1) Mr. Vidal is correct. The US is corrupt and crooked. The parasite class (politicians of both stripes) keep it that way.
2) The dislike of Mr. Obama does not stem from his color. It stems from his arrogance, his ignorance of economics and history, his laziness, and his general stupidity. He is a light-weight, a tyro, a third-rate hack from Chicago.
3) Mr. Vidal is a funny guy, but looks won't get you all that far at his age.

Aahh, this is fun! Nice going guys. You all seem to be rather a friendly bunch, and it is interesting to see what chaps (chafes) your rear end.

In defense of our beloved American cousins -- don't forget, one and all, that the British people would today be speaking a kind of German dialect if not for those dear US taxpayers and soldiers gladly pulling your butts out of the fire. Winston understood this very well and liked to discuss it.

I'm reminded of a visit to London in about 1983 when a nice young Oxford educated, leftist Londoner and his cute girlfriend engaged me in a long, strong, but pleasant political discussion. He like many British people underestimate the American propensity to constantly remake their country through the economic process known as creative destruction. It's a rather untidy recurring capitalist dynamic. The young man said to me quite authoritatively, with that slightly tilted head, nose reaching to the ceiling just a wee bit, "Well, the Americans won't have any more surprises for us now, going forward. They've run out of steam."

Remember, the English Sunset is not the American way my friends.

Warmest regards to Maggie. I admire so much her brilliant, and wonderful command of the American language.

I thought Vidal died from aids.

Gore Vidale is just one more chunk in the endless spew of vomit that has been characteristic of the left since the 30s. They're still angry that Hitler got to be the German dictotor then instead of one of their own, and that the US stopped the Communist takeover of Italy after the War. Too bad that the likes of them are now entrenched in the US Congress and White House, and in the Universities.

Actually, the Dems are no difference from the Reps. Gore just likes being gay, n' thats about how deep it goes. Nothing about both parties being owned by Goldman Suchs, etc. G.V. lives in sad, lonely, bitter world.

For starters, who cares what Gore Vidal has to say?

Regarding Obama; he's a Marxist, and was raised to hate all things American/western from childhood. The real question that needs to be asked is: who is behind Obama, and how do we out them?

Gore Vidal is a useless eater.

I love the comments here. Whoever this Gore (means white in Hindi, Ironically) is and I have never heard of him before; as of corruption. Most Corrupt should in the least mean >= More corrup than India and >= Pakistan >= China.

Mr Gore, as someone noted is a clueless idiot then.

Or some other person also noted, I am wasting my time. Literally.

Well, he DID say that Nixon was "the greatest (US)president of the last half of the 20th century."
The way he was treated on election night by a British interviewer was sad and shameful; he was laughed at afterwards, openly. If you think he's too old to be interviewed, allow him to die with some dignity. Don't put him on TV and then laugh when a man in his eighties doesn't respond the way he did thirty years ago.

Hey folks, it's Obama's white half that is making him do it wrong. Doesn't everyone know that?
Actually, for a big majority of Anerican voters, race has nothing to do with it...It's failing policies.
That's an "Inconvenient Truth", backed by solid polling data.

Being called a "racist" has no power any more. The Race Card has lost all its value.

And yet, it's all the libs have left and they still try to use it.

Impotent, nasty, bitter - beware, lefties get dangerous when they're cornered and have nowhere to go.

The only place the racist cliche is still accepted as truth is in the artsy-fartsy circle jerks of elitist liberals. And deep down, they don't believe it any more either. You have lost the argument, Vidal.

The sick puppies of the sixties and the damage they have done is getting ready to be booted for good. People are still poor while Gore Vidal is not. If he really believed in what he promotes why hasn't he given all his money to the poor. Liberals are hypocrites of the first degree.

Gore is just like Obama .......... LIBERAL HYPOCRITES .......... after 8 years of liberal vitriol and hate toward America, gore/Obama keep whining about America rejecting them and their antiAmerica attitudes and actions

igonore all the asses and then get a life you asses

During the 1968 Democrat Convention Vidal was a guest commentator along with William F. Buckley on one of the news shows with nightly TV coverage of the event. As usual, Vidal was egging the Buckley on as well as encouraging the violence from the street thugs.

Buckley threatened to knock his teeth down his throat. He should have. What a twit is Vidal.

Years ago I saw William F. Buckley call Gore Vidal a stupid Son of a Bitch on live Television. It, the program had something to do with elections or something Political. One thing for sure though as much as I dislike the man he is right on one point. I think this Nation will end up under a Dictator ship. And for those Communist Bastards the Democrats they are the biggest threst in the form of Domestic terrorist we have to worry about. Obama, Pelosi, Reid and the other Communist want total control of every aspect of your life. Every day, every hour of the day these thugs are trying to figure out ways to take more and more of your rights from you. And for all of you Obama fans that think everyone who dislikes his are racist I got news for you. Obama is the racist. He has did more to divide the race's than anyone else in many, many years. He uses but hates the Whites and the half of him that is White. He is the trash of a Hippy Whore who was a Bottom feeder in Marrying a Black man giving birth to the Anti Christ.

Mr. Vidal is either a rabid partisan or, sadly, he has reached that time in is life where he can hide his own Easter eggs.

Hey Gagger_Pecker,

You are dumber than snot. Obama has followed Maxist thinking for all of his adult life. "[T]he recession started with Bush and officially ended with Obama". Really? The key word here is "officially." You libs are in charge; ivory tower drones have declared the end of the recession. Funny, that news didn't quite make it to Main St.

When you Dumpacraps use the term "tax cuts for the rich", you show that you are either a) Lying, or b) Stupid. EVERYONE who pays taxes got the tax cuts. I guess we could push the notion that you are for tax increases on the poor. Tax hikes on cigarettes, booze, and the like disproportionally hit the poor.

And your side's constant referencing of "tea bagging" is simply your projection showing, since most conservatives had to look up the term to know what you idiots were talking about.

Bruce wrote (@ 22:38)..."Hey, NS. Is there no filter you can use to blot out all this right wing spammer filth?"

So, you want differing opinions censored, Bruce? And I'll bet you fancy yourself 'tolerant' and 'diverse.'

Typical liberal. NOT to be confused with classic liberalism, like Voltaire who was said to have remarked 'I may not agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."

No, nowadays (with schmuk's like Bruce), it's "Shut up or I'll censor you!"

What a man you are, Bruce. How typically liberal. What a real piece of work.

Another Gore moron,

Oh dear, the rednecks have found their way onto the New Statesman - I assume you guys don't actually read NS, otherwise you wouldn't be shouting at Obama for being a marxist. Gore Vidal is a great thinker and far more reasonable than any of you delusional right-wing nutters.

I think the posts here more than support the old man's prediction. But it will be the American Taliban that creates the dictatorship.

This guy is crazy!! How can anyone take him seriously?? We have record deficits because of the Democrat party, Obama the senator and president contributed to the mess. I can't wait for November!!!

Gore Vidal is irrelevant. The only people who listen to him are far-left extremists.