Is Tom Clancy right wing?

[ikojo]

Discuss.....I've not read any of his books but I recall reading an article in the New York Times Magazine a few years ago (probably before Bush II stole the White House) that he was a hard core supporter of the NRA (which doesn't in itself, I guess, make one a right winger as there are many who support gun rights and are left wing) as well as a supporter of George W Bush.

Does anyone else have any info on Clancy's politics?

[ChairmanAgnostic]

1. anyone who gets sub rides, owns an abrams tank, gets

briefings from NSA and the Pentagon on intel and arms developments (to aid in his book plots)
obviously is a flaming librul.

Actually, he is more conservative than pnac.

[ikojo]

7. My roommate loves Tom Clancy's novels but

says he knows he's right wing...Are there links to these allegations that Clancy gets briefed by the NSA. My roomie said that in one of his novels Clancy has a plotline wherein a CIA agent was outed and that in the novel Clancy infers it is a nasty thing to do for political gain. My response is that of course Clancy knows about such things as outing CIA agents and such because he is part of the circle that would come up with such an idea.

Thanks for your help in my anti Clancy arguments. I knew that he was a hard core Cold Warrior..USA USA and such but am not familiar with his overall politics.

[oasis]

16. If I recall correctly, Clancy wrote about planes being used as missiles

in a pre-9/11 novel. Too bad he didn't share his vision with his pals at the NSA and the Pentagon.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

18. The sub book was a recitation, not make believe

My parents met the lithuanian captain in LA. He stole an attack sub, not a missile sub, and the whole crew came with willingly.
We learned alot about their codes, their torpedoes, their powerplants, etc. He died about 7 yrs ago.


But I have also heard that he dislikes the current regime.
The conservatism he espoused was the more old fashioned kind.

[Captain Hilts]

38. I have read that it was based on the surface ship that almost...

got to Sweden.

I've never heard of a submarine doing such a thing. They just don't go fast enough.

Where can I read about your example?

[Captain Hilts]

39. Lots of folks have been given sub rides.

It's kind of a traditional PR thing. I've been on one myself.

[ret5hd]

2. his stance is essentially...

u.s. right (as in correct) ...everyone else wrong.

we are more rightous, stronger, better. Our military is the elite of the world, and you better recognize it.

personally, he is disgusting.

[megatherium]

3. Very conservative, or at least he was years ago.

And it definitely shows in his books. Like the last one I read, Rainbow Six -- where vicious environmentalists plot using a virus to eliminate all humans but themselves.

[CatholicEdHead]

22. Also believed he mentioned Rush in that book

over the AFR network.

[Jane Austin]

4. Yes, indeedy.

But I quit reading his books not because of that, but because of his tedious dialogue.

"Give my love to Mary."

Yeah, that's how the brass talks to each other. Take away all that crappy dialogue and his books would be a lot easier to carry around. :)

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

14. "Give my love to Mary."

:rofl:

[Jane Austin]

27. I kid you not. I think it was "Clear and Present Danger" that

drove me up the wall.

I listened to it via Books on Tape, so my eyes couldn't just pass over the tedious dialogue. I might have wrecked the car had I reached for the fast forward button every time his stilted dialogue stopped the narrative in its tracks.

And had I played the "Hi, Bob" game every time some general asked another to give his love to the other's wife, I would have been flat drunk before I was ten miles down the road. :beer:

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

28. Reminds me of a line in a Jack Higgins novel:

"Oui," he said, in rapid and fluent French.

Unbelievably bad writing that.

[Jane Austin]

30. Oui," he said, in rapid and fluent French.

Oh, stop it! You're killing me!

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

42. He's a crappy writer, is the best reason not to read him, politics aside.

Basically he distinguished himself by making a fetish out of military hardware and technology. He's essentially a military tech nerd.

And made untold millions by being one.

His stories, characters, and dialogue essentially suck.

People buy millions of copies of the "Left Behind" crap too, so selling lots of copies does not a great book make.

[htuttle]

45. Last week, I saw two movies that showed what a hack Clancey is

TCM showed 'Spy Who Came in From the Cold' and 'The Quiller Memorandum' back to back.

Both movies, one example of 'old school' spy stories and the other a more post-take on the genre, were SO FAR ABOVE the level of Clancy's work, that it made him look like the pulp-fiction hack that he is.

Seriously, if you want good spy stories, read LeCarre, Adam Hall or even an old Ian Fleming 'Bond' novel (which are much better than the movies!). Leave Clancy to the grocery store checkout stands.

