lying in ponds
The absurdity of partisanship
Home | About | Philosophy | Methods | Contact | FAQ | 2002 | 2003

Cal Thomas
Tribune Media Services

Columns 52
Words 52534
Normalized Median Partisanship Index 22.96
Normalized Total Partisanship Index 25.62
Normalized Combined Partisanship Index 24.29
Democratic Index -31.68
Republican Index 22.36
Positive Index 29.28
Negative Index 34.46
Neutral Index 36.27



Partisan References

Type Number All References
Positive Democratic 59 the president(8), Obama(7), Democrats(6), The president(4), President Obama(4), President-elect Obama(3), Democrat(2), Clinton(2), Barack Obama(2), Clinton administration(2), D-(2), Tim Kaine(2), Edward Kennedy, Ted Kennedy, Bill Clinton, John F. Kennedy, President Clinton, Democratic, Carolyn B. Maloney, the president-elect, DNC, Rahm Emanuel, Heath Shuler, Mark Warner, Casey, Democratic Party, Payne
Negative Democratic 193 Democrats(26), Obama(24), President Obama(23), Daschle(14), Obama administration(12), the president(11), The president(10), Democratic Party(5), Democratic(4), Barack Obama(3), administration(3), congressional Democrats(3), Bill Clinton(3), Rahm Emanuel(3), D-(3), Carter(3), Democrat(3), Nancy Pelosi(2), House Democrats(2), Timothy Geithner(2), Geithner(2), Clinton(2), congressional(2), Barney Frank(2), Jimmy Carter(2), Maloney(2), Specter(2), David Paterson, Harry Reid, congressional leadership, George Mitchell, Mitchell, Thomas A. Daschle, Bill Richardson, Hillary Clinton, Frank, Chris Dodd, Dodd, Al Gore, Henry Waxman, president, Tom Daschle, Kathleen Sebelius, DNC, Howard Dean, Democratic National Committee, White House
Neutral Democratic 171Obama(34), President Obama(28), the president(18), Democrats(17), The president(9), Obama administration(7), Democratic(4), president(4), Democrat(4), Barack Obama(3), Democratic Party(3), the President(3), Reid(2), Harry Truman(2), The President(2), Al Gore(2), Lyndon Johnson(2), Jimmy Carter(2), administration(2), Obama White House(2), Ted Kennedy, Nancy Pelosi, President-elect Obama, Congress, President Clinton, President Barack Obama, George Mitchell, Timothy Geithner, Geithner, Eleanor Roosevelt, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Roosevelt, Kennedy, Ed Rendell, John Dingell, John Kennedy, Carter, George Wallace, Harry Reid, Hillary Clinton, Donald Payne
Positive Republican 184 THE PRESIDENT(27), Jindal(14), Kemp(13), Republican(12), Republicans(10), Limbaugh(10), Steele(9), Reagan(7), Ronald Reagan(7), President Bush(6), Bush(6), Rush(5), GOP(4), Jack Kemp(4), Bush administration(3), The president(3), Bobby Jindal(3), Rush Limbaugh(3), Republican Party(3), Powell(3), Daniels(2), Michael Steele(2), George W. Bush(2), Cheney(2), Republican president(2), RNC(2), Laura(2), Henry Paulson, the president, Nixon administration, Boehner, John Boehner, Republican Congress, Mitch Daniels, Jim DeMint, Porter Goss, Goss, Specter, Toomey, former Vice President Dick Cheney, Newt Gingrich, Alberto Gonzales, Republican National Committee, Republican administration, Paulson
