Despite initial doubts, Norman Podhoretz became passionately attached to President Donald Trump, going so far as to suggest that the appearance of Trump was “providential.” How else could one explain the coming of this most unpresidential man, who, although manifestly unfit to be president at any other time, was just the man for this (perilous) time? If I tell you something about my experience with Norman, Trump’s appeal might become clearer.
In 1995 I made what I then thought was a generous contribution to Commentary magazine. It was unsolicited, even indirectly, and I rarely, if ever, made unsolicited contributions, certainly not “generous” ones. What prompted this unusual behavior was the announcement that Norman Podhoretz was, after 35 years, retiring as editor of Commentary. I had not at that point even laid eyes on Norman, but I felt close to him because he had been faithfully looking out for me for the 20 years I had been reading Commentary.
Norman assumed his readers were intelligent but that we had little specialized knowledge, and so whenever there was even a chance of confusion, he would explain. He avoided jargon, arcane references, and unfamiliar words. In an essay he edited, or in one of his own, he pulled you along at a fast trot. Norman would tell you where he was going, and remind you along the way. He was always
