My colleague Jay is easy to mock, it is in fact one of his most endearing characteristics, but I can’t find much to poke fun at in his mash note to Jim Webb. Webb’s message was an articulate, passionate brief against the war — if only the latest — and it’s nice to see the Dems present a rebuttal that’s elegant as well as earnest. To the extent one wants to judge Webb’s style, well, to compliment Webb’s improved public speaking is to say that it’s finally possible to listen to the content rather than be distracted by his stilted delivery.
Interestingly, those who didn’t agree with Webb’s message seemed not to have been swayed by the medium much at all. One GOP operative told me that Webb’s performance reminded him of Albert Brooks’ devastating flop-sweat scene in “Broadcast News.” I thought it more like “Good Night and Good Luck,” delivered by a courtly Virginian. “I’ll have to read the transcript,” he said. I look forward to hearing if it changes his mind.