Spoken like a modern-day triticale.

I’ve always been a big Penn and Teller fan. However, after watching Penn rant on that show, it was clear he had some passionate beliefs concerning the emotional exploitation of our fellow human beings by charlatans Left, Right and Center. If he wouldn’t say “f*ck” so much, I think he could be mainstream commentator. We need more dyed-in-the-wool skeptics out there. The MSM is pathetic.

And you’re also right, I think, that the blogosphere is the place to look. Or maybe here.

You’re absolutely right. Yet another reason why he’ll be sorely missed. What a national treasure. I can’t imagine who could fill those shoes either.

1) Well educated, but fluent in idioms that appeal to Joe and Josephine six-pack.

2) Having no political allegiance whatsoever. A new Mencken must be equally adept at skewering Republicans, Democrats, Libertarians and Greens.

3) The ability to be extremely judgemental withou appearing arrogant or hypocritical. This is perhaps the tallest order to fill.

What the “new” Mencken should not have:

Any whiff of anti-semitism, misogyny, or racism. Bigotry, no matter how cleverly worded, is not something we currently have a shortage of. The old Mencken had some liabilities in this area(but hey, nobody’s perfect).

Who fits this bill?

P.J. Rourke, while funny, is too slick, and he is mostly aligned with the Republican Party. Maureen Dowd is less funny, and just as biased. Dave Barry is short on venom. Arianna Huffington is willing to skewer both Left and Right, but she doesn’t have any sense of humor that I can detect.

The character that Merle Kessler created for Duck’s Breath Theater, “Ian Shoals,” was just about perfect, but he isn’t real.

Tough question.

I’m betting the new Mencken is out there right now in the blogosphere.