lying in ponds
The absurdity of partisanship
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Joe Conason
New York Observer

Columns 47
Words 46430
Normalized Median Partisanship Index 68.63
Normalized Total Partisanship Index 62.44
Normalized Combined Partisanship Index 65.54
Democratic Index 63.11
Republican Index -62.21
Positive Index 22.37
Negative Index 59.45
Neutral Index 18.18
Kerry Index 69.79
Bush Index -85.71



Partisan References

Type Number All References
Positive Democratic 158 Kerry(55), Democrat(14), Democratic(12), John Kerry(11), Cleland(10), Democrats(5), Dean(5), Heinz Kerry(4), Max Cleland(3), Clinton administration(3), Hart(3), John F. Kerry(2), Clinton(2), President Bill Clinton(2), Al Gore(2), administration(2), the Clintons(2), President Clinton(2), Clinton White House, Bob Graham, House minority leader Nancy Pelosi, Graham, Pelosi, Ribicoff, Abraham Ribicoff, Carter, Tom Daschle, Tom Harkin, general Wesley Clark, Rush Holt, Teresa Heinz Kerry, Bill Clinton, Democratic Party, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Sandy Berger, Howard Dean, John Edwards
Negative Democratic 16 Kerry(4), Democratic(4), Democrats(3), John Kerry(2), Michael Dukakis, Lee Hamilton, Joe Lieberman
Neutral Democratic 51Kerry(15), Democrats(15), Democratic(7), John Kerry(2), Cleland(2), Wesley Clark, Clark, Max Cleland, Clinton, President Clinton, Howard Dean, Hamilton, Jimmy Carter, Democratic Party, Democrat
Positive Republican 93 Republican(15), O'Neill(9), Reagan(8), Republicans(7), John McCain(5), McCain(4), Lugar(3), Rudman(3), Kean(3), Nancy Reagan(3), Arnold Schwarzenegger(2), Richard Lugar(2), Ronald Reagan(2), Rudolph Giuliani(2), Condoleezza Rice(2), the President(2), The President(2), Tom Ridge, Paul Cellucci, Paul O'Neill, Thomas Kean, Reagan administration, Bush, Arlen Specter, President Bush, the President's father, Heinz, Teresa Heinz, Ridge, Mike Bloomberg, Dick Cheney, Chuck Hagel, Powell, Specter, George Pataki, Rove
Negative Republican 651 Bush(111), the President(93), White House(49), administration(39), Republican(39), Bush administration(32), George W. Bush(32), Republicans(25), The President(20), Rice(18), Kerik(17), Cheney(13), Vice President(12), Ridge(11), Frist(9), G.O.P. (9), Giuliani(8), President Bush(6), Ashcroft(6), Vice President Dick Cheney(5), DeLay(5), Karl Rove(5), Gingrich(5), President(4), Bush White House(4), Attorney General John Ashcroft(4), Condoleezza Rice(3), Goss(3), Rush Limbaugh(2), Ed Gillespie(2), Republican National Committee(2), Henry Kissinger(2), Rove(2), Schrock(2), Porter Goss(2), Dick Cheney(2), House Republicans(2), Tom DeLay(2), Coleman(2), Hughes, Republican Party, Gillespie, R.N.C. , Saxby Chambliss, Newt Gingrich, Richard Perle, President George W. Bush, Thomas Kean, Jeb Bush, Christie Whitman, Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge, Trent Lott, Tom Ridge, George H.W. Bush, Bob Dole, John McCain, Ed Schrock, Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman, George Pataki, commander in chief, President of the United States, Colin Powell, cabinet, Veneman, Scott McClellan, Powell, Republican President, the President's father, Bill Frist, Kissinger, Asa Hutchinson, Hutchinson, Norm Coleman, House Speaker Dennis Hastert, Dubya, Bernard Kerik, Alberto Gonzales, Rudolph W. Giuliani, Condi Rice, Reagan, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld
Neutral Republican 153the President(29), Bush(21), Republicans(13), Cheney(8), Republican(7), Giuliani(5), Powell(4), White House(4), Condoleezza Rice(3), Ashcroft(3), George W. Bush(3), Reagan(3), Rove(3), Coleman(3), Ridge(3), The President(3), Kean(2), Republican Party(2), Andy Card(2), Condi(2), Colin Powell(2), Schwarzenegger(2), Mary Cheney(2), Pataki, Cellucci, Karl Rove, White House counsel Alberto Gonzales, Richard Perle, Ronald Reagan, Bush administration, former First Lady, Tom Ridge, President Bush, H. John Heinz III, Administration, John McCain, G.O.P., the president, President, Karen Hughes, Dick Cheney, Vice President, Rush Limbaugh, Peter King, DeLay, Bush Administration, Kerik



List of Columns

Lines in yellow indicate a substantive crossover column, meaning that the column is of opposite sign to the pundit's Normalized Total PI for the season, and contains at least five non-neutral partisan references.
