Cranky Bastard

I just respect him immensely. He is wound just a bit too tight, but it is so fun to watch him shake with conviction. Most people mellow as they age, but if that is true for Pat, one is fearful of imagining him during his youth. He was recently talking about how divided the nation is politically. He recalled how his strong beliefs about Vietnam caused he and his parents not to speak for two years. "What I would give, now that they are gone, to have that time back", he said. Pat is not the kind to get mushy, but that moment was priceless.
Aside from his obvious crankiness, he is also brilliant. It should come as no surprise that I don't agree with him all of the time. With Pat, though, you always know he is giving it to you straight. There is never political wordplay, and it would be a waste of time to send Pat talking points. As a news junkie, these are qualities I want to encourage.