Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom
Film Review by Kam Williams
Nelson “Mandiba” Mandela (Idris Elba) secretly started writing his autobiography “Long Walk to Freedom” while still serving what he had every reason to believe might very well be a life sentence on Robben Island. The lawyer-turned-spokesman for the outlawed African National Congress had been convicted of treason for trying to dismantle South Africa’s racist regime.
But he was indeed freed following 27 years in prison of imprisonment when the bloody civil war was on the brink of bringing an end to Apartheid. At that point, Mandela assured the apprehensive white minority that despite the fact that, “Fear has made you an unjust and brutal people, when we come to power, there will be no revenge.”
Soon thereafter, he was democratically elected the nation’s first black president, assuming the reigns of power in 1994. And that transition to majority rule did prove to be smooth, with the help of pardons for crimes against humanity being granted by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission to guilty parties from both sides of the conflict.
Directed by Justin Chadwick, Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom is an epic biopic chronicling the rise, incarceration and ultimate redemption of the revered political icon. Versatile British actor Idris Elba exhibits the requisite combination of outrage, dignity, empathy and steely resolve needed to portray the picture’s complex title character convincingly.
Still, since Mandela spends the bulk of the movie behind bars, much of the action revolves around his wife Winnie’s (Naomie Harris) efforts to raise their children while serving as a leader of the movement in her husband’s absence. Sadly, the decades-long separation eventually took a toll on their marriage, between the denial of conjugal visits and Winnie’s resorting to ruthless methods to silence suspected snitches.
This film easily eclipses a biopic covering the same subject-matter called Winnie Mandela. Released just a couple of months ago, that relatively-pathetic disappointment co-starring Terence Howard and Jennifer Hudson as Nelson and Winnie, respectively, was marred by the protagonists’ atrocious accents as well as by a godawful script.
By contrast, this inspirational adaptation of Mandiba’s autobiography more than does justice to the legacy of the triumphant freedom fighter who made so many selfless sacrifices on behalf of his people.
Excellent (4 stars)
PG-13 for sexuality, intense violence, disturbing images and brief profanity
In English, Afrikaans and Xhosa with subtitles
Running time: 146 minutes
Distributor: The Weinstein Company
To see a trailer for Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, visit
Naomie Harris
The “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom” Interview
with Kam Williams
As a critically acclaimed actress in film, television, and theatre, Naomie Harris is making more of a name for herself with each of her successive, luminous performances. Last year, she starred as Bond girl ‘Eve’ opposite Daniel Craig in the 007 feature Skyfall.
She also appeared in Danny Boyle's production of Frankenstein at The National Theater in London alongside Jonny Lee Miller and Benedict Cumberbatch. In the The First Grader, she played 'Jane,' a first-grade teacher in Kenya who fought for the right of an 84 year-old man to be educated, even if it meant learning in a classroom with six-year-olds.
The London-born actress enjoyed her first major breakthrough performance in 2002 in Danny Boyle's 28 Days Later, and she went on to receive further critical acclaim for her role as 'Tia Dalma' in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End. Her other major film credits include Miami Vice, Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story; Street Kings; and Sex & Drugs & Rock and Roll.
After earning a degree in social and political science with honors from Cambridge University, Naomie trained at the prestigious Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. Here, she talks about her latest outing as ‘Winnie Mandela’ opposite Idris Elba in Mandela: A Long Walk to Freedom.
Kam Williams: Hi Naomie, I’m honored to have another opportunity to speak with you.
Naomie Harris: Oh, no, my pleasure, Kam.
KW: What interested you in Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom?
NH: I’d made a film produced by Anant Singh and David Thompson and directed by Justin Chadwick called The First Grader. And while promoting that movie in Toronto, they asked me whether I wanted to do Mandela. I said, “Yeah!” because I really wanted to work with the same team again and also because I wanted to be part of a film honoring Nelson Mandela’s life.
KW: What did you know about Winnie Mandela when you accepted the role?
