Finally, a Commentary insider speaks out

In the world of neoconservatism, the remarks by an anonymous Commentary contributor quoted in the New York Observer were the equivalent of Pravda’s publishing a statement by an anonymous member of the Politburo in 1950 criticizing Stalin. In response to Norman Podhoretz’s risible claim that he had had nothing, absolutely nothing, to do with Neil Kozodoy’s recommendation that John Podhoretz succeed him as editor of Commentary, (“I know that it looks like that, but oddly enough it isn’t…. It was Neal’s idea”), the New York Observer reports:

“Of course Norman was involved,” said a longtime contributor who agreed to speak on condition of anonymity. “Neal is brilliant but spineless. His entire role in life is to be the Podhoretz family steward. Neal defers to Norman about everything and looks to Norman for everything.”

“On the one hand it’s obvious, but no one saw it coming,” the contributor said. “The nepotism is shocking. This is a magazine, not a little family business.”

The contributor went on: “The people who have worked there a long time have been misled about the succession. These are people who are in the prime of their careers who would not have been putting in year after year as editors if they knew Norman’s son was going to jump over their heads.”

Further down in the article, note the inadvertently revealing comment about J-Pod’s accession by Richard Lowry, another sub-mediocre, forever adolescent editor of a once-important conservative magazine: “Just because he’s interested in pop culture doesn’t mean he can’t do the highbrow stuff extremely well.” Oh yeah. J-Pod can do that highbrow stuff extremely well.
.
Posted by Lawrence Auster at November 01, 2007 06:39 PM | Send