Is a word, no?

Hardball With Chris Matthews (MSNBC)

Dear Hitch:

Just a comment or two on your impressive "Hardball" appearance -- especially your clear and concise explanations of secular, secular republic, deist, prime cause, rapture, and premillenarian dispensationalism. It is truly amazing that you could get all that in while Chris Matthews paused for breath and cleared the foam from his lips, but you did. Kudos.

I must point out something that I know you know but in the heat of the on-air moment apparently forgot: MSNBC is not the BBC or even PBS. You risked eternal cable news damnation (in which the "prime cause" is sponsors and ratings!) by stating the following, and fairly emphatically:

Faith is one of the seven deadly virtues. And it is probably the most overrated of those deadly virtues, too.
What we need in politicians is reason and conviction and calm. We don‘t want people channeling the deity. And we don‘t want them claiming to speak for the supernatural. It‘s a very sinister business. . . .

In fact, I‘ve even looked at the notes for the Gettysburg Address, where the words “under God” don‘t appear on the back of the envelope. I think they were put in later perhaps to please the crowd or manage some constituency. Lincoln was an atheist. I think Jefferson was certainly an atheist. . . .

And the absurd claim that this is a Christian country that‘s being made now is a direct negation of the Constitution, to which these people do and should take their oath and stick to it. . . .

Could I just add, though, that—or not—but object slightly, in that I agree that Democrat liberal religiosity is sickly and boring and annoying and hypocritical.

Also, you used the word "rebarbative." Hitch, what were you thinking! Although to be fair, you are British and it probably just slipped out.

Americans don't like fancy words and sophisticated syntax. Next time, pretend you're speaking directly to Bush: the max is three-syllable words, one subject/two verb sentences (and no parenthetical insertions). And certainly never use a word as esoteric as "rebarbative," which to American ears sounds like "rebarbeque."

Otherwise, a tophole appearance, as always.

Fondest,
G.N.