NH: I actually had no idea who Winnie Mandela was. Obviously, I knew she was Nelson Mandela’s wife, but I thought the role was basically going to revolve around her supporting him. I had no idea that she was a political activist in her own right, and that she was integral to the anti-Apartheid movement.
KW: Editor/Legist Patricia Turnier asks: What did it mean to you to portray Winnie Mandela and what is your vision of her?
NH: Since, as I said, I was unfamiliar with Winnie Mandela, for me, this project was really more about a celebration of Nelson Mandela. And he, for me, represents this incredible iconic figure. But in terms of who I discovered Winnie to be once I did all my research, which was pretty intense and fairly in depth, I found her to be the most complex character I’ve ever played. She’s almost seven different characters in one. She’s done some controversial things that are very difficult to justify. She’s also a woman of immense compassion. And she’s a person of the people. In South Africa, she’s known as Mother Africa, and is loved and admired by many for having helped hundreds of thousands of people. So, she’s complex, and very hard to define in a brief space of time.
KW: Children’s book author Irene Smalls asks: What kind of research did you do in creating the role?
NH: I read Nelson Mandela’s autobiography, “Long Walk to Freedom,” I watched documentaries about the Apartheid era, I interviewed people who knew Winnie, I read biographies about her, and even got to sit down with her and ask her questions about her life.
KW: Larry Greenberg asks: Did you spend any time with Winnie’s daughters Zenani and Zindzi Mandela in preparation for the film?
NH: Yes, I had an opportunity to go out to dinner with both Zenani and Zindzi.
KW: Obama biographer Dinesh Sharma asks: Did you actually shoot on location in the prisons in Joburg, Robben Island and Pretoria?
NH: No, we had an extraordinary set designer. When you watch the movie, it looks like we shot on Robben Island and those other places. But it was all replicated in studio. However, we did shoot in South Africa, in Cape Town and Johannesburg, and in the actual courthouse where the trial took place. So, there are some historical moments which were filmed on location in the same places where they originally happened.
KW: Kate Newell asks: What was the most surprising thing you learned about Winnie that you didn't know going into the film?
NH: Learning how integral she was to the anti-Apartheid movement, and that Nelson Mandela might not have become the Nelson Mandela we know today without her. Also, learning about the contributions of so many women who sacrificed their lives was very educational for me.
KW: Patricia also asks: What do you want audiences to remember most about the movie?
NH: I hope that they remember this extraordinary period in history that should never, ever be repeated. And I hope that they take away from the film that freedom was hard won. I want people to remember to cherish their freedom. In terms of Winnie, it’s not my place to judge her and some of the actions that she’s taken. What I wanted to do was show with as much compassion as possible a comprehensive and detailed portrayal of how she started out in life, why she made the choices she made, and who she ultimately became. I hope to bring some understanding to the woman.
KW: Kevin Williams asks: Did you have any reservations about playing Winnie? Many actresses might have declined the role given her tarnished image.
NH: No, it’s not like I always want to play saints. The sinners are actually much more interesting to play, because they’re more complex. And as an actor, that’s what you’re always looking for, complexity and layers.
KW: The Harriet Pakula-Teweles question: With so many classic films being redone, is there a remake you'd like to star in?
NH: Wow! If I could sing, I would do the remake of West Side Story or The Sound of Music, because I’m obsessed with musicals. But unfortunately, I can’t sing or dance, so I don’t see that happening anytime soon. [Chuckles]
KW: Harriet also asks: Was it a blessing or a bane to be cast as a Bond girl?
NH: Definitely a blessing. Definitely! I’m very proud of my role as Eve, and really enjoyed the experience. And it’s been a great boost for my career. So, 100% a blessing.
KW: Rel Dowdell asks: Do you find that opportunities are opening up in Hollywood for actors and actresses of color from outside of America?
NH: Yeah, I find that America has always embraced international talent. That’s why so many people from all around the world have come to Hollywood to make films. It’s a big melting pot, and I’m very grateful for that. If I’d stayed in England, I doubt if I’d enjoyed the kind of career that I’ve had.
