Tony Snow, R.I.P.
I was about to pluck a post from July of 2006 to repost, when I read about Tony Snow's passing last night and it cast a pall over things. As I looked through the archive, nothing struck me as particularly postworthy, perhaps because of my somber mood.
At NewsBusters they've posted a wonderful recent speech by Snow at the 2008 Media Research Center Gala, and it pretty much speaks for itself. The essence of his soul comes through quite vividly -- his decency, his passion, his generosity, his desire to help lift mankind.
That there are already voices from the leftist sewer vilifying the man tells you everything you need to know about the left. Naturally they've had to shut off the comments at Huffington Post, so that we can't see just how depraved they are. They are not just evil, but gutless. Everyone knew Tim Russert was a liberal, but I didn't see a single conservative say an unkind word about him.
I don't know why there aren't more people who are able to convey the joy, excitement, creativity, expansiveness, optimism, hope, compassion, decency, humor, spirituality, and love that animate conservatism. Maybe they just don't get it the way Snow did, and connect all the dots, both horizontal and vertical.
Again, there is no conservatism in the absence of the transcendent order to which we owe our primary allegiance, and it is only from within this space that we can appreciate the whole and see how the dots relate, from religion on down to politics, economics and science. It is the ontological opposite of "deconstruction" on the one hand, or scientolatry on the other. Some people ask why I am so hard on certain unnamed bloggers for the latter stance, and that is why: because they erode the very foundation of conservatism, even if their intentions are good.
As Snow mentions in the speech, we have the consolation of knowing that Truth is on our side -- not this or that truth, but the Truth of Man, of history, and of our transcendent obligation to the permanent and liberating guideposts of virtue and beauty -- and that should be an occasion for joy. But for that very reason, it's sad when such an articulate and passionate advocate of truth leaves us. Our thoughts and prayers are with him and the family that he loved so much.
At NewsBusters they've posted a wonderful recent speech by Snow at the 2008 Media Research Center Gala, and it pretty much speaks for itself. The essence of his soul comes through quite vividly -- his decency, his passion, his generosity, his desire to help lift mankind.
That there are already voices from the leftist sewer vilifying the man tells you everything you need to know about the left. Naturally they've had to shut off the comments at Huffington Post, so that we can't see just how depraved they are. They are not just evil, but gutless. Everyone knew Tim Russert was a liberal, but I didn't see a single conservative say an unkind word about him.
I don't know why there aren't more people who are able to convey the joy, excitement, creativity, expansiveness, optimism, hope, compassion, decency, humor, spirituality, and love that animate conservatism. Maybe they just don't get it the way Snow did, and connect all the dots, both horizontal and vertical.
Again, there is no conservatism in the absence of the transcendent order to which we owe our primary allegiance, and it is only from within this space that we can appreciate the whole and see how the dots relate, from religion on down to politics, economics and science. It is the ontological opposite of "deconstruction" on the one hand, or scientolatry on the other. Some people ask why I am so hard on certain unnamed bloggers for the latter stance, and that is why: because they erode the very foundation of conservatism, even if their intentions are good.
As Snow mentions in the speech, we have the consolation of knowing that Truth is on our side -- not this or that truth, but the Truth of Man, of history, and of our transcendent obligation to the permanent and liberating guideposts of virtue and beauty -- and that should be an occasion for joy. But for that very reason, it's sad when such an articulate and passionate advocate of truth leaves us. Our thoughts and prayers are with him and the family that he loved so much.
posted by Gagdad Bob at 7/12/2008 07:23:00 AM
35 Comments:
Tony Snow was a man with a fine spirit! I used to listen to him when he had his own radio show, and never heard him utter anything but the best of arguments. And always in "good cheer!" I would have thought he was a man without enemies, or even detractors.
But the rabid dogs on the left never fail to live up to their standards, do they?
Tony Snow was very open about his deep faith, and was crazily in love with his family. He also handled his illness with extreme dignity. He was among the best!
Thanks for the link, Bob. The world's light is dimmer this morning. RIS, Tony.
Aside to Dusty -
I would include your comments here among the light-est as well as the dark-est that show up. Always intriguing.
Without pretending to know you, I'd like to suggest: why not take a chance, and double-down? Hang-in for another 25, and see what develops. As you know, fermentation takes time.
A fine tribute to Tony Snow, by John Podhoretz.
The next tribute is also nice:
"As a popular conservative, he did what not enough conservatives do: project a sunny, good humor. The word has gotten a bad name, but Snow was “nice” — actually, truly nice. And conservatives should remember that nice, kind, upbeat spokesmen are essential to reaching audiences. Snow was rarely, if ever, angry."
This is why I would like Raccoons to learn from his example and never get angry with our trolls, but just try to have fun with them.
Shalom Gagdad
I never post but I am reading
Tony Snow was a rocker
check my RIP for his video
http://babbazeesbrain.blogspot.com/2008/07/fine-first-feral-funky-shabbat-of.html
also he wrote a great anti-atheism article that is embedded in the photo of him that you must see
Would you mind if I linked to some of your stuff in my daily "Missing Links" posts?
Don't want to do it without asking you first
Love ya with all my heart and half my pancreas daddy o
BZ
Bob - I am actually seeing the news for the first time here, and it is indeed very sad and surprising news. As someone who watches a lot of television media (I know), Tony always stood out to me as having much grace, light, and kindness coming through him. He was just a nice guy. Tim Russert was another one in this same vein to me, so sad that they should both pass in such proximity (not sure I agree that Tim was a liberal in every sense, but something to that). May some light come to us from their early passing.
Bob--
For what it's worth, as much as I may have disagreed with Tony's politics, I think he was the best Presidential Press Secretary I've ever seen or heard, I liked and respected him as a person, and I'm sad that he died so relatively young and if anyone is vilifying him.
