Tony Snow Dies
Tony Snow has died:
Former White House press secretary Tony Snow — who once told reporters “I’m a very lucky guy” — died at the age of 53 early Saturday after a second battle with cancer.
More here.
Tony Snow was a remarkable man. It was amazing to watch him articulate the conservative position. Conservatives have so few spokesmen that can explain our principles like Snow could.
And — in a move that will forever endear him to me — he once said kind words about this blog. After I praised his performance on a Bill Maher show in which he stood up to three boneheaded liberals with grace and persuasive power, he commented:
Thanks for the wonderful write-up. It’s always fun visiting the belly of the beast. Meanwhile, keep up the great work. Love the blog.
That was one of the prouder moments I’ve had here.
He will be deeply missed. What a terrible day.
P.S. Anyone who says anything bad about him in this thread is banned and the comment will be deleted. Anyone who says anything bad about him today anywhere on this blog will be banned and the comment will be deleted. It’s not the time or place.
Comments are still open on other threads on this blog — put “Tony Snow” into the search engine — and if you want to wait until tomorrow and then articulate respectful disagreement with his views, etc., you’re welcome to. Today is not the day, and this comment thread will never be the place.
He had such a great style as Press Secretary, it was so frustrating for us to see him do the job for such a terribly short time and wonder how much would have been different if he’d been in that job when he was so desperately needed.
Sad day.
SPQR (26be8b) — 7/12/2008 @ 9:49 amRequiescat in pace, Tony. Prayers and deepest sympathy to your family.
Drumwaster (5ccf59) — 7/12/2008 @ 9:54 amSome people make a job look easy and simple, but then we find another person to contrast them with, and that magic is gone. It was hard to believe that Mr. Snow and Mr. McClellan were even members of the same species, let alone the same profession.
DWPittelli (e399aa) — 7/12/2008 @ 9:57 amTony Snow’s first priorities were faith and family. He was indeed a good man. His love and talents will be missed by many.
cboldt (3d73dd) — 7/12/2008 @ 10:07 amSetting aside his political orientation and looking at Tony Snow as a journalist, I always found him to be fair, gracious, polite, insightful, tough, thorough (within time limitations), humorous, and gentlemanly, even when interviewing or appearing on panels with people who were none of those things.
Tony Snow was a credit to the profession of journalism, and others in that business would do well to emulate him.
Pretty big shoes to fill. I will miss him, and I offer my prayers for the peace and comfort of his family.
ExRat (775497) — 7/12/2008 @ 10:12 amTony Snow was a decent person in politics, something rarer than it should be. My sympathies to his family and friends.
You’re almost always way ahead of me on news, but this time I beat you to the punch.
Bradley J Fikes (0ea407) — 7/12/2008 @ 10:17 amWhat a sweet man whose very countenance and affability contrasted with the bitter partisans on the left. I didn’t realize he was something of a musician also. May he rest in peace.
Don’t bother checking the fever swamps. As LGF points out, the subhumans at Daily Kos are trashing the incandescently decent Tony. And newsbusters.org points out the biased BS emanating at AP from the always reliable Douglas Daniel and Jennifer Loven.
madmax333 (6a89b3) — 7/12/2008 @ 10:17 amhttp://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080712/ap_on_re_us/obit_snow
Could you please ban the AP or DOUGLASS K. DANIEL from this website? Disgusting.
Roy Mustang (c10d03) — 7/12/2008 @ 10:30 amHe was a pleasure to watch. He knew what the White House press corps wanted and tried to deliver it. It was hillarious to hear him thanking Helen Thomas for the Hezbollah point of view.
He will be missed.
My sympathies to his family.
daleyrocks (d9ec17) — 7/12/2008 @ 10:31 ambtw, Tony played the saxophone,trombone,flute, piccolo, accordian and guitar and was in a D.C. cover band called Beat Workin’. Malkin site has a clip of him playing.
madmax333 (6a89b3) — 7/12/2008 @ 10:31 amI wish I could have had him as a friend and a neighbor. God bless you Tony Snow, RIP. Prayers to his family.
Old Coot (cb828a) — 7/12/2008 @ 10:51 amAn outstanding man and great example for all of us. Tony truly had grace. He will be missed dreadfully. God Bless his family.
We are all poorer for his loss!