KW: The bookworm Troy Johnson question: What was the last book you read?
Last time we spoke, you were reading, “How to Leave Twitter.”
NH: I recently began reading the Steve Jobs biography, but I haven’t finished it. It’s still sitting by my bedside.
KW: The music maven Heather Covington question: What was the last song you listened to?
NH: Now that’s interesting! I just got off a plane, and on the flight I watched 20 Feet from Stardom which featured a fantastic collection of songs from the Sixties and Seventies.
KW: The Sanaa Lathan question: What excites you?
NH: That’s really interesting as well. A challenge. Playing a completely different role, something that makes me almost feel scared. That’s exciting for me.
KW: The Mike Pittman question: What was your best career decision?
NH: Saying “Yes” to doing 28 Days Later, although there’s no way I would have ever turned it down. That role, for me, was really the catalyst for everything.
KW: The Jamie Foxx question: If you only had 24 hours to live, how would you spend the time?
NH: Nothing dramatic, eating with my family and my closest friends because that is my favorite thing to do.
KW: The Anthony Mackie question: Isthere anything that you promised yourself you’d do if you became famous, that you still haven’t done yet?
NH: I never ever thought about becoming famous. I just wanted to become an actress and make great movies and to play roles that challenged me. So, I never made that sort of commitment to myself.
KW: The Melissa Harris-Perry question:How did your first big heartbreak impact who you are as a person?
NH: My first big heartbreak? Gosh, I only dated him for about three weeks and ended up being heartbroken for a year. It was awful! That taught me that the heart is quite fragile, and to look after and cherish it, and to not give it to just anybody.
KW: The Viola Davis question: What’s the biggest difference between who you are at home as opposed to the person we see on the red carpet?
NH: At home, I like comfy clothes, so I ‘m pretty casual in the way that I dress. But on the red carpet, I like to glam it up and really push the boundaries in terms of fashion.
KW: The Anthony Anderson question: If you could have a superpower, which one would you choose?
NH: [Whispers] Wow! That’s really interesting. Any superpower? That would be amazing. [In normal voice] I would like to have the power to heal the sick.
KW: The Gabby Douglas question: If you had to choose another profession, what would that be?
NH: I’d definitely be a novelist. I like the idea of creating an imaginary world with imaginary characters, which is somewhat similar to what I do as an actress.
KW: The Pastor Alex Kendrick question: What do you wish other people would note about you?
NH: Nothing. I like the idea of being mysterious and people not knowing too much about me. I think it’s nicer if they focus on the characters I play as opposed to on me as a person.
KW: Pastor Alex also asks: What motivates you at this stage of your career?
NH: Playing inspirational characters who really have a voice and something meaningful to say.
KW: The Tasha Smith question: Are you ever afraid?
NH: I’m always afraid! There’s a great book called, “Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway,” which is how I feel is the best way to live. We all feel afraid of so many things, but when you do them, you realize they’re a lot less scary than you thought.
KW: The Columbus Short question: Are you happy?
NH: Happiness isn’t a constant state. One has moments of happiness throughout the day, but we’re meant to experience anger, joy, sadness, pain, excitement, a full range of emotions.
KW: The Teri Emerson question: When was the last time you had a good laugh?
NH: I have a good laugh everyday. And just before this interview, I was laughing while dancing to imaginary music.
KW: What is your guiltiest pleasure?
NH: Dark chocolate. I know sugar isn’t good for you, but every now and then I succumb and have a bit.
KW: The Tavis Smiley question: How do you want to be remembered?
NH: As somebody who lived life to the fullest.
KW: Thanks again for the time, Naomie, and congratulations on your tremendous performance, one not to be forgotten during the upcoming awards season.
NH: I really appreciate that, Kam. Nice to speak to you again. Take care.
To see a trailer for Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, visit
Black Nativity
Film Review by Kam Williams
Naima (Jennifer Hudson) is a single-mom struggling to pay the rent on the apartment she shares with son Langston (Jacob Latimore), 15, who’s the same age she was when she had him. Back then, she was as headstrong as he is now, which explains why she ran away from a good home in Harlem to raise him alone in Baltimore.