Title/
Date
words Norm
PI
Partisan References
Bush's spending cuts won't include Star Wars
22 December 2004
782 92 11R-: Bush, Republican, George W. Bush, The President, Reagan, Republican, Bush, the President, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, Bush, the President
1R=
Where was Rudy in the Kerik mess?
15 December 2004
1041 92 34R-: Kerik, Bernard Kerik, The President, George W. Bush, Kerik, White House, Alberto Gonzales, Kerik, The President, Kerik, Bush administration, Kerik, Rudolph W. Giuliani, Kerik, Giuliani, Kerik, Giuliani, Kerik, Giuliani, Giuliani, Kerik, Kerik, Kerik, Kerik, Kerik, Kerik, Giuliani, Kerik, Giuliani, Kerik, Kerik, Giuliani, the President, Giuliani
3R=
McCain disdains Annan's G.O.P. critics
8 December 2004
968 25 4R+: McCain, John McCain, Republican, McCain
8R-: G.O.P. , Republican, Norm Coleman, Republican, Coleman, Coleman, Republicans, Tom DeLay
4R=
Cowards in Washington ignore pot's benefits
1 December 2004
914 49 1D-: Democrats
6R-: Attorney General John Ashcroft, Asa Hutchinson, Ashcroft, Hutchinson, Republicans, Bush administration
2R=
House Republicans rush to DeLay's aid
24 November 2004
1012 35 2D+: Democrat, Democrat
5D-: Democratic, Democrats, Democratic, Democratic, Democrats
16R-: House Republicans, DeLay, Republican, Republicans, Tom DeLay, DeLay, DeLay, Republican, DeLay, Republican, House Republicans, Republicans, Republicans, Republican, Republican, DeLay
2D=, 5R=
Politics prevails again in Rice's appointment
17 November 2004
999 74 23R-: Rice, White House, Bush administration, Powell, White House, Rice, White House, administration, Rice, Rice, Rice, Rice, Porter Goss, the President, Republican, Goss, Rice, Goss, Goss, Bush, the President, Bush, The President
8R=
Echoing Bush's line won't help Democrats
11 November 2004
1038 11 2D+: John Kerry, Democrats
6R+: The President, Rove, Republicans, The President, Republicans, the President
7R-: Karl Rove, Bush, Republican, G.O.P. , Bush, Republicans, Rove
6D=, 12R=
The voiceless victims of Bush's misadventure
3 November 2004
917 100 5R-: Bush, White House, the President, administration, George W. Bush
Bush can't evade this unpleasant truth
27 October 2004
962 100 16R-: Bush, George W. Bush, the President, administration, Bush, administration, the President, Bush, administration, administration, White House, the President, White House, Scott McClellan, Bush, Republican
Outraged pundits ignore Bush's lies
20 October 2004
1060 60 10D+: John Kerry, Democrat, Kerry, John Edwards, Kerry, Al Gore, Kerry, Democrat, Kerry, Kerry
12R-: Bush, Republicans, Republicans, George W. Bush, the President, the President, Bush, White House, Republicans, Porter Goss, Bush, the President
4D=, 12R=
Bush ignores facts with good reason
13 October 2004
934 86 1R+: the President
13R-: Bush, George W. Bush, President of the United States, Bush, Bush, the President, Bush, Colin Powell, the President, the President, cabinet, White House, the President
Clueless Bush distorts Kerry's 'global test'
6 October 2004
1029 86 11D+: Kerry, John Kerry, Democratic, Kerry, Kerry, Kerry, Kerry, Kerry, Democrat, Kerry, Kerry
14R-: Bush, Republicans, the President, George W. Bush, the President, Bush, Bush, Bush administration, the President, Rice, administration, Rice, the President, Vice President
2D=, 2R=
Here's what Kerry needs to tell us
29 September 2004
981 70 4D+: John Kerry, Kerry, Kerry, Kerry
1R+: Powell
14R-: Republicans, Bush administration, the President, the President, administration, the President, The President, administration, the President, commander in chief, George W. Bush, the President, The President, the President
2D=, 3R=
Republican Senators tell unpleasant truths
