Michael Beschloss is a historian so you can take his deeply considered observation about Senator Josh Hawley’s finger to the bank.
Beschloss has written about Presidents Kennedy, Eisenhower, Johnson, and Truman and he’s credited with being a keen observer, so his Hawley observation was one to watch.
In short, the author and favorite presidential historian of the PBS crowd, when Doris Kearns Goodwin isn’t around that is, thinks that Hawley’s pointed finger during the attorney general senate confirmation of Judge Merrick Garland was historically noteworthy.
Beschloss was shocked, nay stunned, that Hawley would dare point a finger at Garland.
What U.S. Senator in history pointed menacingly at witnesses like this?
In fact, Hawley’s finger reminded the historian of another historical finger.
And if you guessed it was Senator Joe McCarthy’s finger, you’re as smart as Michael Beschloss.
Everything old is new again: pic.twitter.com/csytkCEynA
— Michael Beschloss (@BeschlossDC) February 22, 2021
He’d never seen a historical finger like this in all of his years of watching the US senate except McCarthy’s.
It reminded him of The Best Man, a 1964 movie starring Cliff Robertson as a popular “people’s senator” who has a deep, dark great flaw besides pointing at people.
Here is Joe Cantwell, the reckless, malicious and opportunistic young Senator in “The Best Man” (1964), played by Cliff Robertson: pic.twitter.com/4JVvMDYUnO
— Michael Beschloss (@BeschlossDC) February 22, 2021
So very, very flawed. Oooh, burn.
And while the lefty historian’s sycophantic followers were totally in tune with his pointed assessment of the popular conservative senator, others weren’t buying it.
They fingered the presidential historian for making a deeply flawed assumption.
NRO’s Dan McLaughlin wanted to make sure that the historian knew that his data might be wrong.
Cool story, bro.
Cool story bro pic.twitter.com/TSMAFQ50Q3
— Dan McLaughlin (@baseballcrank) February 22, 2021
GOP communications guy Matt Whitlock said pointing fingers is actually a thing in the senate.
He even answered Beschloss’s question about the finger.
All of them, Mike. The answer is ALL of them.
All of them, Mike. The answer is ALL of them. pic.twitter.com/efkVihSyyB
— Matt Whitlock (@mattdizwhitlock) February 22, 2021
Folks noted that other senators have been known to point a finger, too.
Hey, wait a minute, isn’t this Joe Biden pointing an accusatory finger at Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas?
This clown claims that he is a "presidential historian.” https://t.co/fSEsRd75aF pic.twitter.com/UaM8uf8D1h
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) February 22, 2021
Why yes, yes it is.
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) February 22, 2021
At least Hawley didn’t look like he was aiming a gun when he used his finger.
Catturd picked up on the historian problem with Beschloss’s finger issue and returned the finger, er, favor.
— Catturd ™ (@catturd2) February 22, 2021
As you may have wondered, Beschloss is not a big fan of Republican presidents – especially President Trump.
Ex-President’s tantrum after impeachment lawyers’ departure, as shown by surveillance video camera at swanky Palm Beach resort club: pic.twitter.com/xDzCowI83N
— Michael Beschloss (@BeschlossDC) January 31, 2021
In fact, he’s a Trump troll.
Poor guy, he seems so unhappy down there in South Florida, sort of like a loser.
— Michael Beschloss (@BeschlossDC) February 22, 2021
Put it this way, I don’t think a Beschloss book about Trump would be very even-handed.
This morning in Palm Beach, someone is shouting at Mark Meadows all the tweets he would have been sending out had he not been kicked off Twitter.
— Michael Beschloss (@BeschlossDC) February 22, 2021
You might want to keep that in mind the next time you’re looking to finger a reliable history book.
Victoria Taft is the host of “The Adult in the Room Podcast With Victoria Taft” where you can hear her series on “Antifa Versus Mike Strickland.” Find it here.Follow her on Facebook, Twitter, Parler, MeWe, Minds @VictoriaTaft
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