Negative Republican 93 Republicans(43), Republican Party(7), Republican(6), Specter(6), Powell(6), GOP(5), Bush administration(3), Sanford(2), Colin Powell, Ted Stevens, Duke Cunningham, Mark Foley, Henry Kissinger, George H.W. Bush, President Bush, Joseph McCarthy, Bush, Arlen Specter, George W. Bush, Karl Rove, Secretary of State Colin Powell, Reagan, Mark Sanford
Neutral Republican 130Republicans(36), Republican(19), GOP(9), Republican Party(9), Republican National Committee(5), Bush administration(4), RNC(4), Powell(4), President Bush(3), Rush Limbaugh(3), Specter(3), Kemp(3), Bush(2), Colin Powell(2), Jindal(2), Michael Steele(2), Rush(2), Arlen Specter(2), Ronald Reagan(2), President George W. Bush, the president, John Boehner, George W. Bush, Limbaugh, Bush White House, Pat Toomey, the two George Bushes, Gerald Ford, Ford, Mr. President, president, Dwight Eisenhower, Michael S. Steele



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
The Gaza Nazis
1 January 2009
715 0 2D=
Fame: I'm (not) Gonna Live Forever
26 June 2009
773 0 1D=
Where Credit is Due
16 April 2009
892 5 7D+: President Obama, the president, the president, the president, Obama, Payne, D-
4D-: President Obama, Democrats, President Obama, the president
1R+: President Bush
6D=, 1R=
Interview with Michael Steele
10 March 2009
3214 1 13D+: Democrats, Barack Obama, Democrat, DNC, Tim Kaine, Rahm Emanuel, Heath Shuler, Tim Kaine, Mark Warner, Casey, Democratic Party, Democrats, President Obama
4D-: President Obama, Rahm Emanuel, Rahm Emanuel, Democratic
10R+: Michael Steele, Rush, Republicans, Republican, Republican, Ronald Reagan, Reagan, Republicans, Republican, Republican
5R-: Republicans, Republicans, Republicans, Republicans, Republicans
7D=, 14R=
Interview with President Bush from the Oval Office
7 January 2009
5048 74 1D+: the president-elect
1D-: Democrats
31R+: President Bush, THE PRESIDENT, THE PRESIDENT, THE PRESIDENT, THE PRESIDENT, THE PRESIDENT, THE PRESIDENT, Paulson, THE PRESIDENT, THE PRESIDENT, THE PRESIDENT, THE PRESIDENT, THE PRESIDENT, THE PRESIDENT, THE PRESIDENT, THE PRESIDENT, THE PRESIDENT, THE PRESIDENT, THE PRESIDENT, THE PRESIDENT, THE PRESIDENT, THE PRESIDENT, THE PRESIDENT, THE PRESIDENT, THE PRESIDENT, THE PRESIDENT, Laura, Laura, THE PRESIDENT, THE PRESIDENT, THE PRESIDENT
4D=, 8R=
The Voice Claims Another Victim
26 June 2009
764 71 1D-: Bill Clinton
3R-: Mark Sanford, Sanford, Sanford
The President's news conference
25 June 2009
755 18 2D+: The president, President Obama
2D-: the president, The president
1R+: Republican
5D=
Presumption and assumption
23 June 2009
726 0
From newsroom to bedroom
18 June 2009
792 65 7D-: Democrat, Democratic National Committee, Obama, Obama, White House, Obama, Obama
5R+: Republican National Committee, RNC, RNC, Republican Party, Republican administration
9D=
Bulldozing American cities
16 June 2009
687 0 2D=
Unquestioned authority
11 June 2009
914 19 5D-: Obama administration, President Obama, Obama, the president, the president
16D=, 3R=
Reagan Unveiled
9 June 2009
905 50 2D-: Obama administration, congressional Democrats
6R+: Reagan, Ronald Reagan, Reagan, Ronald Reagan, Ronald Reagan, Reagan
2R-: Reagan, Republicans
1R=
See the USA in Your Government Car
4 June 2009
774 100 2D-: President Obama, President Obama
1R+: Republican president
Innocent or ‘Infidel’ Abroad?