22 September 2004
1047 35 5D+: Democrat, Democrat, Democrat, Kerry, Democratic
10R+: Republican, Republican, Chuck Hagel, Republican, Republican, John McCain, Republican, Richard Lugar, Republican, Republicans
16R-: George W. Bush, Bush, Bush administration, the President, administration, administration, the President, Bush, administration, the President, administration, Bush, Bush, Bush, Bush, Bush
3D=
A misbegotten diversion; a monumental tragedy
15 September 2004
965 100 1D+: administration
18R-: George W. Bush, the President, Republican, the President, George Pataki, The President, Bush, Bush administration, Bush, the President, Bush, the President, Vice President Dick Cheney, the President, Republican, Bush, the President, the President
A gay old time for the G.O.P.
2 September 2004
1084 34 8R+: Mike Bloomberg, Republican, Republicans, McCain, Republicans, Rudolph Giuliani, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Dick Cheney
21R-: Republicans, the President, Republican, John McCain, George W. Bush, Karl Rove, Bush White House, the President, George W. Bush, the President, Republicans, Republican, Republicans, G.O.P. , Republican, Ed Schrock, Republican, Schrock, Republican, Schrock, Bush administration
9R=
Assault on Kerry dishonors G.O.P.
25 August 2004
1081 81 16D+: Kerry, John Kerry, Kerry, Kerry, Kerry, Kerry, Kerry, Kerry, Democratic, Kerry, the Clintons, Max Cleland, Democratic, Kerry, Kerry, Kerry
2R+: Republican, John McCain
13R-: Republican, G.O.P. , White House, Republican, Bush, Republicans, Bush, Bush, White House, G.O.P. , George H.W. Bush, Republicans, Bob Dole
4R=
Latest Bush blunder: A mole made public
11 August 2004
950 89 1D+: Democratic
14R-: Bush, the President, Tom Ridge, the President, administration, Ridge, Ridge, Bush administration, Bush administration, Ridge, Condoleezza Rice, administration, Ridge, the President
2R=
Dean sees red over code orange
4 August 2004
1003 72 9D+: Dean, Howard Dean, Democratic, Dean, Dean, Dean, Dean, Democratic, Democratic
2D-: John Kerry, Joe Lieberman
1R+: Ridge
17R-: Republican, Bush administration, Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge, Bush administration, Ridge, administration, Ridge, President Bush, Ridge, Ridge, Ridge, Ridge, administration, Ridge, Attorney General John Ashcroft, the President, Bush administration
1D=, 1R=
Scaife's hired hack deserved Teresa's ire
28 July 2004
981 72 11D+: Teresa Heinz Kerry, Heinz Kerry, the Clintons, Heinz Kerry, John Kerry, Kerry, Heinz Kerry, Kerry, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Kerry, Heinz Kerry
2R+: Heinz, Teresa Heinz
6R-: Republican, George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Vice President, Cheney, Republican
1D=, 2R=
New assault on Wilson serves as a distraction
21 July 2004
1058 88 1R+: the President's father
22R-: Republican, White House, Bush administration, President, Bush administration, White House, the President, the President, White House, Republican, the President, Republican, Republican National Committee, Ed Gillespie, Rush Limbaugh, White House, the President, Republican, White House, White House, White House, the President
1R=
Bush camp could gain from a postponement
14 July 2004
952 60 2D+: Rush Holt, Democrat
1R+: Condoleezza Rice
11R-: Bush, Christie Whitman, Republican, Republican, Attorney General John Ashcroft, Bush, Cheney, Ashcroft, administration, the President, administration
1D=, 5R=
Nader returns, with G.O.P. help
7 July 2004
989 74 6D+: Al Gore, Democratic, general Wesley Clark, Democrats, Democratic, John Kerry
1D-: Democratic
1R+: President Bush
12R-: G.O.P. , Republicans, Bush administration, Bush, Cheney, Bush, Republicans, Bush, Republican, G.O.P. , Jeb Bush, the President
