WHAT'S YOUR ROLE? Here is the note which I intend to e-mail to Lying in Ponds pundits, to follow up on last week's proposal. If anyone has a comment or suggestion before I send it out, please let me know.
Dear Mr./Ms. -------,Do you consider your role as a political columnist to be that of:
(1) an independent observer, whose views may lean toward a political party for ideological reasons but who nevertheless does not hesitate to criticize or praise either party on the basis of consistent application of principles; or
(2) a partisan observer, who believes that your own party's principles and leadership are significantly better than those of the other, and so may tend to withhold criticism of your own side in order to present the best possible (but still truthful) case for your party; or
(3) something else.
The first might be considered to be a "Consumer Reports"-type of role, while the second is more like the role of an attorney in an adversarial system.
The reason I ask the question is that I operate a website called Lying in Ponds, which is devoted to a discussion of partisanship in general, and specifically attempts to quantify the degree of partisanship of top national political pundits such as yourself. Some readers feel that a pundit may be highly partisan yet factually accurate, and can play a useful adversarial role as in (2). My own belief is that pundits profess to and should play a vital independent role as described in (1).
If you are willing to share your views on the subject, I may want to quote you on the website. If I do, I would be sure to use any quote fairly and in context; in fact I would probably just post your entire response if it's not too long. Thank you very much for your time.
Ken Waight
Lying in Ponds
http://www.lyinginponds.com
| Author/ Affiliation |
Title/ Date |
words | PI | Partisan References |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bill O'Reilly BillOReilly.com |
Who's Watching Us 15 April 2004 |
756 | 100 | 1R- This checks: Richard Nixon |
| Ann Coulter Universal Press Syndicate |
Thank you for choosing United, Mr. bin Laden 15 April 2004 |
1125 | 97 | 19D-,19R+,1R= Last week,: John Lehman In a: Lehman Meanwhile, another: Richard Ben-Veniste, Ben-Veniste, Jamie Gorelick In his: John Ashcroft What Ashcroft: Ashcroft The person: Ashcroft, Ashcroft, Jamie Gorelick, Gorelick, Gorelick The 9-11: Ben-Veniste, Gorelick, Democrats, Dick Cheney, Gorelick Bill O'Reilly's: Ashcroft, Ashcroft, Gorelick When Democrats: Democrats, Republicans, Bush, Bush White House But when: Republicans, Democrats, Jamie Gorelick, Republicans, Ashcroft, Clinton, Ashcroft, Ashcroft, Clinton It's amazing: Ashcroft, Clinton, Reno, Bush Democrats actively: Democrats, Bush administration |
| Molly Ivins Creators Syndicate |
A foolish consistency 15 April 2004 |
1045 | 92 | 3D+,2D=,19R- 04.15.04 -: President Bush, the president, the president Who are: Republican National Committee, the president There are: President Bush Meanwhile, back: administration I find: administration, Dick Cheney On the: Bush, Bush, Rove, Janet Reno Meanwhile, over: Clinton, Clinton, Clinton, Bush White House I think: Bush, Bush One trouble: Bush, Condi Rice As long: Republican Congress, Bill Clinton, Ken Starr |
| OJ On the Editorial Page WSJ OpinionJournal |
Gorelick's Wall 15 April 2004 |
1090 | 90 | 18D-,3D=,8R+ Gorelick's Wall: Gorelick We predicted: Democrats, Attorney General John Ashcroft, Jamie Gorelick, Republican At issue: Ashcroft What's more,: Ashcroft, Democrats Mr. Ashcroft: Ashcroft, Jamie Gorelick Ms. White: Gorelick, Gorelick In case: Janet Reno Recall, too,: Gorelick, Reno, Gorelick, Clinton, Gore, John Huang, Gorelick From any: Gorelick, Clinton Administration Ms. Gorelick--an: Gorelick, Kerry, Administration, Henry Kissinger, White House, Gorelick, Reno |
| Richard Cohen Washington Post |
America's Ayatollah 15 April 2004 |
897 | 82 | 1R+,15R-,1R= The term: President Bush Never mind: Bush, Bush What matters: Bush, Bush, Condoleezza Rice "I also: Bush, Bush Shortly after: Bush, Bush, Bush, the president Some people: Bush, Bush Several investigative: the president If that: president, Bush |
| Thomas Sowell Creators Syndicate |
Random thoughts on the passing scene 15 April 2004 |
780 | 67 | 2D-,1R= Florida is: Democrats, Democrats I am: Rush Limbaugh |
| Maureen Dowd New York Times |
Head Spook Sputters 15 April 2004 |
956 | 64 | 6D+,1D=,12R-,9R= Only a: President Bush Asked by: Timothy Roemer, Condi Rice, Colin Powell, Donald Rumsfeld, Bush The Man: the president, Bush, the president After the: the president I'm not: the president In a: Sandy Berger, Condi Rice "Berger, in: Berger, Reno Condi and: Condi, Hadley, Rice, Hadley, Dick Cheney Maybe Condi's: Condi, the president After the: President Kennedy, administration Compare Kennedy: Kennedy, Bush Given the: Bush, Dick Cheney |
| Peggy Noonan WSJ OpinionJournal |
Unhappy Warriors 15 April 2004 |
1414 | 44 | 2D-,2D=,10R+,1R-,10R= President Bush: President Bush It is: President Bush What do: the president, The president, Bush It was: The president But here: the president Instead, they: Mr. President Imagine it: FDR, Mr. President I noticed: Bush, Republicans, The president, Jeb Bush, the president When I: Bush, the president This is: president The president: The president Should a: Bush More and: Bush, Bill Clinton, Clinton, Bush, Bush |
| David S. Broder Washington Post |
Idealism in Search of a Plan 15 April 2004 |
926 | 39 | 1D+,1D=,3R+,9R-,4R= Thank you,: Mr. President What is: George Bush Some dismiss: Bush, Bush And here: Bush The failures: Dick Lugar, Joe Biden, White House, the president Bush's answer: Bush That answer: Bush administration, Bush Like other: Bush, John Kennedy But Bush: Bush, administration In Iraq,: Bush Idealism is: Bush |
| NYT Lead Editorial New York Times |
The Price of Incuriosity 15 April 2004 |
743 | 27 | 1D-,4R-,6R= Americans knew: George W. Bush, The president, Bush, Bush As the: the president Mr. Bush: Bush Mr. Tenet: Democratic, Republican One useful: Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld It's easy: Bush, Rumsfeld |
| Jeff Jacoby Boston Globe |
What the convention is worth 15 April 2004 |
976 | 18 | 2D-,9D= IF THERE: Democratic That claim: DNC, Thomas Menino, Democratic Consider Sail: Democratic To that: Democratic And those: Democrats, Michael Capuano, Democrats It may: Democratic None of: Democratic |
| Thomas L. Friedman Inactive |
From Gaza to Baghdad 15 April 2004 |
834 | |
|
| Jim Hoagland Inactive |
Putting Politics to Work in Iraq 15 April 2004 |
908 | |
|
| WP Lead Editorial Washington Post |
Beyond Resoluteness 15 April 2004 |
903 | 0 | 2D=,4R+,4R-,7R= YOU KNOW: President Bush Maybe so.: Bush, administration Mr. Bush: Bush, Bush His presumptive: Democratic, John F. Kerry, Bush, Bush, Bush It has: Bush, the president, John McCain No matter: Bush, The president From the: Bush, Bush |
| Robert J. Samuelson Washington Post |
Is Housing Headed for a Fall? 15 April 2004 |
976 | 0 |