lying in ponds
The absurdity of partisanship
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E. J. Dionne Jr.
Washington Post

Columns 28
Words 28345
Normalized Median Partisanship Index 16.04
Normalized Total Partisanship Index 12.42
Normalized Combined Partisanship Index 14.23
Democratic Index 20.67
Republican Index -6.86
Positive Index 30.18
Negative Index 21.12
Neutral Index 48.70



Partisan References

Type Number All References
Positive Democratic 227 Obama(96), Clinton(38), Paterson(10), Barack Obama(8), Democrats(8), Democratic(7), Hillary Clinton(7), Bill Clinton(7), Kennedy(6), Paul Wellstone(3), Franklin Roosevelt(3), Edwards(2), John Edwards(2), Democrat(2), the Clintons(2), Ted Kennedy(2), Hillary(2), Wellstone(2), Democratic president(2), John F. Kennedy, Stevenson, John and Robert Kennedy, Artur Davis, Edward M. Kennedy, Caroline Kennedy, Gene Sperling, Harry Truman, Howard Dean, David Axelrod, Axelrod, Jesse Jackson, Leahy, David A. Paterson, Democratic Leadership Council, John Kerry, D-, Chelsea Clinton
Negative Democratic 103 Clinton(29), Obama(17), Democrats(12), Hillary Clinton(7), Spitzer(7), Bill Clinton(6), Barack Obama(3), Democratic(2), the Clintons(2), former president(2), Jimmy Carter(2), Edwards(2), Ickes(2), Hillary Rodham Clinton, John Edwards, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Bill, Clintons, Clintonism, President Jimmy Carter, Hillary, Eliot Spitzer, Johnson
Neutral Democratic 270Obama(65), Clinton(60), Democrats(34), Democratic(19), Hillary Clinton(18), Barack Obama(14), Spitzer(8), Bill Clinton(5), Democrat(4), Adlai Stevenson(2), Hubert Humphrey(2), former president(2), Hillary(2), Clintonites(2), John Edwards(2), Gary Hart(2), Al Gore(2), Paterson(2), Democratic Senate(2), Edwards, John Kennedy, Clintons, Clinton administration, the Clintons, Clintonism, Gore, The Clintons, Mark Warner, Evan Bayh, Clintonomics, Warner, Bayh, Paul Tsongas, Bill Bradley, Walter Mondale, Pat Leahy, Mondale, Harold Ickes, Ickes, President Johnson, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson
Positive Republican 86 McCain(21), Reagan(19), Ronald Reagan(6), Republican(5), Huckabee(4), Romney(4), Mike Huckabee(3), John McCain(3), Limbaugh(2), Republicans(2), David Winston, congressional Republicans, Karl Rove, Reaganphobia, Barry Goldwater, Gingrich, Vin Weber, Weber, Charlie Crist, Dwight Eisenhower, Eisenhower, Ike, William Cohen, President Bush, Bob Corker, R-, Richard Nixon
Negative Republican 116 McCain(30), Bush(23), Republicans(8), Romney(6), George W. Bush(6), Mitt Romney(5), Republican(5), Republican Party(4), President Bush(3), John McCain(3), GOP(2), administration(2), the president(2), Reagan(2), Huckabee, President, Bush administration, Rudy Giuliani, Fred Thompson, Richard Nixon, Nixon, Mike Huckabee, president, David Vitter, R-, Reaganites, Goldwater, Rumsfeld, George W.
Neutral Republican 235McCain(76), Republican(40), Republicans(15), Bush(11), John McCain(11), Romney(7), Huckabee(6), Giuliani(6), Ronald Reagan(5), GOP(5), President Bush(5), Reagan(4), Mike Huckabee(3), Republican Party(3), Rudy Giuliani(3), Rush Limbaugh(3), Nixon(3), Richard Nixon(2), Mitt Romney(2), the president(2), Thompson(2), Reaganite(2), Limbaugh(2), George W. Bush(2), administration(2), George Romney, Gerald Ford, Fred Thompson, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bush administration, Barry Goldwater, the Gipper, George H.W. Bush, Donald Rumsfeld, Bob Dole, Dole, Joe Bruno, Dwight D. Eisenhower