2 June 2009
874 0 13D=
Biography and the law
28 May 2009
969 36 2D+: Democrats, Clinton
9D-: Obama, Tom Daschle, Kathleen Sebelius, Timothy Geithner, President Obama, DNC, Howard Dean, Obama, Obama
3R+: George W. Bush, Alberto Gonzales, Republican president
1R-: Republicans
2D=, 5R=
The Powell Doctrine
27 May 2009
955 7 8R+: Powell, Powell, Jack Kemp, Newt Gingrich, Republicans, GOP, Powell, GOP
11R-: Republican Party, Secretary of State Colin Powell, Republicans, Powell, Powell, Republicans, Republicans, Powell, Powell, Powell, Powell
10D=, 16R=
Dueling visions
26 May 2009
853 48 1D+: the president
7D-: President Obama, Bill Clinton, The president, The president, President Obama, President Obama, President Obama
4R+: former Vice President Dick Cheney, Cheney, Bush, Cheney
1R-: Bush administration
3D=, 2R=
Obama at Notre Dame
19 May 2009
862 11 2D+: the president, The president
1D-: president
6D=
The Titled and Entitled
12 May 2009
833 0
The Jack Kemp I knew
7 May 2009
893 49 2D-: Democratic Party, Democrats
18R+: Jack Kemp, Jack Kemp, Ronald Reagan, Jack Kemp, Kemp, Kemp, Kemp, Kemp, Kemp, Kemp, Republican Party, Kemp, Kemp, Kemp, Kemp, Kemp, Kemp, Kemp
4R-: Republicans, GOP, Republicans, Republicans
3D=, 6R=
Margaret Thatcher + 30
5 May 2009
826 67 2D-: Jimmy Carter, Obama administration
1R+: Ronald Reagan
1R=
Arlen Specter: Good riddance
30 April 2009
1112 12 14D-: Specter, Specter, Democratic Party, Democrats, Democratic, Democrat, Democrats, Democrats, Democrats, Democrats, Democratic Party, Democrat, Henry Waxman, Democrats
4R+: Specter, Toomey, Republican Party, Republicans
18R-: Arlen Specter, Republicans, Republicans, George W. Bush, Republicans, Republicans, Republicans, Republicans, Republican Party, Karl Rove, Specter, Specter, Specter, Republicans, Specter, Republicans, Specter, Specter
12D=, 19R=
Loose lips or loose pix: Same result
28 April 2009
780 66 3R+: Bush administration, Porter Goss, Goss
3D=
Pretty woman
21 April 2009
739 0
Not a penny more
14 April 2009
778 16 2D+: Carolyn B. Maloney, D-
4D-: Obama administration, Maloney, Democrats, Maloney
2R-: Bush administration, Bush
1R=
The meaning of words
7 April 2009
784 27 3D-: President Obama, the president, The president
8D=
Invasion of the Corporate Snatchers
2 April 2009
853 100 12D-: Obama administration, Barack Obama, Obama, Obama administration, administration, President Obama, Obama, Jimmy Carter, Carter, President Obama, Carter, Carter
7R+: Rush Limbaugh, Limbaugh, Limbaugh, Limbaugh, Ronald Reagan, Republican, Reagan
Obama's war, or ours?
31 March 2009
774 1 5D+: Obama, President Obama, the president, Obama, Democratic
1D-: The president
2R+: George W. Bush, Republicans
8D=, 3R=
Consensus or censorship?
26 March 2009
779 50 2D-: Al Gore, Obama administration
2D=
Channeling anger
24 March 2009
832 70 1D+: the president
8D-: The president, the president, Barney Frank, D-, Nancy Pelosi, Chris Dodd, D-, Dodd
1D=
Horsing around
18 March 2009
819 71 5D-: Barney Frank, D-, Frank, President Obama, administration
6R+: Rush Limbaugh, Rush, Rush, Rush, Rush, Limbaugh
3D=, 2R=
Why no one defends Bernard Madoff
17 March 2009
833 100 1R-: Joseph McCarthy
Journey to destruction
13 March 2009
844 75 6D-: President Obama, The president, the president, President Obama, Obama, Obama
2D=
GOPers have forgotten who they are
10 March 2009
989 36 1D+: Democrats
2D-: Democrats, Rahm Emanuel
19R+: Rush Limbaugh, Limbaugh, Limbaugh, Limbaugh, Steele, Steele, Limbaugh, Limbaugh, Limbaugh, Steele, Steele, Steele, Republicans, Republicans, Steele, Steele, Steele, Steele, Michael Steele
6R-: Republican Party, Republicans, Republicans, Republicans, Republicans, Republicans
2D=, 10R=
A taxing situation
5 March 2009
795 1 2D+: Clinton administration, President Clinton
4D-: Democrats, President Obama, the president, congressional Democrats
1R+: Republicans
2R-: George H.W. Bush, President Bush
Guilty consciences
3 March 2009
759 100 1R+: Bush administration
The President and the governor
26 February 2009
1029 10 3D+: the president, Obama, Obama
6D-: Obama, The president, the president, Democrats, Democrats, Democrats
5R+: Republican, Bobby Jindal, Jim DeMint, Jindal, Jindal
4R-: Republicans, Republicans, Republicans, Republicans
8D=, 7R=
Changing nation
24 February 2009
755 62 1D+: John F. Kennedy
4D-: Obama administration, Obama administration, Clinton, Bill Clinton
1R+: Bush
1D=
Time to say ‘goodbye’ to GM and Chrysler
17 February 2009
780 0
The other Indiana
12 February 2009
789 93 5D-: President Obama, President Obama, The president, congressional, The president
4R+: Republican, Mitch Daniels, Daniels, Daniels
1D=
Happiness or misery?