Today, upon receiving an eviction notice, cash-strapped Naima reluctantly sends the rebellious adolescent in need of a father figure to New York to live with her parents, Aretha (Angela Bassett) and Reverend Cornell Cobbs (Forest Whitaker), prominent members of the black community. But Langston lands in trouble even before they have a chance to pick him up at the bus station, so they end-up having to bail him out of jail.
Is it too late for anyone to make a difference in the rebellious juvenile delinquent’s life? Can the Cobbs mend the fractured relationship with their long-estranged daughter? Will Langston belatedly bond with the absentee father he’s never known?
These are the pivotal questions raised in Black Nativity, a modern morality play based on the Langston Hughes musical of the same name. Adapted and directed by Kasi Lemmons (Eve’s Bayou), the film features an engaging soundtrack sprinkled with evocative onscreen performances by cast members including Mary J. Blige, Nas and Tyrese, though all pale in comparison to those by Jennifer Hudson.
Fair warning to theatergoers ordinarily operating on CPT. Don’t take the risk of arriving too late to catch the incomparable diva’s unforgettable opener, “Test of Faith,” a showstopper every bit as memorable as her heartfelt rendition of “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going” as Effie in Dreamgirls.
A timeless parable as memorable for its uplifting spirituals as for its moving message about the importance of faith and family.
Excellent (4 stars)
Rated PG for menacing, mature themes and mild epithets
Running time: 93 minutes
Distributor: Fox Searchlight
To see a trailer for Black Nativity, visit
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
Film Review by Kam Williams
Sequel Finds Katniss Forced to Compete in Another Death Match
Despite only being introduced in 2008, The Hunger Games trilogy has so captured the collective imagination of kids the world over that it has already eclipsed Harry Potter as the best-selling children’s book series of all time. Suzanne Collins’ post-apocalyptic adventure is set in Panem, a disturbing dystopia marked by the brutal subjugation of the overwhelmingly-poor majority by the very powerful, privileged few.
In the first installment, heroine Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) grudgingly participated in a winner-take-all death match against other teens, each representing his or her home district. Known as the Hunger Games, the annual competition is staged as entertainment ostensibly designed to distract the masses from their pitiful plight.
Wise beyond her years, underdog Katniss emerged triumphant at the end of the first episode by virtue of a combination of craftiness, compassion and her skills as an archer. However, she did break a cardinal rule by sparing the life of her co-winner, Peeta (Josh Hutcherson), her friend and male counterpart from District 12.
At the second installment’s point of departure, we find the pair embarking on a government-sponsored victory tour around the country. However, when their speeches stir up revolutionary fervor in the crowds, a vindictive President Snow (Donald Sutherland) breaks a promise by drafting them to take part in the Quarter Quell, a tournament of champions comprised entirely of former Hunger Games winners.
So, it’s not long before they’re back in training for another free-for-all, this time engaging elite opponents blessed with gifts ranging from fang-like teeth to uncanny intuition to chameleon-like camouflage to the ability to harness electricity. Each of the entrants, known as tributes, is introduced by Caesar Flickerman (Stanley Tucci), the festivities’ unctuous master of ceremonies.
Once the pomp and circumstance of the decadent opening ritual are out of the way, the relatively-gruesome main event begins. Allegiances are forged, and bargains are made, followed by literal and figurative backstabbing in a desperate contest which ultimately mandates a cruel betrayal of any loyalties.
For all its frenetic action, this uneventful installment nevertheless suffers slightly from a classic case of inbetweenie-itis, since it basically serves as a bridge to the trilogy’s exciting conclusion. A water-treading sequel that achieves its goal of satiating the fans’ bloodlust while whetting their appetite for the franchise’s grand finale.