"For decades to come the spy world will continue to be the collective couch where the subconscious of each nation is confessed." -- John LeCarre
(Clancy can only DREAM of writing lines like that...)

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

46. I read several of the old Smiley LeCarre books back in the day.

Excellent.

I believe he wrote an Op/Ed that was scathing in regards to the shrubco approach to the world a little while ago.

Did LeCarre have any background in government? I don't recall.

[htuttle]

48. He served in the military, British Foreign Service, and both MI-5 and MI-6

I've read that his cover was ultimately blown to the Soviets by none other than Kim Philby.

[zanne]

5. Oh yeah.

When you read a Tom Clancy novel, just remember where the story comes from.

[Zen Democrat]

6. Hell, yes. Hard-core right-winger.

[baldguy]

8. I stopped reading him when Pres Jack Ryan started assassinating people.

I thought "no US Pres would ever stoop so low...", then Bush came along.

[Ilsa]

9. Yes, but even he is pissed at Dumbya! I think he refused to

endorse him for pres. in 2004 also. He says his war planning is shit, IIRC.

[AlCzervik]

10. i heard him say he wouldn't be voting for him.

[Captain Hilts]

21. Correct. He would not endorse W in 2004. nt

[Cha]

25. Good to know.

I always like it when hard core rw can see through the bushit.

[Ilsa]

26. He's a smart man, he just is more into use of military

but W.'s objectives didn't meet his criteria.

I remember in one book he had Jack Ryan ruminating on characteristics of a man he would consider a good leader. One of the other characters, a politician, I think, was Mormon, and Ryan reflected favorably upon him as a leader or president for his conservative lifestyle, few vices, and patriotism and military service. That provides a clue.

[Captain Hilts]

35. He's a shit who wouldn't speak to a Sub veterans convention for under $30K

[Ilsa]

37. ITA, he's a total shit! But he isn't a dumb shit. Can't stand him. eom

[Old and In the Way]

11. I liked his early stuff.....particularly, Red Storm Rising.

That was written before the end of the Cold War. It was an interesting plot about the type of events that could have created a hot war in Europe...centered around oil, of course. I liked his writing style and focus on technology. Over time, his books became increasingly formulaic and ideological. I really don't bother with his new books anymore, they are too predictable and politically biased.

[Captain Hilts]

40. A scenario used in a Naval War College war simulation a couple of years...

before he 'wrote' the book.

[Greybnk48]

12. He's a Paleo-repub, no?

[Bonobo]

13. And an anti-semite! Can't find exact quote he made. Does anyone remember?

[onehandle]

15. He's a freeper with a large military reference library.

I would call him an overrated writer as well, but he's not highly revered by independent critics and other writers.

[CRK7376]

17. I like his books

but he does appear to be very right wing to me....His personal life is in the toilets....very predictable, became famous with his first few books, made lots of money, then divorced his wife and married secretary or research assistant....

[chaumont58]

19. Is the Pope Catholic?

Can a fat dog fart? Does a bear shit in the woods?

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

20. In Clear and Present Danger, the Pres wanted to settle a personal score

and did an end run around Congress.

He (the Pres) and his closest cabinet members basically fucked everything up and sacraficed US troops in the cover up.

The hero salvaged what he could, went to Congress and became a whistleplower after essentially telling the administration that they broke the law and to bugger off.

That one read like it was written by a left winger.

[smomfr]

23. Anybody remember seeing him

on CNN shortly after or it could have been the same day as 911. He started ranting about how stupid to let 911 happen when they knew in advance. CNN cut him off and switched to something else and never put him back on. Makes you wonder eh?

[davsand]

24. I think he's a political conservative, but not neo-con.

I'd place him closer to Libertarian on the political scale IF I was basing it on his characters and writings. His character, Jack Ryan is not so much "political" as idealistic. Smaller central government, less taxes, citizens have to participate in the process and direct the government seems to be the main thrust of a lot of his stuff.

Clancy is pro-military, and I do think that bothers a lot of folks here at DU. Clancy also writes real "pot boiler" stories that involve the CIA and black ops, and the intelligence community. (One of his recurring characters, Mr. Clark is field training officer and black ops guy for the CIA, for example.)

I dunno if Clancy, personally, thinks this stuff is a good idea--he may just be spinning a story--ya know? I DO think it is possible to create/write for characters that are not the same political ideals that the writer holds.

