When The Lies Go Down

For years, film critic Pauline Kael has been quoted as saying she was shocked when Nixon beat McGovern because no one she knew voted for him. This allegedly epitomized the out-of-touch Eastern-liberal establishment, or just liberals in general.

It never made sense to me. Kael would sometimes discuss politics in her essays, but it was hard to pin her down. There was her Eastern-liberal side, but sometimes you'd also her Western-libertarian don't-tread-on-me side. In fact, sometimes she mocked the Left for its sanctimoniousness, and even its false view of human nature.

So I'm pleased to finally read a comment (years old, recently linked by Instapundit) about the story. Apparently, Kael was aware of the misquote, and it bothered her. She was asked about the election in The New York Times and actually said this:

I live in a rather special world. I only know one person who voted for Nixon. Where they are I don't know. They're outside my ken. But sometimes when I'm in a theater I can feel them.

Okay, maybe she lives in a cocoon, but at least she's aware of it.