He was into weekend jamming with neighbors or old school chums---as babbazee may also note.
I always preferred his hosting of Fox Sunday, about the only show I'd try to watch
Amen to all that. Tony was the rarest of the rare. If anyone is worthy of joining his Maker, it's him.
Godspeed, Tony.
Ah... damn.
A good person. Anyone who can combine strength, intelligence, thoughtful honesty, success, family and earn a reputation for being a decent and nice person as well - does 'being successful' one better, they're an inspiration.
I hadn't heard the news until I opened up OC, I'd been having a non-plugged in day with the family... actually, that was probably the best way to mark his passing.
He will be missed and remembered... and so continue to lead.
BabbaZee!
Of course you may link to me! It would be an honor. Plus, ex-lizards must stick together.
(You have half a pancreas too?)
Bob
if you have half a pancreas I will flip out
LOL
Yes I had a fatal tumor in 1998
I have been dead ten years but no one told me, so I just keep going
I AM THE HOLY GOLEM!
LOL
Spleenless as well....
it fled my body in outrage
Ex LGFer is for sure and forever.
I am a contributor at Infidel Bloggers Alloance now and working a lot at my blog
It is wonderful
A tumor! Wow. I hate to be the one to tell you this, but that could have been... serious. Good thing you didn't know! Me, I only have a dead pancreas, i.e., the backward disease of adult onset juvenile diabetes.
well that explains EVERYTHING LOL
Mysteries of the universe? SOLVED!
Do you have to take Pancrease MT 20
MMM good a fistful at every meal?
Never heard of it, but it sounds nasty. For me, just insulin injections, three a day. As long as I live my life like Bill Murray in Groundhog Day, it's pretty easy to control... Fortunately, I thrive on routine, since holding life's trivia constant is the easiest way to live vertically.
I love routine. And Tony Snow. What an example to a rising tide of young conservative minds. What a legacy he gets to watch unfold from the other side. The seeds he planted. Beautiful.
LOL GB
It IS nasty!
They are huge capsule of porcine derived pancreatic enzymes
HARRAM! And... Not Kosher!
Except in Judaism, Life trumps Dogma. So not Kosher would be waived, if I were an orthodox Jew.
I would have been beheaded in Islam long before I grew the pancreatic Krakatoa anyway, so Harram is moot.
;~)
You must still make the enzymes, but not the insulin.
So far I am not diabetic,
but that was a shocka to the esteemed geniuses at Sloan Kettering as well.
The so-smarts had me scheduled for a pine box, never mind diabetes...
Not
so
smart!
I love how Tony Snow stressed living every minute of our lives to the fullest!
And he sets an excellent example, as well as lived...the boundless Joy given to each of us by G-d! :^)
God bless him and his family.
Thanks for the links, Bob, Walt, and BabbaZee.
I'll definitely be reading those tonight.
Yes Ben
Tony walked the walk
big time
That reminds me of when my father-in-law needed heart surgery a few years ago. He had a leaky valve, so they had to put in one from a pig. But they compromised and circumcised the pig first.
BabbaZee-
Ha ha! And men who worship scytheants say there is no such thing as miracles! Yet they ignore the evidence before their very eyes. :^)
Why was Tony Snow so cheerfull? Why are you here? Why am I here?
I Am!
But surely, someday, they will "find" the answers...
The answers Tony Snow already gnew. :^)
Circumsized pig!
LOL!
Good name for a band!
Hey, as long as it's kosher! Ha ha!
The Kosher Circumcised Pigs!
Ben
Everything is a miracle.
They live in darkness.
Mores the pity
I'm working with a fellow who got a pig valve 10 years ago, and is doing fine. I find that very reassuring. I'm counting my blessings here. All I got was crummy stent. Nonetheless, no matter how you come by it, getting your official membership card for the Any Day Now club is a life changing event. And it just struck me as I type this- I think of the hunger for Spirit that drew me here where I found a view of religion, and of the God of the Bible that finally made sense to me. And I can't escape the feeling that it was providential that this awakening preceded the onset of heart disease. The heart thang was the catalyst- It was the event that caused the stereogram to come into focus. I am very grateful to have found you all. Anyway, when I read this article that BabbaZee posted Cancer's Unexpected Blessing by Tony Snow it felt as if he were speaking to me personally. (Club Card benefit, I guess.)
BTW- I look forward to seeing some get-together camp-outs with the Coons and Ferals. We could make s'mores, or barbeque a gila monster or something.
JWM
Speaking of lizards:
Moloch Horridus
(also known as the Thorny Devil)
;P
JWM
ahhh JWM
"born again"
(a term I hate to use becasue of the immediate connection speople make when they hear it)
really actualizes when you have that kind of challenge to you life, don't it though?
It is a GIFT this "burden"
and Tony knew it well.
Viva Ferality!
there was a writer at Chabad.org Jay Litvin, he is also gone now
but if you search his name there you will find his stuff..
his articles really helped me through when I was first ill
Tony's piece reminded me of him
He was a big help to me
I got to correspond with him for a while before he died
What a mensch
he meant alot to me
MOLOCH
LOL
BTW JWM I also began to study the bible only a few years before my illness came
there is a distinct pattern to it among many people I know
Jay Litvin too
hmmm- linki to wiki no worki
oh well.
just a dumb lizard anyway
JWM
Hey John!
Aye! That is an outstanding link!
I heartily recoonmend that article to everyone, not just those who are blessed (well said, Babba!)with a life-threatening malady. :^)
BBQ'ed Gila Monsta tastes like chicken.
Snow, Like Buckley: May he never be forgotten!
It seems like the best ones go way too soon. He was such a decent, honest, nice guy. I always loved how upbeat he was, even when talking about the cancer.
God comfort his family.
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