Some writers fall in love with writers. It’s not only Christopher Buckley but folks like David Brooks as well (who got tingly when Obama talked with him about Niebuhr). Many of the elite punditry and public quasi-intellectuals value verbal expressive abilities above all else. Actually there are many faces and forms of intelligence. I’m not sure Obama could have made it through flight school as McCain did. And we have no idea what Obama math abilities are (which might be important to know right about now).

Christopher Buckley is a very witty writer and a good satirist, but he is pretty much a lightweight, especially compared to his father. It would be very tough for any boy with writing talent to grow up in WFB’s shadow. To me Christopher has focused more on having fun than on being important or serious. The folks at NRO care about what he says simply because of who his father was.