10 February 2009
805 87 1D+: Clinton administration
10D-: congressional Democrats, the president, House Democrats, President Obama, the president, congressional, Obama, Democrats, Obama, Obama
2R+: Republican Congress, Republicans
Honestly Abe
5 February 2009
932 100 1D+: Barack Obama
Leona Helmsley lives!
3 February 2009
905 93 28D-: Timothy Geithner, President Obama, Thomas A. Daschle, Geithner, Daschle, Daschle, Daschle, Geithner, Daschle, Bill Richardson, Daschle, Daschle, Democratic Party, Daschle, Daschle, Daschle, Daschle, Daschle, Hillary Clinton, Clinton, President Obama, Daschle, administration, Obama, Daschle, Obama administration, Daschle, Obama
2D=
Once more into the breach
29 January 2009
856 14 4D-: George Mitchell, Obama, Obama administration, Mitchell
1R-: Henry Kissinger
5D=, 2R=
Reviving the economy and ourselves
27 January 2009
855 35 1D+: The president
3D-: Democrats, Obama, congressional leadership
3R+: Republican, John Boehner, Republican
3D=, 5R=
Obama's inaugural address
21 January 2009
868 36 1D+: Bill Clinton
6D-: Obama, Obama, Obama, Obama, Democratic Party, Barack Obama
7D=
INSOLVENT!
20 January 2009
913 50 3D-: House Democrats, Democrats, Democrats
1R+: Boehner
3D=, 1R=
Welcome to town, President Obama
15 January 2009
840 11 1D+: Obama
1R+: Nixon administration
1R-: Republicans
2R=
Interview with Bobby Jindal
14 January 2009
2934 28 5D+: Democrats, Ted Kennedy, The president, Clinton, Democrats
1D-: Nancy Pelosi
5R+: Bobby Jindal, Republican, Reagan, Reagan, Jindal
14R-: Republicans, Republicans, Republican, Ted Stevens, Duke Cunningham, Mark Foley, Republican Party, Republicans, Republican, Republicans, Republicans, GOP, Republicans, Republican Party
8D=, 13R=
Jindal to GOP: REPENT!
13 January 2009
927 0 4D+: Edward Kennedy, Democrat, President-elect Obama, Obama
14R+: Jindal, Republican, Bobby Jindal, Jindal, Jindal, Jindal, Jindal, Jindal, Jindal, Jindal, Jindal, Jindal, Jindal, GOP
12R-: GOP, GOP, Republicans, Republicans, Republican, Republican, Republican, Republicans, Republicans, Republicans, Republican Party, Republican Party
2D=, 3R=
The Exit Interview (overview)
7 January 2009
1079 52 2D+: President-elect Obama, President-elect Obama
3D-: Barack Obama, Democrats, Harry Reid
14R+: President Bush, The president, The president, Bush, Henry Paulson, The president, GOP, President Bush, Bush, Bush, Bush, President Bush, the president, President Bush
2R-: Bush administration, Colin Powell
1D=, 5R=
Pigs at the trough
6 January 2009
773 41 10D-: Democratic, David Paterson, Democrats, Democrats, Democrats, Democrats, Obama administration, Democrats, Democratic, Democrats
2R+: Republicans, Bush administration
3R-: Republicans, Republican, GOP