Very Good (3 stars)
PG-13 for profanity, intense violence, frightening images, mature themes and a suggestive situation
Running time: 146 minutes
Distributor: Lionsgate Films
To see a trailer for The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNDBJtGw3Pc
Ann Coulter
The “Never Trust a Liberal over 3” Interview
If You Like Ann Coulter, You Can Keep Ann Coulter, Period!
Ann Coulter is the author of nine New York Times bestsellers — Demonic: How the Liberal Mob is Endangering America (June 2011); Guilty: Liberal “Victims” and Their Assault on America (January 2009); If Democrats Had Any Brains, They’d Be Republicans (October, 2007); Godless: The Church of Liberalism (June 2006); How to Talk to a Liberal (If You Must) (October, 2004); Treason: Liberal Treachery From the Cold War to the War on Terrorism (June 2003); Slander: Liberal Lies About the American Right (June 2002); and High Crimes and Misdemeanors: The Case Against Bill Clinton (August 1998).
She is also the legal affairs correspondent for Human Events and writes a popular syndicated column for Universal Press Syndicate. She has both been a frequent guest on such TV programs as The Today Show, Good Morning America, The Early Show, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Hannity, The O’Reilly Factor, The Glenn Beck Show and HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher, and been profiled in publications like TV Guide, the Guardian (UK), the New York Observer, National Journal, Harper’s Bazaar, and Elle magazine.
She was the April 25, 2005 cover story of Time magazine and in 2001 was named one of the Top 100 Public Intellectuals by federal judge Richard Posner. A Connecticut native, Coulter graduated with honors from Cornell University School of Arts & Sciences and received her J.D. from University of Michigan Law School, where she was an editor of the Michigan Law Review.
Ms. Coulter clerked for the Honorable Pasco Bowman II of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit and was an attorney in the Department of Justice Honors Program for outstanding law school graduates. After practicing law in private practice in New York City, she worked for the Senate Judiciary Committee, where she handled crime and immigration issues for Senator Spencer Abraham of Michigan. From there, she became a litigator with the Center for Individual Rights in Washington, D.C., a public interest law firm dedicated to the defense of individual rights with particular emphasis on freedom of speech, civil rights, and the free exercise of religion.
Here, she talks about her new book, Never Trust a Liberal over 3.
Kam Williams: Hi Ann, thanks for another opportunity to interview with you. Guess I made that short list of reporters you’re willing to give a second shot.
Ann Coulter: Thanks for having me, Kam!
KW: What inspired you to write Never Trust a Liberal over 3?
AC: Two things: First, I wanted to write a fun book, not exclusively about politics, to lure conservatives back into the arena. Second, you win an argument with liberals, they wait a week and then go right back to saying the same thing. Instead of writing the same columns over and over again, I thought I’d just include a bunch of my favorites over the last decade, proving, for example:
The August 6 PDB [Presidential Daily Briefing], titled “Bin Laden Determined to Attack!” was as informative as a memo titled “Waitress Determined to Succeed in Hollywood!” If Bush had followed every lead in that memo, there would have been bomb-sniffing dogs outside the federal courthouse on 9/11.
Valerie Plame was not an undercover agent and her husband, Joe Wilson, was a boob.
Waterboarding as practiced in Guantanamo was never considered a “war crime.” MSNBC commentators who said so were apparently reading “Little Women” rather than military histories as children.
Amanda Knox was guilty.
Troy Davis was guilty.
Liberals tell amazing lies about guns and everything else.
KW: Besides liberals, whom you refer to as “porn surfers,” “liars” and “welfare suppliers,” you make incendiary remarks about everything from Muslims to illegal aliens to gays to African-Americans. You really know how to burn a bridge.
AC: That was just to rhyme! (But thank you!) I don’t think I have an unkind word for any of them. Oh wait, except Muslims. I’ve been cross with them since 9/11 2001. I can't remember why but it was something bad.
KW: What do you think about the Obamacare roll-out?
AC: The roll-out has gone much better than I ever dreamed it would. Six people in America signed up on day one? Beat that, free market capitalism!
KW: What do you think of program itself? Have you read the whole law?