Peg C. (099221) — 7/12/2008 @ 10:58 amThere is a definite disturbance in the force. We have lost a great commentator and a great soul. The Lord has taken him from us too early but he surely lives in eternity with the Lord. God Bless Tony and his family.
atmom (56a0a8) — 7/12/2008 @ 11:13 amTony Snow was always classy and respectful towards others, regardless of how they treated him. Not an easy task with the sharks in Washington and the press corps.
Dave McDowell (a7ec92) — 7/12/2008 @ 11:21 amI believe the President’s administration and his legacy would have been seen in a much better light had he had Tony Snow onboard earlier. He was a competent professional who served the President better than most of the others around him.
nk (6a0113) — 7/12/2008 @ 11:25 amA decent man who will be missed
steve miller (724340) — 7/12/2008 @ 11:30 amWe were better off with him with us.
JD Esq. (5f0e11) — 7/12/2008 @ 11:30 amStrictly a class act no matter where he was–on radio, on TV, cable or infront of the White House press corps.
He also had the best smirk in the history of television, mostly seen while jousting with ideological opponents…like Helen Thomas.
Rest in peace, Tony.
P.S. Patterico, thank you for maintaining good manners and decency on this thread. If a certain commenter made a disrespectful classless remark in here, my language would not have been fit for this blog. But I am dismayed that your hand was forced into making such a restriction.
Paul (ae2fbe) — 7/12/2008 @ 11:39 amHe was a good man and a good internet friend. Tony Snow made a point to reach out to others like GM Roper when he was diagnosed with cancer, and shared his message of hope, faith, and support.
DRJ (cfa65f) — 7/12/2008 @ 11:41 amI can honestly say that I liked Tony Snow, even though I didn’t agree with his politics. He seemed like he was doing what he loved and what he thought needed to be done. As nk said, he was an excellent press secretary coming on the heels of a string of less-than-excellent press secretaries; he definitely stood out.
To me, he was one of those people you’d want to have a drink with – talk politics, maybe, but talk, one way or another. He seemed like a genuinely interesting individual.
William F. Buckley, Tim Russert, Tony Snow… this has been a harsh year for honest political discourse.
Leviticus (f5c61d) — 7/12/2008 @ 12:32 pmReally sorry to hear that. I thought he had it beaten, and had no idea it was coming back.
What Leviticus said. Though I didn’t agree with his politics, he was a smart (and positive) advocate for them.
LYT (b67340) — 7/12/2008 @ 1:09 pmTony was the kind of guy that even though many of us didn’t know him personally, we all felt like close friends. I know many of you feel the same way, too. I have cried several times today, after having first heard this at 6am, and I know I will cry again.
Godspeed, Tony.
MsUnderestimated (548bfc) — 7/12/2008 @ 1:15 pmTony Snow was the chief reason why I started watching Fox News in the first place – despite his partisanship, his role on the Sunday news show was the model of rectitude and good humor. He often played the middleman in the midst of the regular panelists, and his role is a model of how the show is run today. Godspeed and God Bless.
Dmac (416471) — 7/12/2008 @ 1:20 pmThere is a really nice comment about Tony Snow on The Corner written by a former White House staffer.
SPQR (26be8b) — 7/12/2008 @ 1:44 pmMr. Frey, thank you for clearly stating your rule regarding postings on Tony Snow. I think that partisanship should stop with health and family issues.
The ironic part about all this, is that I would bet as much money as I could ever have that Tony Snow would never have written or said (heck, thought) anything cruel about a political opponent’s death or illness.
Carl Jung once wrote: “You are what you do, not what you say you’ll do.” By those standards, Tony Snow was among the best of the best.
And that has nothing at all to do with Ds or Rs (or Is) after someone’s name.
Thanks again for making this a “bile-free” zone.
Eric Blair (2708f4) — 7/12/2008 @ 1:58 pmTragedy is a word so loosely attributed anymore that it has lost much of its meaning. The loss of Tony Snow is tragic.
As I watched him in myriad settings, I was struck at how he made me want to be a better man. Odd, huh? I was never going to know him yet his spirit moved mine.
I am pleased at the thought that he won’t be forced to endure an election that will be a nadir for all he championed.
Ed (d17ceb) — 7/12/2008 @ 2:44 pmSPQR,
That was a wonderful comment. Just reading it makes me want to work at being a better person.
