James Kilpatrick: Conservative Icon dead at 89
Aug 16th, 2010 by Tennessee Walker
A brilliant Conservative Writer and brilliant mind has passed away. James Kilpatrick a conservative icon of the 60′s and 70′s was one of the most visible faces of American Conservatism during that period.
Kilpatrick originally made his name as a columnist. He was syndicated nationwide and was frequently considered the token house conservative with a column in the liberal newspapers of the time. (Think of George Will during an earlier time.)
Kilpatrick also was an expert grammarian. Kilpatrick wrote a column on the “Writer’s Art” and later wrote a book on the same topic. It included the correct use of grammar of which he was an expert and the ability to clearly state the writer’s point of view. In short he was an expert on the craft of writing.
Kilpatrick’s fame and development as a cultural icon began with his role as the Conservative commentator on the CBS News Program 60 Minutes. The end of 60 Minutes at the time had a segment called Point/Counterpoint. In this segment James Kilpatrick debated a liberal commentator on the issues of the day. Kilpatrick’s knowledge of the facts, cool logic, and mastery of the English Language typcially obliterated his Liberal opponents in the segment.
Even the liberal media of the time knew that Kilpatrick was destroying his liberal opponents. The opponents were first Nicholoas Van Hoffman and then Shana Alexander. In the perfect admiration of great political theater, the entertainment industry imitated Kilpatrick in satire.
This 60 minutes segment was immortalized on Saturday Night Live. Saturday Night Live imitated the Point/Counterpoint segment with Dan Ackroyd playing Kilpatrick (brilliantly I may add) and Jane Curtin playing Shana Alexander.
Curtin in the skit as Shana Alexander offered the typical liberal argument to the question of the day. Dan Ackroyd doing a great job of the Kilpatrick withering gaze delivered the line that brought down the house, It was:
”JANE YOU IGNORANT SLUT”.
Ackroyd proceeds to destroy Curtin just as Kilpatrick destoryed Shana Alexander. (Cutin’s non verbal responses were also classic. The SNL segment was great comedy) This skit raised the profile of Kilpatrick to that of popular hero.
The 60 Minutes segment which was always popular got ratings that went thru the roof.
Kilpatrick’s life had accomplishments well in excess of his 9 year tenure at 60 Minutes. But for those years he advanced the Conservative argument every week and he became one of the great faces of Conservatism.
Those who think the conservative movement was begun a year or so ago need to aknowledge the accomplishments of those who came before us. Kilpatrick is one of those.
I believe it was actually “Jane, you ignorant slut.”
Correct!!!
I thought it was interesting that Kilpatrick’s mentor at the Richmond News Leader was Douglas Southall Freeman.
Growing up in Washington and the Virginia suburbs, politics was the dinner-table subject. Hence, I watched Agronsky and Co. religiously- the cantankerous Kilpatrick along with Hugh Sidey, Carl Rowan, Elizabeth Drew, George Will and probably others I don’t remember, plus the moderator, Martin Agronsky- a consummate pro. It is still my favorite political show of all time.
As a side note, Rowan was always an anti-gun, D.C. liberal- yet, he shot a kid- with an illegal pistol- who had decided to take a late-night swim in his pool. I honestly don’t remember whether he actually hit him, or not.
Nice side note on Rowan, Rick. I remembering reading his columns. He was predictable in his liberalism.
Kilpatrick to my knowledge got his writing start in Richmond.
For the heck of it, I Google’d the incident- from Sept. ’88, NY Times:
“WASHINGTON, Sept. 26— Carl T. Rowan, the columnist and outspoken advocate of gun control, went on trial here today for possessing the unregistered pistol with which he shot a teen-age intruder at his home June 14.
The case, which touched off a furor that continues in the capital, catapulted the gun control issue once more into the spotlight and revived debate about what is acceptable and moral in dealing with an intruder at one’s home.
At issue are the events surrounding a post-midnight swim by 18-year-old Benjamin Smith of Chevy Chase, Md., and several companions who came, uninvited, to the pool at Mr. Rowan’s home in Northwest Washington. ”Pool hopping,” as it is called, is a popular pastime among young people in the Washington area. Shot Called Attempted Warning
The 63-year-old Mr. Rowan, who has said that his life had been threatened in the past, has also said that he was confronted by Mr. Smith. He said that he warned the youth that he had a gun, but that the youth lunged at him. He fired what he said was a warning shot, which struck Mr. Smith in the wrist…”
LOL