PrintFormer NY Times drama critic shows his total ignorance of politics
Frank Rich crassly celebrates the shrinkage and financial problems of conservative political columnist Michael Barone's employer: U.S. News and World Report. I thought journalists welcomed free speech and bemoaned the problems besetting the industry. (Has Rich looked at the financial problems of his own employer, who may not be cutting the number of days it publishes, but is shrinking the size of the paper and letting go scores of people?).
He then writes that the GOP is more representative of 20th century South Africa during apartheid than 21st century America.
The remaining Republicans according to Rich were "not only the least diverse, but also the most rural, least educated and slowest-growing in population".
He then goes on to claim that GOP "ayatollahs" scuttled the prospects of Joe Lieberman becoming the Vice Presidential running mate to John McCain; that McCain "strenuously sought the endorsement" of evangelical leader John Hagee (who Rich character assassinates in his column). This is a perversion of history. McCain not only did not strenuously seek the endorsement of Hagee, but criticized Hagee for some of his statements in the past and sought to distance himself from the controversial pastor.
The column goes on to characterize Republicans as racists, dismisses minority outreach as phony window-dressing, disparages Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal (a rising star who would refute Rich's thesis since Jindal is of Indian heritage) as an incompetent Governor whose state has a one billion dollar budget gap. Jindal must be dragged down precisely because he threatens Democratic dominance.
Has Rich looked at the financial problems of his own state-run by David Patterson, or the financial problems of many other states run by Democrats who are not suffering from the after-effects of the Katrina hurricane?
He also condemns minority outreach as celebrity and identity politics.
Well we can say that at least is one area where Frank Rich, a hyper-partisan Democrat, is an authority.
In the concluding sentence, he derides Republicans as being "brain-dead" - the cherry on top.
Wonder why the New York Times is collapsing? After a while, people get tired of egoism and hatred. They certainly do not want to part with $600 a year to be subjected to screeds with little basis in rationality or facts.
