PJ O'Rourke on the US Presidential Clash

Want to join the debate? Check out the Intelligence Squared website to hear about future live events and podcasts: www.intelligencesquared.com
__________________________
To guide us through the chaos and acrimony of the presidential clash, PJ O’Rourke, America’s leading political satirist, appeared on the Intelligence Squared stage just a month ahead of US election day, to cast his merciless eye over both candidates. He is known for taking no prisoners on either side of the political divide. He has already called Trump ‘a flying monkey’ and Clinton ‘Jimmy Carter in a pantsuit’.
As author of such bestsellers as 'Don’t Vote: It Only Encourages the Bastards', and with more citations in 'The Penguin Dictionary of Humorous Quotations' than any other living writer, O’Rourke has been lambasting American politics for some 40 years. Such is his stature that even President Nixon conceded: ‘Whether you agree with him or not, PJ writes a helluva piece.’
When he makes this exclusive London appearance, O'Rourke delved into why, in his own words, ‘America is experiencing the most severe outbreak of mass psychosis since the Salem witch trials of 1692’. As a sign of how the race for the White House is upending loyalties, O'Rourke, a lifelong Republican supporter, has shocked his allies by recently backing the Democrats, declaring: 'I endorse Hillary Clinton for president. She is the second-worst thing that could happen to America.’

[@samb1123]

I read that article in National Lampoon when it was first published. How To Drive Fast On Drugs While Getting Your Wingwang Squeezed And Not Spill Your Drink. Hilarious!!

[@John-vb1fk]

How many times did PJ get it wrong this past year.

[@misstigermilk]

Stopped listening at "voting for Hillary". Bye.

[@bobsacamano1694]

Cya

[@chrisreeves9764]

It's terrific watching this so many years on witnessing the barely concealed hatred of Brexit and Trump of this London audience. Delicious.

[@andy816896]

Yep, it's age brilliantly🤣

[@John-vb1fk]

PJ is a slow learner, he will continue to be wrong for the next 8 years.

[@neilmccann5826]

R.I.P, P.J.! He only made it 5 more on the planet. The Deep State Sheeple Snobs and Pseudo-intellectual Elitists underestimated the the millions of patriots who loved America,,,, Our Flag 🇺🇸 ,,,,,and our Constitution. Trump's toughness kept oyr enemies in check, and turned out to be the best thing that happened to the USA since Reagan.

[@rstokes9630]

8?

[@MilitantOldLady]

Man, was he wrong or what? :D

[@Boozetowne]

Yes PJ, let's keep electing "Presidential" sounding candidates, and continue to have our pockets picked. We're taking the word of someone who never built anything or ran a company?

[@4OHz]

Too bad that the government is not a company…

[@WBKimmons]

This didn't age well for PJ.

[@seananderson4490]

it does now

[@shanenelson3825]

Fast forward to 2022. We're in even worse than before. Millionaires live in a glass dome. Smug snobs looking down there noses at poor and working classes is running thin out here in reality world

[@northernbohemianrealist1412]

I gave this a 'thumbs down' because (1) it was posted eight weeks too late and (2) this business of grouping audience questions in threes makes absolutely no sense at all.

[@HondoTrailside]

It gets more questions out without a lot of back and forth.

[@craigbenz4835]

I wish I could see a post election follow up of this.

[@andrewdeakin7078]

O'Rourke on Trump: one of the more notable miscalls in recent political commentary. Of course, he was right about HRC. Her institutionalization of political correctness would have ossified the culture. Trump has ridden the wave of disaffection for failing political management.

[@HondoTrailside]

He wasn't right, she was unqualified, low talent, criminal, and immoral, and I am not a party member one way or the other.

[@ttacking_you]

​@HondoTrailside _you sound like a wedge; the simplest of tools! Hillary Clinton was the secretary of the state dept. for twice as long as her husband was a governor. she was more qualified than bill, who was VASTLY more qualified than trump(that goes without saying)in foreign policy and every other aspect of thr

[@ttacking_you]

​@@HondoTrailside... The office

[@danielevans5864]

Loved everything PJ ever wrote but he espoused a dead wrong assumption that men are more vulgar than women. He doesn't know women like the top 20% of men know women.

[@oo88oo]

Oh, the poor elitists. Woe is them.

[@meandmymouth]

Please can anyone identify the location of this talk ? Doesn't look like Westminster hall.

[@majormajor3630]

Just imagine if he were to be elected...none more fateful words spoken >.>

[@meandmymouth]

"Anyone can become president" hallelujah ! Oh that "anyone could become prime minister" We should be so lucky but with our class system no chance.

[@TheRevWillNotBeTelevised]

It's a myth the US has no class system. In fact there is about 36% less of a class divide in the UK than the US.

[@jackominty3633]

Lovely to see how all of these smug a$$holes got it so wrong. Let's go Brandon!

[@janeanewilbur483]

"Beyond surprise"? He's part of your creation. Great confabulation. LIES FOR WINNING LIES FOR PROFIT Enjoy :D

[@pretorious700]

Funny how in hindsight how undeniably better the country was off functionally with Trump in office than the dumpster fire of the present.

[@pjpredhomme7699]

go easy on the crack dude - lets just hope that orange mussolini - can stay out of jail and therefore go the same way as il duce - public execution and fat body desecrated in the streets

[@JohnDoe-fz5cz]

i've never watched the apprentice, not even once. yet i voted for Trump. go figure.

[@ba0cbmft]

@16:43 Electing a maniac burns it down faster.

[@chrisbanion]

Vaguely humorous, however he admits from the very onset that he doesn't understand... anything. I strongly concur, so why listen to anything this "journalist" has to say? Trumps support has nothing to do with his television show for instance. This entire interview is simply aggravating and disengenuous.

[@rapier1954]

Really why did you listen to it.

[@neilmccann5826]

@@rapier1954 I actually enjoyed getting the last laugh on the Lefty Snob.....may he rest in peace. I still love the guy because of the National Lampoon

[@ChannelMath]

I loved the apprentice, but I'd never vote for that boss character for POTUS

[@asadasaad3079]

the girls and guy at 01:10:25

[@GarenGarson]

As much as I love PJ.....I do wish he would have taken a few speech classes.....After a while is very annoying to hear him trying to find every other word....It is just one step away from a stutter.....