DRJ (ec597e) — 7/12/2008 @ 2:45 pmA fine gentleman he was. Always had a smile for everyone even when he was facing the fight of his life. A true American hero indeed. Tony Snow showed me that you could still smile even in great suffering. He had that unbeatable attitude. He has gone to a better place. He shall be missed though.
love2008 (1b037c) — 7/12/2008 @ 3:35 pmI want to say that while I’m not of the same political persuasion as Tony Snow was, I respected, admired and liked him. From the get-to he was so obviously an intelligent class act and reading his obits this morning brought it home just as I’d imagined from my own impression.
He certainly was a brilliant spokesman for his administration(and I’m pleased that he took notice of your excellent blog-what a typically thoughful gesture to return your email).
I’ve read online somewhere today that just a few weeks ago, when he must have been close to death himself he’d asked after Helen Thomas(who is apparently ailing), via email to a media friend who knew both. That kind of evinces the sort of human being who all of us varied partisans should hope to be: full of good humor, grace, courage-and a focus on living the best life one can, with honor. What a loss.
Jenny (2ce670) — 7/12/2008 @ 3:45 pmRest in peace. My prayers and best wishes for his family and friends. He seemed to be an exemplar that we should all try to emulate.
htom (412a17) — 7/12/2008 @ 3:55 pmFrom SPQR’s link:
I’d hoped the position at CNN was a sign he’d gained the upper hand on the cancer.
X_LA_Native (1a2fae) — 7/12/2008 @ 4:07 pmGodspeed, Tony. You were a rare one.
Jenny,
I had not e-mailed him. It was a surprise to see that comment.
Patterico (3553a9) — 7/12/2008 @ 4:26 pmAwesome man, a man of faith, courage, honor, service and love. Dear Mr. Snow: Thanks so much for the great example of a life well lived, enjoy Heaven and please pray for all of us down here, won’t you?
no one you know (1ebbb1) — 7/12/2008 @ 4:43 pmMark Steyn describes Tim Blair’s interaction with Tony Snow.
The best line:
SPQR (26be8b) — 7/12/2008 @ 5:28 pm“He was an amazing man who gave the impression he had all the time in the world for everyone he met. Which, of course, was the one thing he didn’t have.”
SPQR,
The words of Mark Steyn and Tim Blair are poignant and they reminded me of this Christianity Today article in which Tony Snow shared his thoughts on life and death.
DRJ (ec597e) — 7/12/2008 @ 5:51 pmMy little sister– who is as ignorant of politics as I am of fashion or pop culture– gave him this tribute:
I just found out Tony Snow died. I’m in shock, I thought he was doing good. I’m actually sad, I really liked the guy.
That my sister KNEW who this man was– she would have to take a few guesses at “Pelosi”– and cared about him enough to email me at the first word of his death, shows how powerful and good he was.
Foxfier (15ac79) — 7/12/2008 @ 7:59 pmPS-
Foxfier (15ac79) — 7/12/2008 @ 9:41 pmMouse asked me to add on:
And I am pissed beyond words that some stupid story about Madonna and Brittany was at the top of the Yahoo page, and this was way down the page.
I think the only other time that the passing of a stranger affected me in the same way as Tony Snow’s passing would be Michael Kelly’s.
SPQR (26be8b) — 7/12/2008 @ 9:46 pmFoxfier,
What a nice tribute your sister paid to Tony Snow. It shows that good works and good lives matter.
DRJ (ec597e) — 7/12/2008 @ 9:47 pmMy God, I loved this man. He was magnificent to watch, a measure of wry humor, tolerance, and razor sharp wit, yet the kind of guy who would know the names of everyone he worked with, including those who cleaned the building. He is irreplaceable. That’s all there is to it. My prayers and thoughts to his family and friends. He was my friend, too, though I never knew him. I wish I had.
Glynn (10ee60) — 7/13/2008 @ 2:47 pmGod speed, Tony. You will be missed. Prayers of comfort and hope to your family and friends. God bless.
Sardonicus (d7d294) — 7/15/2008 @ 2:31 pmTo the AP and it’s “contributors”, on the other hand…..well I won’t say what I would like to say out of respect for Mr. Snow. He would have just smiled and said it doesn’t mean a thing.
Still, you disgust me, Mr. DOUGLASS K. DANIEL of the AP. I pray you wake to your shame and apologize to the late Tony Snow and his family.