While a student at Miami University of Ohio, P.J. O’Rourke’s views on politics were far different than they are today.

In his speech last night at Hendricks Chapel, O’Rourke explained that during a long break from classes, he visited his home, with his ‘hair down to my butt and a red fist on the back of my jacket.’ The sight was almost too much for some members of his Republican family to handle.

‘Pat,’ his grandmother asked, ‘are you becoming a Democrat?’

O’Rourke threw his hands in the air in disgust.

‘A Democrat?’ O’Rourke said. ‘I’m a Communist.’

‘Well, at least you’re not a Democrat,’ she replied, sighing with relief.

O’Rourke offered such anecdotes about his lifelong battle with politics during his speech, part of the 2004 Syracuse Symposium: Humor and the University Lecture Series. The crowd, which boasted more faculty and members of the public than students, sat through a number of O’Rourke’s rants on what is wrong with American politics and ideals.

‘I hate politics,’ O’Rourke said. ‘I hate democracy. If our clothing were left up to democracy, everyone would be baring their midriffs. And some of us are less fit for that clothing than others.’

Other than knocking politics, O’Rourke slung insults at everyone from presidential candidates George W. Bush and John Kerry to stupid children and pot-smoking college students.

‘He had something obnoxious to say about everyone,’ said Elizabeth Williamson, a part-time student of the University College.

O’Rourke said he currently affiliates himself with the Republican Party, and will reluctantly vote for Bush because he mostly hates Kerry. But the upcoming election is somewhat of a sham, he said, and he said he feels sorry for this year’s candidates.

‘They’re just trying to be what we want them to be,’ O’Rourke said. ‘And anyone who’s had parents knows what a horrible mess that is.’

Despite his favoring the Republican Party, O’Rourke admitted that it, too, has some downfalls.

‘Republicans say the government doesn’t work,’ he said. ‘Then they get elected and prove it.’

Despite O’Rourke’s wide range of discussed topics, Karolyn Maurer, a freshman family development major who attended the speech for her Writing 105 class, said she felt she left last night’s speech without having gained much insight.

‘I was told he was like Michael Moore, but a Republican,’ Maurer said. ‘I got a lot more out of going to see Moore speak. I didn’t really get a lot out of this. He made some good points, but for the most part it seemed like he was just like, ‘Everybody sucks, so let’s make fun of them.”

O’Rourke hardly hid that attitude from the crowd. When one audience member questioned O’Rourke’s earlier comment about how America should just ‘blow Iraq to bits,’ O’Rourke responded as one would expect a humorist should.

‘Well, my earnest, young man,’ O’Rourke said. ‘It was called a joke.’

Published on October 19, 2004 at 12:00 pm