I take it as a compliment, myself. As Mr. Robbins says:
Anyone with a literary bent would never use the term “Hobbit” as an insult. The Hobbits are the most admirable characters in J.R.R. Tolkien’s opus The Lord of the Rings. Mr. Tolkien was a traditionalist with a romantic attachment to particular English ideals and myths that also have strong resonance in this country. The Hobbits were an archetype of the doughty English yeomanry, a free people living productive and pleasant lives, hard working, honest and happy. They stand in contrast not only to the evil denizens of Mordor but also to the city folk of Gondor. The Hobbits lived more simply, free of the complexities, anxieties and dangers that beset their urban human counterparts. And the same type of people who inspired Tolkien to invent the Shire are those who came to America in the 18th century to forge a pastoral utopia on the Midwestern frontier.Thank you, Senator McCain. Even if you don't understand it.
