He’s aping all of the so-called snobby intellectual newspaper elite. He has never mentioned Buckley. It’s mostly aimed at Joe Klein.
But FWIW, Buckley and Will fit the category as well.
>>He has never mentioned Buckley
Well, he doesn’t have to.
He’s ripping of Buckley’s television style totally including the stammer and hesitations. Imitation is the best form of flattery and its his call, but to someone who loved the intellectual heft and debating of Firing Line, style needs substance.