George Will, a Pulitzer Prize-winning conservative journalist and author, used an impressive array of facts, his sharp wit, and several well-timed baseball references to illustrate the state of politics today.
In his lecture, "American Politics: The Political Argument Today," Will discussed the limits of government -- criticizing the ever-growing welfare state that encourages a sense of entitlement. He spoke in defense of free market capitalism and said the American people need to be more self-reliant.
The dry humor behind Will's sardonic tone engaged the audience as he laid out his case for a more limited government in terms of foreign and economic policies.
The Center for Freedom and Western Civilization organized Will's visit to Memorial Chapel on Thursday. Professor Robert Kraynak established the center in 2004 to "promote intellectual diversity by presenting a conservative voice on campus."
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| Conservative columnist George Will speaks about the presidential campaign at Memorial Chapel on Thursday. (Photo by Barrett Brassfield) |
Will's lecture succeeded in encouraging a true political conversation when the floor opened up for a question-and-answer session following his talk. Audience members asked Will his opinions on immigration, term limits, and the effect of "the golden age of information" on today's society.
Students were excited to have the opportunity to hear such a vibrant intellectual.
"He is the most read journalist in the country," said Andrew Spano '10, president of the College Republicans, a group that worked with the Center for Freedom and Western Civilization to bring Will to campus.
"Will speaks his mind and he'll get after liberals and conservatives alike. He gets people to think more. You don't have to agree with everything he says, but as long as he gets you to think, that's important."
The columnist, who also appears each Sunday on ABC's "This Week," said he "assumes" the Democrats will win the presidency in November, but he joked that the Republicans do have a secret weapon: The Democratic Party, which continues to squabble over superdelegates and to fight over a nominee.
Will spoke about how the growing elderly population and its impact on the Social Security system. He said the financial underpinnings of the system could be repaired in a day, but the politics surrounding the system makes that nearly impossible.
A baseball devotee, Will sprinkled his lecture with stories about Earl Weaver, Jeff Torborg, and others. He talked about how Torborg, former manager of the Chicago White Sox, went out to talk with a pitcher who was getting hit hard. The pitcher said he wasn't tired, to which Torborg replied: "I know, but the outfielders are."