Fox News star Charles Krauthammer reveals he has weeks to live in heartbreaking letter

[Polly Ticks]

Sad news.  I have a great deal of respect for Mr. Krauthammer.

[Lando Lincoln]

@Wingnut

   and agreement with his vews or not has not one damned thing to do with it!

Exactly.  And even when I didn't agree with him (which was a lot rarer than imagined), he provoked thought.  He gave me something to ponder.  Always.

[DCPatriot]

Krauthammer is not killing himself.  What a crappy thing to say.

Perhaps it was merely a clumsy way to say that celebrity deaths typically occur in threes.   Suicide, aside.

[HoustonSam]

I am absolutely crushed.

Charles Krauthammer is the rarest of political pundits: a brilliant and erudite man who expresses himself powerfully without the faintest trace of overblown self-regard.  He is the one person in public life whose opinions I always take seriously, even when I think I disagree with him. Just... damn.

Very well-stated @andy58-in-nh.

I started reading Krauthammer in the mid-1980's in The New Republic while I was in grad school.  His work always stood out; I looked for him in the issue contents and, no matter the title or subject of his essay, I read it.  More recently his occasional dry wit on Fox has been absolutely hilarious, and his opinions without fail concise and insightful.  Wherever he spoke in order, he basically had the last word.  Like you andy, I learned he was to be taken seriously, even more so when I disagreed with him.

We will not see his like again.

[Bigun]

Very well-stated @andy58-in-nh.

I started reading Krauthammer in the mid-1980's in The New Republic while I was in grad school.  His work always stood out; I looked for him in the issue contents and, no matter the title or subject of his essay, I read it.  More recently his occasional dry wit on Fox has been absolutely hilarious, and his opinions without fail concise and insightful.  Wherever he spoke in order, he basically had the last word.  Like you andy, I learned he was to be taken seriously, even more so when I disagreed with him.

We will not see his like again.

There are three people who's writings I tried to never miss.  Walter Williams,  Thomas Sowell,  an Charles Krauthammer.   Served me well I think.

[EasyAce]

Dr. Krauthammer (how easy it was sometimes to forget he was a full psychiatrist who finished his medical education after his paralysis in a diving accident) is one of those writers who instructs, delights, and civilises the day's or the week's events even when you disagree with him. His anthology is right there with those of Tom Wolfe, Albert Jay Nock, and William F. Buckley, Jr. on my easiest-to-reach book shelf . . .



As Alan Freed loved to say signing off his nightly radio shows, this is not goodbye, Dr. Krauthammer, this is only good night. May the angels of the Lord escort our Charles to a gentle and warm welcome home.

[Sanguine]

Perhaps it was merely a clumsy way to say that celebrity deaths typically occur in threes.   Suicide, aside.

Maybe.  I'll go with that.

[Frank Cannon]

Note to John McCain......this is how you close the curtain in a classy and dignified way.

[austingirl]

I am absolutely crushed.

Charles Krauthammer is the rarest of political pundits: a brilliant and erudite man who expresses himself powerfully without the faintest trace of overblown self-regard.  He is the one person in public life whose opinions I always take seriously, even when I think I disagree with him. Just... damn.

Exactly.

[Gefn]

Sad. What a miserable day for news

[WingNot]

Note to John McCain......this is how you close the curtain in a classy and dignified way.

Amen!  Well said Frank!

[mountaineer]

I just read - and was stunned by - some incredibly awful and mean-spirited comments on Facebook from self-avowed libertarians about Dr. Krauthammer's announcement. Good grief.    Is it too much to hope his last days are not painful?

[EasyAce]

I just read - and was stunned by - some incredibly awful and mean-spirited comments on Facebook from self-avowed libertarians about Dr. Krauthammer's announcement. Good grief.    Is it too much to hope his last days are not painful?

@mountaineer
This avowed libertarian shares your hope, but comforts himself knowing that Krauthammer's essays will long outlive the belchings of his critics.

[Rivergirl]

I just read - and was stunned by - some incredibly awful and mean-spirited comments on Facebook from self-avowed libertarians about Dr. Krauthammer's announcement. Good grief.    Is it too much to hope his last days are not painful?

Given some of hateful comments here it should be no surprise that the wider public is also without a generous or thoughtful spirit.

[Sanguine]

Given some of hateful comments here it should be no surprise that the wider public is also without a generous or thoughtful spirit.

That's horrible.  Can you point to some of those comments?

[mystery-ak]

Given some of hateful comments here it should be no surprise that the wider public is also without a generous or thoughtful spirit.

I just re-read the whole thread and there wasn't one unkind word....

[EasyAce]

I just re-read the whole thread and there wasn't one unkind word....

@mystery-ak
There were a few snarky remarks tied to the fact that Krauthammer wasn't a Trump supporter, generally by people who seem blissfully unaware that he doesn't exactly suffer fools or the more hingeless of Trump's critics. But those seem in the minority on that thread. Maybe the snarkiest was this remark:

I’m thinking, “Really?!? You’re not sure what kind of a president Obama would be?” We all knew for sure that Obama would be a terrible president! How could Mr. Genius Krauthammer not know? Any respect for his alleged amazing mind went down the drain for me.

Spoken (well, written) by one who was blissfully unaware of how often and how pungently Krauthammer attacked His Excellency Al-Hashish Field Marshmallow Dr. Barack Obama Dada's flouting of the constitutional prescription regarding executive limits.

[Right_in_Virginia]

When I heard the news I felt sad.  When I read his statement I could hardly breathe.  It was so short, so simple --- yet filled with such dignity, courage and appreciation for his life.

I pray for your tranquil journey and safe home, Charles.  You will be missed. 

[edpc]

There were a few snarky remarks tied to the fact that Krauthammer wasn't a Trump supporter, generally by people who seem blissfully unaware that he doesn't exactly suffer fools or the more hingeless of Trump's critics.

He’d never do it publicly, for ethical reasons, but I always wondered, given his psychology background, what his opinions of Obama an Trump were.

[Applewood]

I just read - and was stunned by - some incredibly awful and mean-spirited comments on Facebook from self-avowed libertarians about Dr. Krauthammer's announcement. Good grief.    Is it too much to hope his last days are not painful?

We live in a nasty world.  I don't know when it started, but it was ramped up during 8 years of Obama.  It has worsened since Trump was elected.  Seems no one has class anymore. 

If you can't offer any kind words, how about saying nothing?

[edpc]

We live in a nasty world.  I don't know when it started, but it was ramped up during 8 years of Obama.  It has worsened since Trump was elected.  Seems no one has class anymore. 

If you can't offer any kind words, how about saying nothing?

I don’t know if it’s due to a particular individual, but the rise of social media and the anonymity has been the biggest contributor - IMHO.

[Rivergirl]

I just re-read the whole thread and there wasn't one unkind word....

   I was not referring to comments about Krauthammer, just the overall tone of some here who pounce, insult, degrade, and attack at every chance.  And you very know who they are.

[Lando Lincoln]

I am genuinely grieving over this news.

[Sanguine]

   I was not referring to comments about Krauthammer, just the overall tone of some here who pounce, insult, degrade, and attack at every chance.  And you very know who they are.

Maybe this isn't the thread for that kind of complaint.

[Lando Lincoln]

   I was not referring to comments about Krauthammer, just the overall tone of some here who pounce, insult, degrade, and attack at every chance.  And you very know who they are.

I don’t see an unkind word on this thread. Please don’t provoke them.