The Comedy Stylings of Bill Kristol

[NanceGreggs]

(PNAC Stand-Up at It’s Finest!)
By Nancy Greggs

I never miss an opportunity to catch PNACer Bill Kristol’s act, and his latest appearance on Fox News (May 13) didn’t disappoint.

Famous for his side-splitting one-liners, Kristol’s “gimmick” is his ability to unconvincingly play someone who knows what they’re talking about. And the well-coiffed, well-manicured satirist never lets on to the audience that this ill-informed, utterly clueless persona is anything but serious – therein lies his comedic genius.

While many stand-ups have delivered catchphrases that have become part of pop culture (e.g. I don’t get no respect, or, Take my wife – please!), Kristol’s punchlines will live in infamy for their ironic flair. Who will ever forget the pre-war classic, "Having defeated and then occupied Iraq, democratizing the country should not be too tall an order …”

It’s obvious that this guy’s wit and talent will be lauded for generations to come, and today’s performance on Fox only served to further make the case for his inclusion in the American Comedy Hall of Fame.

Smiling like a mindless idiot (a Kristol trademark), Billy’s delivery of a mix of old material and new gags was obviously honed at the local improv clubs he is known to frequent.

Always topical, Kristol’s target this morning was the eleven Republicans who read the riot act to Bush earlier this week about his policies in Iraq ruining their chances in the 2008 election.

“I think they can be beaten back with a strong campaign of explaining what's really happening on the ground in Iraq,” said a dead-panned Kristol. I must admit, as funny as the line was, I think he missed a great opportunity to tie-in some of the previous PNAC material, i.e. greeted as liberators with sweets and flowers, a square in downtown Baghdad named after George W. Bush, etc. to underscore the irony of what’s really happening on the ground. But far be it from me to tamper with this guy’s oh-so-perfect sense of timing.

As with all successful political humor, the funniest lines are often rooted in the truth, and Kristol has this approach down to a science: “(The Republicans) are being truly stupid to think they’ll get credit for deserting the war at this point.”

So true. The GOP is obviously ready to jump the BushCo ship come September, and their delusion that voters will somehow forget that this is, was, and always will be their war was underscored by Kristol’s innate ability to state the obvious as though it had just occurred to him.

“It’s a ridiculous political calculation, as well as a dishonorable one,” said Billy, without so much as a pause to let a by-now hysterical audience catch its breath. As always, Kristol was able to capture the hilarity of the GOP’s present position – the investigations, the subpoenas, the corruption being laid bare for all to see – with a simple turn-of-phrase that will no doubt be laughingly repeated at office water-coolers and DC cocktail parties for weeks to come.

But the topper of a truly great performance was Kristol’s nail-on-the-head punchline about the Republicans’ distancing themselves from the Iraq situation as “snatching defeat from the jaws of victory”. Honestly, I was laughing so hard, I thought I’d cry. Kristol’s straight-faced delivery of a line like that cemented his ever-growing reputation as one of the great comedic minds of our time.

All in all, it was an undeniable treat to be entertained yet again by Kristol – and kudos to Chris Wallace, who ably played the straight man to Billy’s inane ramblings without cracking so much as a smile.

Rumor has it that HBO is negotiating with Kristol’s people for an upcoming comedy special, to be aired live from Outside The Green Zone, the premiere improv venue in downtown Baghdad.

Watch for it in your local listings – it’s bound to be a hoot!