I think it is unfair to write the man off completely based solely on attitudes held by characters in his written works. That would be comparable to calling Truman Capote a murderer for having written In Cold Blood.

Just my two cents.



Laura

[northerdar]

29. I agree he may be more Lieberman like

I have read many of Clancy's novels. I do recommend them for the military and cia information. I think Clancy has made Ryan into a more idealist figure than a neo con republican. Ryan's character shows bi-partisanship in the rebuilding of the government in EXECUTIVE ORDERS. The previous book, IN DEBTS HONOR, to that one is my favorite and depicts an airliner purposely crashed into the capital. Amazing. When 9/11 happened I thought of Clancy's book.

When Reading Clancy's books I found myself liking Ryan very much, which I would not be doing if he appeared to be republican like.

I also heard he said he did not support Bush's administration.

[mitchum]

31. Well, he's a pasty, pudgy white man who wears quasi-military...

clothing while making a fortune from writing techno-masturbatory potboilers about arms and the military. An armchair warrior.
What do you think?

[the_real_38]

33. Spot on ....

... probably has to refrain from tossing off at air shows.

[mitchum]

36. LMAO!!!

nice one :)

[kenny blankenship]

49. and probably

wears an extra roomy tan windbreaker when he goes so he doesn't have to.
...refrain, that is.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

32. Well, other than writing lousy books aimed at adolescent boys..

From what I've heard about him, he has the mentality of the average freeper/brownshirt.

[leftchick]

43. I have seen him on MSRNC debating the Iraq war

The man lives in a fucking time warped bubble. :eyes:

[BooScout]

34. Probably.....

But I still like his books.....and I'm a flaming left wing liberal.

He writes fiction folks.....his books are based on spying and war.....it's a genre....a work of the imagination......I certainly see no reason to slam him to the ground because you don't care for his books. Do you want to burn them? Geeeeeeze Louise.

[leftchick]

41. OMG! He Is A Total REPUKE PIG! Look at his donations....

Newsmeat's Hall of Fame REPUKE....

Hall of Fame > CelebritiesTom Clancy , 58 (bio)
author $222,750* Republican


Contributor Candidate or PAC Amount Date
CLANCY, THOMAS
NEW YORK, NY 10036
WRITER KEYES, ALAN L (R)
Senate - IL
KEYES 2004 INC $1,000
general 09/03/04
CLANCY, THOMAS L JR
HUNTINGTOWN, MD 20639
WRITER CAIN, HERMAN (R)
Senate - GA
CAIN FOR US SENATE $1,000
primary 09/24/03
CLANCY, THOMAS JR
HUNTINGTOWN, MD 20639
WRITER
NATIONAL REPUBLICAN SENATORIAL COMMITTEE (R) $22,000
primary 07/17/03
CLANCY, THOMAS L
HUNTINGTOWN, MD 20639
SPECIAL OPERATIONS FUND (R) $1,000
primary 04/29/03
CLANCY, THOMAS JR
HUNTINGTOWN, MD 20639
SELF WRITER
NATIONAL REPUBLICAN SENATORIAL COMMITTEE (R) $1,000
primary 04/07/03
CLANCY, THOMAS L
HUNTINGTOWN, MD 20639
SPECIAL OPERATIONS FUND (R) $1,000
primary 03/10/03
CLANCY, THOMAS JR
HUNTINGTOWN, MD 20639
SELF WRITER
NATIONAL REPUBLICAN SENATORIAL COMMITTEE (R) $2,000
primary 01/21/03
CLANCY, THOMAS JR
NEW YORK, NY 10018
NRSC - NONFEDERAL (soft-money donation) $75,000
primary 10/23/02
CLANCY, THOMAS L. MR. JR.
NEW YORK, NY 10018
SHAPIRO & LOBEL
NRCCC - NON FEDERAL #2 (soft-money donation) $25,000
primary 10/21/02
CLANCY, THOMAS JR
NEW YORK, NY 10018
NRSC - NONFEDERAL (soft-money ... and on and on.....

http://www.newsmeat.com/celebrity_political_donations/Tom_Clancy.php

[MisterP]

44. rather--and here are some blinking hilarious reviews of his '03 offering,

The Bear and the Dragon:
http://www.bookofhook.com/Review/Books/TheBearandtheDragon.html
http://sites.uws.edu.au/social/asaa/asaa11.html

[NJ Democrats]

47. I don't know.

But I love his books, they are awsome!
I love his charecter Jack Ryan, who is an Independent.