After listening to the debate between Al Sharpton and Christopher Hitchens, I went on youtube and watched a bunch of Hitchens clips. He has the moral authority Rand craved but never deserved. In his moral certitude he reminds me of Ayn Rand, but he's a hell of a lot smarter, better read, more articulate, and more credible.
This clip on free speech is vintage. A quote from there:

That's a scandal. And I can't find a seconder usually when I propose this, but I don't care. I don't need a seconder. My own opinion is enough for me, and I claim the right to have it defended against any concensus, any majority, anywhere, any place, any time. And anyone who disagrees with this can pick a number, get on line, and kiss my ass.

I also love this one between Hitchens and Andrew Sullivan, another of my favorite scholars/polemicists, on politics and religion. I'm with Hitch on this one, like all the others I've seen. It probably doesn't help him that he flips off audiences and treats TV anchors like shit but damn, he's right every time.