AC: I’ve read more of it than Nancy Pelosi has. It’s a disaster. Harvard graduates just cannot shake the idea that they know better than everyone else what’s best for us and that they’re capable of running a mammoth, unwieldy government program providing each one of us with the precise health insurance we need, at a good price, with no waste or fraud. Trust them, they worked it all out on paper their junior year.
KW: Do you think it’s important that the President promised, “If you like your health insurance, you can keep your insurance,” or is it no different from President Bush saying, “Read my lips: no new taxes,” and then reneging on that guarantee after getting elected.
AC: Big difference! Bush was making a promise about future behavior, Obama knew what he was saying was a lie when he said it, but he had to say it or the law wouldn’t have passed, even on a strict party-line vote, without both houses of Congress ever voting on the same bill. The Obamacare bill was written. The mandates for all insurance to cover whatever HHS Secretary/gender-feminist Kathleen Sebelius considered important was in that bill. Other insurance plans were made illegal in the bill Obama was touting at the very moment he was claiming it would allow you to keep insurance you liked. But he had to lie in order to get the bill passed. By contrast, Bush made a promise about his future behavior and then broke it. For that to be the same as what Obama did, Bush would have had to campaigned for a specific bill that raised taxes by assuring Americans the bill would not raise taxes.
KW: I told my readers I’d be interviewing again, and a lot of them sent in questions.
AC: Excellent!
KW: Documentary filmmaker Kevin Williams asks: Why do you think so many liberals, even outside of New York City and Los Angeles are so unaware of their own bias, if not prejudice, against conservatives and in particular female and black conservatives?
AC: They’re in the liberal cocoon. Liberals could live their whole lives never having to hear an actual conservative opinion other than the idiotic arguments written for conservative characters on Aaron Sorkin’s little teleplays. As I wrote in my book, Slander, conservatives couldn’t block out liberal opinion if they wanted to, short of going into a coma, in which case they’re not going to be much help fighting Democrats. We’re bombarded with liberal propaganda 24/7, from the early morning shows, Hollywood movies, documentaries and sitcoms, all major newspapers, fashion magazines, the sports pages, public schools, college professors and administrators, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. Unless liberals specifically seek out Ann Coulter books and columns, which I highly recommend, or tune into Fox News or conservative talk radio, they have no idea what conservatives are thinking. As the saying goes, a fish doesn’t know what water is. Speaking of the sports pages, I have a solution to the furor over the “Washington Redskins” name! They should rename themselves the “Maryland Redskins.” I’m a problem-solver, and you’re welcome.
KW: Yale grad Tommy Russell asks: Do you think liberals and conservatives fit so neatly into the prescribed categories you and other conservative pundits assign to them?
AC: What do you mean by “liberals” and “conservatives”? I believe you are assigning them to precise categories! I’ll explain why you do that. It’s impossible to talk without labels. “Dog” is a label, but that doesn’t mean it’s meaningless, nor does it mean there’s no difference in a Shih Tzu and a Doberman.
KW: Tommy also asks: Do you think the Republican Party is in the midst of a meltdown and permanent recession of significance in national politics now that Tea Party candidates are as energized as ever to push their radical agenda forward after the failed budget standoff and to push out the remaining moderately conservative members of Congress; and core libertarian values of freedom of choice, that could apply to such issues as the legalization of pot, clash with party identity politics and therefore are not supported at large and are visible contradictions for voters who might support a more harmonious party platform?
