Forum:What Celebrity Or Public Figure Would You Most Like To Meet And Spend Time With?

Every week on Monday morning , the Council and invited guests weigh in at the Watcher's Forum, short takes on a major issue or query of the day. This week's question: What Celebrity Or Public Figure Would You Most Like To Meet And Spend Time With?

 The Colossus of Rhodey:I'd like to spend a day with Dennis Miller. I've always loved his sarcastic humor, his impressive vocabulary (and the two used together), and now his political acumen. The latter is important because he's a "reformed" liberal, much like actor Ron Silver. I enjoyed his since-canceled CNBC show from years back, and always look forward to his appearances on The O'Reilly Factor every Wednesday.

 The Razor: I am an extremely private, shy and solitary person, so the idea of meeting a stranger and spending time with them does not come naturally to me making it a very difficult question. It is complicated by the fact that most of my heroes are dead, and those that are living have clay feet (Nelson Mandela criticized the US reaction to 9-11 and sided with Saddam Hussein against the US as he slipped into the twilight of senescence.)

Instead I’ll propose a meeting in a warm coffee shop on a cold afternoon with Charles Krauthammer, PJ O’Rourke, and Walter Russell Mead. Since “four” is an odd number for conversation, I would sit back and listen to the three discuss the world. I personally wouldn’t offer much; I wouldn’t have to. All three men have different personalities and perspectives on events and have shaped my thinking over the years, so I would be adding anything original to the conversation.

But I would ask them one question before we broke up and went our separate ways that night: What do we need to do to save our country from ruin by the plutocracy that runs it? I honestly don’t know. I veer from constructive determination powered by righteous anger to despair often within seconds. I suppose Krauthammer, being a psychiatrist, could recommend someone or something for that, but I’d be curious to hear the three men – each a genius in his own right – debate what is to be done during Obama’s second term to prevent the progressives from mortally wounding our country.

 The Noisy Room: My choice would be Glenn Beck. It's a hard question for me because I don't consider celebrities anything special due to the nature of my work. I have worked with quite a few and I have a different viewpoint on people. Money and fame have little effect on me. I would choose Beck, because I genuinely like the guy and he could easily have been part of my family.

I would like to meet with him not only for business insights, but for religious ones as well. I believe he would be fascinating to talk with and a great deal could be learned from his viewpoints on religion and politics. Plus, he's just plain funny and that is what I like in people. I know that there would be endless topics we could discuss and it would be time well spent. There are few people that you can just sit and talk with and lose track of time... I'm certain Glenn Beck is one of those people. It's been a long time since I could sit down and debate/speak with someone one on one just for the sake of going over topics. My father and I use to do that for hours at a time and I miss it dearly.

Yep, Beck would be fun to shoot the breeze with. But with The Blaze, his radio show, cable presence and books galore, it's as if I have already gotten to know him and spend time with him. We think a great deal alike (too bad for Beck). So in a way, I've already spent time with him and it has been worth every minute. He's been a blessing to many, many people.


 JoshuaPundit: I'm going to cheat, just a bit. Because it would largely depend what I was in the mood for.

So, my choice...if I was feeling like sheer amusement, Sasha Barat-Cohen  without a doubt. Hanging with him for a day would be like being a participant in my own private circus.

If I wanted the best in deep thinking, American politics and advice on breaking into media, Rush Limbaugh. I first started listening to him in the Clinton 'vast right wing conspiracy' years and tuned in just to see what all the fuss was about. He literally changed a lot of my fuzzy thinking around almost before I realized it. From all accounts, an incredibly nice man away from the mike as well.

If I wanted to discuss geopolitics and foreign policy, I'd opt for none other than the brilliant Dr. Henry Kissinger.Anyone who doubts his intellectual firepower has only to read one of his books. Even in his nineties his mind is like a steel trap. Probably our most accomplished Secretary of State, in my opinion.


The Political Commentator: No question John Bolton. Been trying too.


David Gerstman, AKA Soccer Dad:The public figure I'd most like to meet is Natan Sharansky.

Not only did he survive years of imprisonment in Soviet jails, he was eventually freed and become a politician and public figure in Israel.

Though many of his old champions shun him because he became too "right wing," he still promotes a "freedom agenda."

His freedom agenda is not the same as George W. Bush's. President Bush unfortunately advocated elections without infrastructure. Sharansky sees elections as the final step in the creation of democratic government.

How does he feel about the "Arab spring?" How does it compare with the fall of communism?


Rhymes With Right: This is one of those questions I find difficult to answer, since as I understand the question we are limited to living people.

Certainly, I can think of a number of political figures I would love to meet and spend time with -- including to be honest, some I do not agree with politically.

I could easily name a number of football players, actors, and musicians.

But when it comes right down to it, my choice would have to be an author -- Tom Clancy. I've loved his Jack Ryan novels ever since reading the first one. I've been fascinated by his non-fiction works about defense issues. I would love to get inside his head and learn about the writer's craft. I'd also love to know what he really thought of the casting decisions on the movie adaptations of his books -- and the liberties taken in adapting them to the big screen.

Now maybe that makes me boring -- but I am who I am.

 The Independent Sentinel: I would like to meet Mitt Romney and thank him for giving it his all. He tried to save the Republic and I am grateful to him for that . He would have been a good President.


 Well, there you have it.

Make sure to tune in every Monday for the Watcher’s Forum. And remember, every Wednesday, the Council has its weekly contest with the members nominating two posts each, one written by themselves and one written by someone from outside the group for consideration by the whole Council. The votes are cast by the Council, and the results are posted on Friday morning.

It’s a weekly magazine of some of the best stuff written in the blogosphere, and you won’t want to miss it. And don’t forget to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter..’cause we’re cool like that, y'know?