The Times hasn’t mentioned it much. They’ve been too busy telling us Biden’s too old while Trump’s as vigorous as he is inevitable. So it should be said here that John Avlon’s entry into politics is a rare boon, an unexpected boost, more than encouraging.
But this is a tough one for me. As a fan of Hanna-Barbera cartoons, Fred Flintstone in particular, I’ve harbored a soft spot for Nick LaLota, the man whose seat Avlon seeks.
Seriously, voters, this campaign may require some star wattage. What are the Democratic complaints? That Avlon has Republican baggage? That’s no longer a detriment. It’s now considered bipartisan chops. Besides, he worked for Giuliani before hair-dye runs and delusions of stolen elections, when the guy was perp-walking mobsters and Wall Streeters and dealing with falling skyscrapers.
If you want a drawback, it may be that Avlon was a speechwriter, meaning he was the smart one, and brains have clearly fallen out of favor.
While I can’t say I’ve met the man, I can say that I once hit him up to write a book review for this very newspaper. He was the editor of The Daily Beast at the time, which is why my query was a dim one, and why he refused. Though he gently informed me he felt he had to bat only for his own team, as it were, he did so immediately. And when by awful email, that amounts to a remarkable display of courtesy and desk-clearing prowess.
If you’ve ever heard Jill Lepore speak, you know we need more historians in public life. Avlon has written about the ne plus ultra of American history, our 16th president. In fact, he winningly invoked Lincoln, the great unifier, when he addressed Pierson High’s 2023 graduating class of 60-some kids. I told my son at the time it was a civic-minded thing to do, as major universities would be glad to have him.
About the late-arrival charge, as someone who, week in and week out, has to keep localism in mind, let’s face it; it’s kind of a drag. When I saw Avlon’s wife, Margaret Hoover, the “Firing Line” gal, cheering on the runners at the last Mashashimuet Park 5K, the schleppers as well as her own kid (who was pretty good and should keep at it), that was enough for me.
Consider: While Hillary Clinton’s 2016 nomination to run for president remains tactically a disaster the nation may never fully recover from, she was a new arrival as a New York senator 20 years ago and yet still forestalled the shuttering of the Air Rescue Wing at Westhampton Beach. That’s for those of you out there who love to wear all matters military on your sleeve.
Effectiveness over geography.