AC: I discuss this in my new book – it’s not exactly the “Tea Party” per se, but again that is a useful label and I get your point. I speak at a lot of Tea Parties, know a lot of them, and I think I am one. The vast majority of Tea Partiers want to win. We didn’t ask our candidates to mull about rape and abortion on the campaign trail. We want them talking about repealing Obamacare, protecting our second amendment rights and locking up the rapists, not giving them the vote, as Democrats would like to do. But there is an element on the right often mistaken for Tea Partiers, whom I would describe more as dilettantes for whom politics is a matter of acquiring a sense of belonging -- usually a liberal trait. They choose candidates not based on who is the best candidate for the race, but to, say, announce to the world something about themselves: “I am pure! I will not compromise my principles and vote for a pale pastel Republican!” That’s great, a Democrat won because you wouldn’t vote unless Christine O’Donnell was on the ballot. Of course, they’re not the only ones causing problems for the GOP. As I also describe in the book, we have the greedy consultants and ego-driven candidates who run for office just to get a TV show or increase their speaking fees. And we have the “establishment Republicans”-- again, an imperfect label -- pushing widely unpopular ideas on our candidates, such as amnesty.
KW: Harriet Pakula-Teweles asks: How does naming, blaming and shaming clear the air for a dialogue that leads to reconciliation, so government can work again as the people who elected their representatives can rightly expect?
AC: I love that Harriet Pakula-Teweles has asked me a question about naming. Naturally, I do none of these things. I cut through the nonsense with the blinding light of truth. But you do make an important point that I think a lot of people don’t understand. What I and other commentators do is attempt to move the public opinion. We try to change minds. That is absolutely NOT what a candidate is supposed to do. Leave the jaw-dropping statements to us. Take gun laws. I suspect it would have been madness for a Republican candidate to have supported concealed carry permits in, say, 1990. The public hadn’t been persuaded yet. After John Lott’s important book, More Guns, Less Crime, came out, public opinion changed dramatically. Now a majority of people support concealed carry laws. Public intellectuals move opinion, public officials try to reflect it.
KW: Larry Greenberg asks: Should women have suffrage in Presidential elections?
AC: Would that they did not! Sadly, Larry, that ship has sailed. The most we can hope for is strong marriages. Married women vote Republican; single women vote Democratic. That’s why liberals promote policies to break up families. Every social malady is a victory for the left. A couple gets divorced and liberals say, “Yay! Another Democratic voter!” A child is born out of wedlock and liberals say, “Yay! Another Democratic voter!” A person gets addicted to drugs and liberals say, “Yay! Another Democratic voter!”
KW: Kate Newell says: I wonder what created your initial distrust of liberals? I think we are mostly quite nice, intelligent people!
AC: I’m sure you are Kate, but in kindergarten a liberal told me I was “greedy” for wanting to keep my own lunch, stole it from me and then promised I could keep my lunch box if I liked it -- period! -- but stole that too, and then she enlisted half the class to steal money from the other half, by assuring them lifetime jobs and cushy pensions. By the way, most people in the Tea Party are nice, but that hasn’t stopped liberals from hating them.
KW: Jeff Cohen asks: Is it really necessary to capitalize on the over the top villainizing of liberals? Doesn't that kind of behavior harm constructive dialogue
AC: Au contraire! It is the very essence of constructive dialogue!
KW: Keith Kremer says: With the government fractured among Democrats, moderate Republicans and the Tea Party, it appears that compromise is a foreign concept and there is little hope that anything will get done. With that said, aren’t you part of the problem with your hard line stances and abhorrence of the other side?
AC: No. I am the solution.
KW: Keith’s also wondering: Who’s the last Democrat for which you’ve cast your vote?
AC: In a high school mock election, I voted for Joe Lieberman for Senate from Connecticut.
KW: Gil Cretney asks: Do you really believe the hate message you make your living delivering?
AC: Be honest, do you really believe that question?
KW: Attorney Bernadette Beekman says: I see you've maintained your license to practice law in New York and that your registration is due to be renewed this year. Do you ever find yourself scrambling to maintain the number of required CLE credits due to your heavy book tour, speaking engagements and the like?
AC: No.
KW: Bernadette has a follow-up: Would you recommend that young women go to law school today, given the economy and the practice of law in general and the current lack of advancement opportunities for women?
AC: Noooooooooooooo! We have way too many lawyers, the price for them has plummeted and you will have a miserable and unsatisfying life. Unless you get into Harvard Law. You could be in a yurt on the Mongolian Plateau and they’ll say, “Oh you must be smart. You went to Harvard Law.”
