A night of lefty intellectuals, Ed Asner and Ben Stein

Doesn't the title of this post intrigue you to no end?

Last night I went to an event at a home in Beverly Hills, above Sunset Boulevard with a fantastic view of the city lights. Actually, it was more of a compound than a home, I think, as it seemed to never end. But the wine was flowing and hors d'oeuvres were aplenty as guests mingled both inside and out. Ben Stein walked in, but I only got to speak with him briefly as he headed for the beverages.

I was introduced to Ed Asner, who was gruff and amiable at the same time, and eventually asked me, "So what do you do?" I replied I was a columnist at the Daily News, also contributing to the WSJ and NRO, and a screenwriter and blogger. He looked a little impressed. "You're prolific," he said. He added that he would check out the Daily News. Not sure if he knew I was a right-winger.

After mingling was a seminar with a couple of professors; dozens of guests settled in the living room to hear them speak. I sat in the chair directly behind Ed Asner. The topic was politics, and both professors were stressing the need for Democrats to rethink their party's tough stand on some cultural issues and respect how the GOP machine has become a winning force. Discussion was invited from the audience, and I quickly realized that I was in a sea of lefty intellectuals. I would have loved to have heard Ben Stein counter some of the conspiracy theories or assertions that democracy was a bad system, but he apparently left before the discussion began.

My location meant I heard all of Ed Asner's little comments. At one point, a man was praising the leadership of Bill Clinton when another asked what Clinton had really accomplished. When the Clinton fan responded that the former president had made strides in environmental issues, Asner barked "No!" When the same guy later opined that Hillary Clinton will win the next run for the White House, Asner harrumphed. (All I can report is the sound he made... I can't interpret what it meant.)

So wanna know how liberals really think? Don't just watch them engage Republicans in debate; watch them debate among each other. Throw in some alcohol and Ed Asner, and it's like watching a Democrats' confessional.

After the chat, when guests were mingling with coffee and desserts, a guy was telling me that he didn't like Arnold Schwarzenegger "after he endorsed Bush." Because he endorsed Bush for president. And I couldn't for the life of me think of why this man would expect a Republican governor to endorse Kerry. A prime-time speaker at the Republican National Convention, no less. But I digress...

Comments

[Emerson]

Didn't Ed play Joey Stalin in a movie? And did he say how he felt about the man?

[Ofc. Krupke]

I think the word "harrumph" is overdue for a big comeback.

[Kevin]

As much as I disagree w/ Ed Asner, he did buy me fried calamari once. So he's not all bad.