polite and backs up his arguments with facts. As for taking this “isolationist” position, how does he square this with backing Hilary Clinton, an obvious foreign policy hawk, for President? And, to explain Hilary’s lack of popularity with white middle aged male homeowners, he seems to seriously use her joke about her reminding them of their first wife as evidence. Perhaps he’s not taking the interview seriously, or bothered at his advanced age to research the show’s technique of grilling the guest and sharpen his answers, Its my feeling that following the death of his long term partner, he had become sad, embittered and a bit joyless by this stage, and it’s sad to see.

[@paulmatters2641]

He didnt suffer fools. The interviewer was a fool

[@GabrielWard2001]

By this stage , he was basically suffering from dementia and well past it mentally. If you read 'Sympathy For the Devil' or 'Empire of Self' they make it pretty clear.

[@KayAmooty433]

The interviewer went in with an agenda. Agreed. And he was foolish.@@paulmatters2641

[@KayAmooty433]

This is not what dementia looks like or sounds like. @@GabrielWard2001

[@GabrielWard2001]

@@KayAmooty433 He was also a narcissistic personality, with a large ego. But he was also legitimately brilliant, too.

[@WintersWar]

Gore Vidal is right about the GOP and the personalities of that time. But he has a ridiculous, rosy view on the democrats. They were just as horrible and corrupt. The interviewer here is superb for having no fear taking Vidal to task. Most interviewers kiss his rearend.

[@rsr789]

"But he has a ridiculous, rosy view on the democrats. They were just as horrible and corrupt." Please demonstrably prove your claim.

[@WintersWar]

@@rsr789 because it's painfully obvious in his interviews. Start with this one, watch it.

[@rsr789]

@@WintersWar You still haven't proven that "They were just as horrible and corrupt", please try again.

[@WintersWar]

@@rsr789 listen and watch this video.. or are you too partisan to detect it?

[@Imgayactormichaeldouglas]

He did and he didn't. Gore was always a democrat, while, at the same time, saying that the 2 parties are essentially the same and the system is corrupt, even in his final appearances he talks a lot about that. But he did become more partisan during the Bush regime and also liked the Clintons (what reason for is a mystery to me, maybe he admired their shrewdness). This does not mean however, that he was naive about the democrats, he knew they were corrupt, but not idiotic or not nearly as idiotic as the republicans. Either way, Obama's presidency did not impress Gore and he was just as bitter as he was before. And by the time this interview took place he was clearly tired of the whole thing and not even trying to make good arguments (although he has plenty of good answers here), and I think pretty early on he caught on that the interviewer has no idea what he's talking about (the way he speaks about McCain, questions like 'do you love your country', talking about 'serving your country in Congress', all nonsense, talk about a rosy view of politics lol). I don't know, I like their chemistry here, both clearly not wanting to participate in this, but this is not a great representation of Gore's views.

[@robertshows5100]

Interview is somewhat nasty

[@alexraymond5572]

lol isolationist crank Gore fighting for...Hillary Clinton. lol ok