KW: The Columbus Short question: Are you happy?
AC: Not at the moment -- this interview is taking way too long. [Chuckles]
KW: The Teri Emerson question: When was the last time you had a good laugh?
AC: After hearing Gil’s question about “Do you really believe it?”
KW: What is your guiltiest pleasure?
AC: Watching Rachel Maddow smirkingly launch one of her soon-to-be-disproved-conspiracy theories, for example, the census worker in Kentucky who was killed by an anti-government nut -- it was suicide; the Minnesota bridge collapsed because of Republican budget cuts -- it was structural problems having nothing to do with maintenance; gun rights supporters were holding a rally to celebrate Timothy McVeigh -- which also happened to be the anniversary of the Battle of Concord and Lexington; and so forth.
KW: The bookworm Troy Johnson question: What was the last book you read?
AC: Last week: Robert Louis Stevenson’s Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Charles Dickens’s The Boardinghouse, a real snooze. This week, in anticipation of the de Blasio mayoralty, I just started re-reading Tom Wolfe’s Bonfire of the Vanities. Before the book tour began, I was half-way through Fuller Torrey’s new book, American Psychosis: How the Federal Government Destroyed the Mental Illness Treatment System, which is fantastic. For decades now, Torrey has been warning America what would happen if the dangerously mentally ill were deinstitutionalized, and it’s all come true. Today, the only place we can put mental patients is on MSNBC.
KW: The music maven Heather Covington question: What was the last song you listened to?
AC: I can't remember the name of the song but it was from Michelle Obama's rap CD about getting in shape and eating right. [Chuckles]
KW: What is your favorite dish to cook?
AC: Mango colada. No, vodka tonic. Wait, make that a Martini.
KW: The Sanaa Lathan question: What excites you?
AC: The prospect of finishing this interview. [Laughs]
KW: The Uduak Oduok question: Who is your favorite clothes designer?
AC: Herve Leger.
KW: The Mike Pittman question: What was your best career decision?
AC: Agreeing to this interview. It’s been a life-changing experience. [Chuckles]
KW: The Jamie Foxx question: If you only had 24 hours to live, how would you spend the time?
AC: Waiting in line for my Obamacare doctor. [Laughs]
KW: The Kerry Washington question: If you were an animal, what animal would you be?
AC: A beagle because then I could live in a classic six on Park Ave just for being cute.
KW: The Ling-Ju Yen question: What is your earliest childhood memory?
AC: Nixon’s wage and price controls. I exclaimed to my entire kindergarten class: HE DID WHAT?
KW: The Anthony Mackie question: Isthere anything that you promised yourself you’d do if you became famous, that you still haven’t done yet?
AC: I never wanted to be famous and the only part I like is that it means people are reading my books and listening to me on TV and radio. Also, I’ve met some nice people I otherwise might not have. Other than that, I’d rather not be.
KW: The Melissa Harris-Perry question:How did your first big heartbreak impact who you are as a person?
AC: I’ll let you know.
KW: The Anthony Anderson question: If you could have a superpower, which one would you choose?
AC: The USA.
KW: The Judyth Piazza question: What key quality do you believe all successful people share?
AC: A servant problem. [LOL] My real answer is hard work.
KW: The Gabby Douglas question: If you had to choose another profession, what would that be?
AC: Professional baseball player.
KW: What advice do you have for anyone who wants to follow in your footsteps?
AC: Don’t try to imitate anyone. The next William F. Buckley wasn’t a bow-tied Yalie from Greenwich, Connecticut, it was Rush Limbaugh. The next Rush Limbaugh wasn’t a pioneering talk radio host from the heartland, it was Matt Drudge. The next Matt Drudge won’t be a brilliant Internet scourge, it will be… who knows?
KW: The Tavis Smiley question: How do you want to be remembered?
AC: For my books.
KW: Thanks again for the time, Ann, and best of luck with the book.
AC: Thank you, Kam.
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