1D=
9/11 panel becomes Cheney's nightmare
23 June 2004
1025 70 1D+: Tom Daschle
1D-: Lee Hamilton
2R+: Republican, Condoleezza Rice
26R-: Cheney, Vice President Dick Cheney, Cheney, Bush administration, the President, Vice President, Bush administration, administration, White House, White House, White House, Bush, Cheney, President George W. Bush, Cheney, Vice President, Cheney, Thomas Kean, White House, Vice President, the President, Vice President, Cheney, White House, Vice President, Cheney
1D=, 2R=
Diplomats break silence to criticize White House
16 June 2004
989 45 3D+: John Kerry, Carter, Democrats
6R+: Reagan administration, Reagan, Bush, Republicans, Republican, Ronald Reagan
13R-: White House, George W. Bush, White House, President Bush, Bush, Bush administration, administration, Bush administration, President Bush, The President, administration, the President, White House
2R=
Bush should fear Nancy Reagan's ire
9 June 2004
1103 29 5D+: Ribicoff, Abraham Ribicoff, Democratic, Democrats, John Kerry
11R+: Nancy Reagan, Ronald Reagan, Reagan, Reagan, Reagan, Reagan, Nancy Reagan, Reagan, Reagan, Reagan, Nancy Reagan
17R-: Bush, Republican, George W. Bush, Bush, Bush, Cheney, Bush, Bush, Bush, Bush, Bush, the President, the President, Bush administration, Bush, Bush, the President
1D=, 9R=
It's Miller time on West 43rd Street
2 June 2004
911 0 1R=
President's speech offers nothing new
26 May 2004
968 95 19R-: President, White House, President Bush, the President, Bush, The President, George W. Bush, the President, Bush, Bush administration, Bush, The President, the President, the President, administration, the President, the President, the President, George W. Bush
1R=
Prison abuse scandal goes right to the top
19 May 2004
897 60 3R-: George W. Bush, White House, Bush administration
2R=
Kerry's campaign contradicts critics
12 May 2004
1057 42 6D+: Kerry, Kerry, Kerry, Kerry, Kerry, Kerry
2D-: Kerry, Kerry
16R-: Bush, the President, administration, the President, Bush, Bush, Karl Rove, Republican, Rove, the President, Bush, Republicans, Republican, G.O.P. , Republicans, President
14D=, 5R=
Sinclair censors Koppel, decency
5 May 2004
940 40 1R+: John McCain
3R-: Republican, Rush Limbaugh, Republicans
1R=
Pro-life zealots ignore Republicans
28 April 2004
1006 25 8D+: Democrat, John F. Kerry, Kerry, Kerry, Kerry, Kerry, Democrat, Kerry
5R+: Arnold Schwarzenegger, George Pataki, Rudolph Giuliani, Paul Cellucci, Tom Ridge
2R-: Republicans, President
1D=, 13R=
When a flip-flop actually makes sense
21 April 2004
965 59 10R-: administration, the President, Bush, Bush, the President, Bush, Bush administration, Richard Perle, Vice President Dick Cheney, administration
7R=
Bush must explain why Washington slept
14 April 2004
1007 86 2D+: President Bill Clinton, Clinton
22R-: Bush, White House, Bush administration, Dick Cheney, Bush administration, George W. Bush, Bush, the President, Condoleezza Rice, White House, Vice President, Vice President, Attorney General John Ashcroft, Ashcroft, Ashcroft, Bush White House, Ashcroft, Ashcroft, administration, administration, the President, Bush
4R=
Bush's attack dog needs a new leash
8 April 2004
978 62 5D+: Democratic, Bob Graham, House minority leader Nancy Pelosi, Graham, Pelosi
5R+: Richard Lugar, Republican, Lugar, Lugar, Lugar
16R-: Bush, Bill Frist, Trent Lott, Karl Rove, White House, Frist, White House, Bush White House, Frist, Frist, Frist, Frist, Frist, Frist, Frist, Frist
1R=
Tough questions for Condi Rice
31 March 2004
1038 78 5D+: Hart, Hart, President Bill Clinton, Sandy Berger, Clinton White House
2R+: Rudman, Rudman
