By Steve Aust
NSNC Executive Director
As the writer of thousands of columns, the author of 19 books, and a frequent TV presence, George Will looms as one of the nation’s leading conservative commentators. His erudite perspectives provide thoughtful insights on an array of economic and social issues – and, regarding his other overarching passion, baseball. NSNC has proudly recognized Mr. Will’s exemplary career by bestowing upon him its Ernie Pyle Lifetime Achievement Award. He was supposed to receive the award at the 2020 NSNC Annual Conference, originally scheduled to take place in June in Tulsa but cancelled amid the COVID-19 pandemic. We’re hopeful that global circumstances will allow us to convene together in Birmingham, Alabama, in June 2021, and that we’ll be able to honor George at that time. The year 2020 has brought challenges unprecedented in our lifetimes, and it seemed an apropos time to touch base with Mr. Will, who graciously agreed to chat with Steve Aust, NSNC’s new executive director. The conversation focused on two pressing issues – COVID-19 and the election; and a couple of more lighthearted topics – baseball and reflections on Will’s career as he looks ahead to his 80th birthday next year.
He’s also agreed to share his time with our group with a Zoom session on Thursday evening, December 3. More information on this virtual event will be forthcoming.
To what extent do you think the COVID-19 pandemic could have been prevented by more government intervention?
The U.S. Army’s after-action report about the pandemic will be informative, because there’s been so much adaptation required as we’ve learned more about the novel coronavirus. Chris Coons, the Democratic Senator from Delaware who occupies the seat Joe Biden formerly held, studied the Ebola virus extensively, and he noted our nation’s lack of preparedness in the event of a pandemic. It’s difficult for government to mandate individual behaviors, but the constant mixed messages from the federal government impeded the adoption of [CDC} recommendations.
When this country gets serious about accomplishing a goal, we can do amazing things. When developing nuclear weapons was in the national interest, the Manhattan Project mobilized and accomplished amazing things. Our government bought 59,000 acres in Tennessee in 1942 for nuclear facilities and created the town of Oak Ridge to support that industry with amazing swiftness. Our government needs to create a permanent Manhattan Project devoted to preparing for future pandemics.COVID-19 won’t be the last one.
What positive elements have there been in the national response to COVID-19?
I think you’d have to look to the states. [Former Supreme Court justice] Louis Brandeis once said that states are the laboratory of democracy. State and local governments are closer to their constituents and able to respond to needs more nimbly. Ultimately, people aren’t exercising precautionary measures because their governments are ordering it; they’re doing so because it’s prudent.
Did Bob Woodward act responsibly in not conveying President Trump’s downplaying of COVID-19 in its early stages?
Trump’s behavior isn’t a secret. He’s been loudly proclaiming who he is for more than 30 years. He’s the most overexposed president in our history. Bob didn’t do anything wrong; we didn’t learn anything new about Trump. We’re quite familiar with who he is.
In what ways have both major parties deviated from their core principles?
In the Republicans’ case, they haven’t deviated; they’ve flat out jettisoned their traditional principles. By not even bothering to write a new platform for this election, it’s clear they’ve simply devolved into a cult of personality for Trump. They used to be the party of free trade and fiscal prudence, but no more.
The Democrats paint a peculiar picture. All the recent rhetoric has been in favor of the progressive wing of the party, the wing that traces its roots to Herbert Croly’s book, The Promise of American Life. But when it came time to vote in the primaries, the center held and Biden was nominated. It will be interesting to see if hatred of Trump is enough to hold the centrist and progressive wings together.
Do you think the possibility exists for an October surprise, or has the constancy of media made it harder to drop bombshells?
I think the electorate has become too jaded to be swayed in that way. Some in the media treated every new allegation as a bombshell when they’re really just journalistic firecrackers. The Washington Post recently ran an article that outlined various scenarios if the results of this election were contested.
Are you seriously concerned such a dire scenario could happen?
It’s worth considering these scenarios, but we should think of them as possibilities, not probabilities. We’re the world’s oldest constitutional democracy, and there’s nothing more rudimentary to democracy than conducting a democratic election. It’s important to be prepared for such a possibility, but not to dwell on it to the point of depression.
How is the nature of the baseball season altered by this truncated 60-game season?
It’s difficult to take the 60-game season seriously in comparison to the traditional 162. In a typical season, a team is just learning its identity after 60 games. It takes the long season to sort out the inevitable streaks and slumps. For example, [Milwaukee Brewers outfielder] Christian Yelich is having a horrible season by his standards. In a normal season, this would be viewed as a slump and you would expect him to work his way out. But with a short season it’s probably harder to muster the adrenaline to rebound with the season already winding down.
What changes would you make to improve the game?
Currently, 36% of at-bats end in either a home run, walk, or strikeout. That means there’s much less action on the field, and it’s less exciting for spectators. Like a lot of people, I was eager for games to resume from COVID-19. I watched the German Bundesliga and, more recently, I’ve watched the NBA, and it’s been a more entertaining product. The average age of a baseball fan is 57, and the pace has slowed such that the typical baseball game now takes three hours to play. For a generation of 5G addicts, that’s too long.
To force batters to make more contact, I would expand the strike zone. If it’s harder to get a walk, they’re more likely to swing. Major League Baseball has had eight consecutive years of declining attendance before COVID-19. Something needs to happen to make the game more exciting, or it will further decline in future generations.
How did you derive your passion for baseball?
I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t passionate about baseball. I grew up near St. Louis, which at the time was the westernmost outpost of Major League Baseball. I grew to love the game’s extraordinary continuity – since the switch to the lively ball in 1920, there’s been little about it that has changed. And, whereas other games have a continuous ebb and flow, each inning and each at-bat in a baseball game is a new episode, a new opportunity to change the course of the game. Each action has the potential to create a wonderful set of numbers.
But, as much as I love the game and its history, I want to remove the sentimentality. I wrote Men at Work as a contrast to the “boys of summer” mythology that surrounds baseball. Those aren’t boys on Major League fields, they’re men, they’ve worked hard to get there, and they work hard to stay there.Who were your heroes who inspired you to pursue a journalistic career?
When I was a student at Trinity College, I took a trip down to New York, where I spent a nickel on a copy of the New York Post. This was when I discovered Murray Kempton’s columns. He had such a beautiful, elegant writing style. He became a hero of mine.
Are there any columns that you would rewrite today if you could?
I have changed a few positions in my lifetime. For one, I used to be opposed to Congressional term limits, but I now think that removing some long-entrenched politicians would be a good idea. Probably the biggest mistake I’ve made was supporting the Iraq invasion in 2003. The evidence has clearly borne out that this wasn’t the right course of action.
One thing I’ve learned is that, once you’ve said all you can say about a subject, it’s time to move on. That’s why I seldom write about Donald Trump anymore. There’s not much new ground to cover. There are many things I’m willing to do for my country, but being bored isn’t one of them.
What’s your next project?
I’m working on a book that profiles several famous writers who had anxieties about democracy, such as Walter Lippmann and Albert Camus. They had an acute understanding of their world. I think a lot of us can relate to having anxiety about our current climate.
A (sometimes excessively) proud graduate of the University of Georgia’s Grady College of Journalism, Steve Aust has approximately two decades of storytelling experience: as a writer and editor at ST Media Group, which has covered the sign industry since 1906 with Signs of the Times Magazine and www.signsofthetimes.com; as the marketing manager for Cima Network, a national sign company, and, most recently, as a freelance writer and editorial consultant. Steve assumed the role of Executive Director of NSNC on August 1, 2020, and is proud to uphold its mission of supporting columnists and other serial content providers. To see examples of Steve’s work, click here.
