Bolton’s book is valuable, despite his total lack of political sense.

The transcript of the ABCNews interview with John Bolton. 1/13

TRANSCRIPT: John Bolton interview with ABC News’ Martha RaddatzThe president’s former national security adviser discussed his new book, “The Room Where It Happened.” https://tinyurl.com/ybwda8f7

I’m about a quarter of the way through the book, and I would say that Bolton is right that his contribution was to give a detailed account of how Trump operated, by someone who certainly did not begin with an anti-Trump agenda. 2/13

Though he didn’t start out with an anti-Trump bias or agenda, Bolton reached the conclusion that Trump is unfit to be president, and beyond that, that he is even a danger to the Republic. 3/13

Of course, a lot of us had reached that conclusion even before Trump was elected, but people like us can be dismissed by Republicans as Trump haters with a liberal, Democratic agenda, who only want to take him down. 4/13

Not Bolton, and that’s why his book is important (not that I think it will change many Republican votes). 5/13

That said, there is a lot in the book and in this interview to make one question BOLTON (though not his honesty or accuracy), and in particular to marvel at Bolton’s astonishing lack of political sense. 6/13

Raddatz belabors him for not speaking out during the House impeachment and Senate trial, and nothing Bolton says in response makes any sense. 7/13

For example, Bolton actually maintains that it was “impeachment malpractice” for House Ds to limit the impeachment to Ukraine, as if Jim Jordan and Trump would have welcomed a wider ranging inquiry into abuse of power and obstruction of justice. 8/13

And tonight we learn that, while he will not vote for Trump, he will not vote for Biden either. This after telling Raddatz (something similar is probably in the book as well): 9/13

Despite this (and much, much more), Bolton can’t bring himself to vote *against* Trump. Instead, he says he will write in a conservative name when he votes, 10/13

even though that means he is throwing away his vote — since the only meaningful votes will be the votes for either Trump or for Biden. 11/13

Does Bolton believe that Biden is a greater threat to our Republic, constitutional scheme, and national security than Trump?

Bolton says nothing to justify such an opinion, and of course, in view of all the damning stuff in the book, he would look asinine if he tried. 12/13

But as I’ve said, the book is valuable for other reasons. Just keep in mind that Bolton is politically out to lunch. (I could mention many other reasons for thinking so, but enough for now.) 13/13