26R-: Condi Rice, The President, Rice, the President, White House, Rice, the President, President Bush, Karl Rove, Rice, Bush administration, Rice, Rice, Dubya, Rice, administration, Bush White House, Rice, the President, Vice President Dick Cheney, Cheney, the President, Rice, Rice, Bush, the President
5R=
Clarke's book shows why Bush fears truth
24 March 2004
1030 69 5D+: Clinton administration, Hart, President Clinton, Clinton administration, John Kerry
1R+: Rudman
22R-: Bush, White House, George W. Bush, administration, The President, The President, George W. Bush, the President, Vice President, White House, the President, Bush administration, administration, Vice President Dick Cheney, Vice President, White House, administration, Cheney, Condoleezza Rice, White House, Bush, administration
2D=, 8R=
Alienated Spain rejects Bush's war
17 March 2004
918 100 6R-: Bush, Bush administration, the President, George W. Bush, Henry Kissinger, Bush administration
Bush had friends, but Martha had none
10 March 2004
995 100 3D+: Democrat, Clinton, Democratic Party
17R-: Bush, Bush administration, George W. Bush, Bush, the President, Bush, Bush, Bush, Bush, Bush, Bush, the President, Bush, Bush, George W. Bush, Bush, George W. Bush
Gay marriage foes wedded to hypocrisy
3 March 2004
989 24 3D-: John Kerry, Kerry, Kerry
1R+: Republican
9R-: President Bush, Republicans, Newt Gingrich, Gingrich, Gingrich, Gingrich, Gingrich, Gingrich, Republican
1D=
Vile Ann Coulter smears a war hero
18 February 2004
991 78 18D+: Max Cleland, Cleland, Clinton administration, Cleland, Democrat, Democrats, John F. Kerry, Kerry, Kerry, Cleland, Cleland, Cleland, Cleland, Cleland, Max Cleland, Cleland, Cleland, Cleland
1R+: Republicans
6R-: the President, George W. Bush, Republican, Bush, Republican, Saxby Chambliss
4D=, 1R=
See what happens when you don't read?
11 February 2004
978 66 1D+: President Clinton
12R-: George W. Bush, the President, Bush, the President, the President, Bush, Bush, Bush, Bush, the President, the President, The President
7R=
Kerry's record should scare Bush
4 February 2004
1027 64 12D+: Kerry, John Kerry, Kerry, Kerry, Kerry, Kerry, Kerry, Kerry, Kerry, Kerry, Kerry, Kerry
1D-: Michael Dukakis
5R+: Arlen Specter, Republican, Specter, John McCain, McCain
15R-: Bush, Republican Party, G.O.P. , Republicans, Bush, Republican, Ed Gillespie, Republican National Committee, Gillespie, George W. Bush, Bush, Bush, Republicans, R.N.C. , Bush
1D=
Bush's war stories simply don't fly
28 January 2004
998 65 1D+: Bill Clinton
16R-: Bush, George W. Bush, Bush, Bush, the President, Bush, Bush, Hughes, George W. Bush, Bush, Bush, Bush, Bush, Bush, Bush, Bush
3D=, 5R=
What's Bush hiding from 9/11 commission?
21 January 2004
1010 59 1D+: administration
5R+: Thomas Kean, Republican, Kean, Kean, Kean
22R-: Bush, Republican President, George W. Bush, Bush, the President's father, the President, Bush, administration, The President, Henry Kissinger, Bush, the President, Kissinger, White House, administration, the President, House Speaker Dennis Hastert, White House, administration, Bush, the President, the President
3R=
O'Neill tells all, and it's not pretty
14 January 2004
984 38 10R+: O'Neill, Paul O'Neill, O'Neill, O'Neill, O'Neill, O'Neill, O'Neill, O'Neill, O'Neill, O'Neill
22R-: White House, White House, White House, White House, The President, The President, The President, The President, The President, Vice President, George W. Bush, White House, Bush administration, the President, administration, White House, White House, administration, administration, White House, White House, White House
Mad policies infect nation's body politic
2 January 2004
879 100 2D+: Tom Harkin, Democrat
2R-: Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman, Veneman