SCHEER SLIPS INTO THIRD: After a California recall column yesterday, Robert Scheer's partisanship score dropped slightly, and he slipped into third place in the rankings, just behind Paul Krugman. Although Mr. Scheer's column strongly supported Cruz Bustamante and criticized Arnold Schwarzenegger, he made several positive references to Ronald Reagan's performance as governor, praising his knowledge of state government and willingness to raise taxes.
HOW'S YOUR CHOLESTEROL? Yesterday I burdened you with the dreaded baseball batting average/partisanship index analogy. Today I'll try out a new one, by comparing the partisanship index to the blood cholesterol level. Total blood cholesterol levels below 180 mg/dl are considered "ideal", values between 180 and 199 are "acceptable", values between 200 and 219 are "borderline high", and values of 220 or higher are considered "too high". I assume that a value of zero is impossible, and that no one would argue that the mere measurement of blood cholesterol implies that the presence of any cholesterol at all is bad.
Yet that's the kind of objection I frequently encounter when attempting to measure partisanship (see yesterday's discussion). I expect most pundits to systematically favor one party over the other for ideological reasons -- there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. But when the partisanship index gets very high, it suggests that a columnist is not truly offering independent views. As with cholesterol levels, the difference between normal and excessive partisanship is certainly debatable. But my hope is that the partisanship index as calculated here is solid enough to highlight the obvious partisanship of those pundits who write 250 columns without crossing party lines, or who wish a violent death for their political opponents.
| Author/ Affiliation |
Title/ Date |
words | PI | Partisan References |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clarence Page Chicago Tribune |
Religious symbols are what you make of them 27 August 2003 |
822 | 100 | 1R-: John Ashcroft |
| Molly Ivins Creators Syndicate |
Bush's labor play 27 August 2003 |
988 | 77 | 2D+: Kennedy, Paul Wellstone 1R+: Paul O'Neill 16R-: Bush, administration, administration, Bush, Elaine Chao, Mitch McConnell, Chao, Chao, Bush administration, Bush, President Bush, administration, administration, administration, Bush, administration 1D=, 2R= |
| George F. Will Washington Post |
Getting Iraqis to Take Over 27 August 2003 |
855 | 71 | 6R+: Paul Wolfowitz, Wolfowitz, Wolfowitz, Wolfowitz, Wolfowitz, Wolfowitz 1R-: administration |
| Maureen Dowd New York Times |
The Jihad All-Stars 27 August 2003 |
882 | 13 | 5R+: Republicans, Rush Limbaugh, Condoleezza Rice, Bush, Donald Rumsfeld 7R-: Bush administration, Bush, Bush, administration, Bush, the president, Bush 3R= |
| Brendan Miniter WSJ OpinionJournal |
More Than Just Hot Air 27 August 2003 |
874 | 0 | |
| David S. Broder Washington Post |
By the Banks of Glory 27 August 2003 |
857 | 0 | 6D+: Democratic, Rahm Emanuel, Emanuel, President Bill Clinton, Democrat, Carl Levin 6R+: Republican, Tom Reynolds, GOP, National Republican Congressional Committee, Republican, Mike DeWine 1R= |
| Claudia Rosett Inactive |
So, Where Is Ms. Cho? 27 August 2003 |
1572 | 0 | 31R= |
| Robert J. Samuelson Washington Post |
A 60-Year Credit Binge 27 August 2003 |
984 | 0 | |
| Thomas L. Friedman Inactive |
Starting From Scratch 27 August 2003 |
929 | 0 | 1D=, 5R= |
| Walter Williams Creators Syndicate |
Foreign trade angst 27 August 2003 |
708 | 0 |