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 Shrinking Election
29 April 2008
922 0 4D+: Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Bill Clinton
6D-: Jimmy Carter, Obama, Clinton, Obama, Obama, Clinton
2R+: Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan
3R-: Bush, Bush, Republicans
6D=, 2R=
Pennsylvania Fault Lines
25 April 2008
1054 20 8D+: Hillary Clinton, Clinton, Clinton, Clinton, Clinton, Clinton, Clinton, Chelsea Clinton
7D-: Barack Obama, Obama, Obama, Clinton, Obama, Obama, Obama
4R-: Republicans, Republican Party, Republicans, John McCain
21D=, 1R=
Disquieting Words For the Faithful
18 April 2008
811 0
Turning No Corners
11 April 2008
888 31 2D+: John Kerry, D-
2R+: Bob Corker, R-
5R-: administration, the president, McCain, Bush, Bush
2D=, 4R=
When Liberalism's Moment Ended
4 April 2008
969 7 1D-: Johnson
4D=, 5R=
Righting the Right
25 March 2008
933 30 2D+: Democratic, Democratic Leadership Council
2R+: President Bush, Reagan
5R-: George W. Bush, Republicans, Republican Party, GOP, Republican
1D=, 5R=
Another Angry Black Preacher
21 March 2008
1004 60 6D+: Barack Obama, Obama, Obama, Obama, Obama, Obama
4D=
The Street on Welfare
18 March 2008
771 11 1D+: Franklin Roosevelt
2R+: Republican, William Cohen
2R-: Reagan, Bush
The Anti-Steamroller
14 March 2008
1016 5 12D+: David A. Paterson, Paterson, Paterson, Paterson, Paterson, Paterson, Democrat, Paterson, Paterson, Paterson, Paterson, Paterson
8D-: Spitzer, Eliot Spitzer, Spitzer, Spitzer, Spitzer, Spitzer, Spitzer, Spitzer
1R+: Republican
13D=, 4R=
Liberals' McCain Problem
11 March 2008
1070 22 1D+: Barack Obama
7R+: McCain, McCain, McCain, McCain, McCain, McCain, McCain
16R-: President Bush, Bush, McCain, McCain, Bush, Bush, John McCain, McCain, McCain, McCain, Bush, Republican, McCain, Bush, George W., McCain
19R=
Rube Goldberg, Meet Rush Limbaugh
7 March 2008
1025 10 4D+: Democrats, Obama, Franklin Roosevelt, Democratic president
13D-: Democrats, Democratic, Democrats, Clinton, Ickes, Ickes, Democrats, Democrats, Democrats, Clinton, Hillary, Democrats, Democrats
1R+: Limbaugh
2R-: Bush, Rumsfeld
27D=, 11R=
The Battle That Clinton Didn't Expect
4 March 2008
1097 27 21D+: Clinton, Bill Clinton, Clinton, Obama, Obama, Obama, Democratic, Franklin Roosevelt, Obama, Clinton, Obama, Clinton, Obama, Obama, Obama, Leahy, Obama, Obama, Obama, Obama, Clinton
5D-: Edwards, Edwards, Clinton, Clinton, Obama
34D=
The Last 'Yes, We Can' Candidate
29 February 2008
1115 25 15D+: Barack Obama, Obama, Obama, Obama, Obama, Obama, Obama, Obama, Democrats, Obama, Democrats, Obama, Obama, Democratic president, Obama
4D-: President Jimmy Carter, Democrats, Hillary Clinton, Jimmy Carter
18R+: Ronald Reagan, Reagan, Reagan, Reagan, Reagan, Reagan, Reagan, Reagan, Reagan, Republicans, Reagan, Reagan, Reagan, Republicans, Ronald Reagan, Reagan, Ronald Reagan, Reagan
3R-: Reaganites, Goldwater, George W. Bush
7D=, 4R=
McCain's Lobbyist Baggage
26 February 2008
935 73 1R+: McCain
17R-: McCain, John McCain, McCain, McCain, McCain, McCain, David Vitter, R-, McCain, McCain, McCain, McCain, McCain, McCain, McCain, McCain, McCain
4R=
A Page From Paul Wellstone
22 February 2008
1066 58 20D+: Paul Wellstone, Paul Wellstone, Wellstone, Clinton, Obama, Democrats, Obama, Clinton, Obama, Obama, David Axelrod, Obama, Axelrod, Obama, Jesse Jackson, Clinton, Paul Wellstone, Wellstone, Clinton, Obama
1R-: president
16D=
A 'Challenge' Worth Challenging
19 February 2008
958 13 6R+: John McCain, McCain, Dwight Eisenhower, Republican, Eisenhower, Ike
3R-: McCain, McCain, George W. Bush
7D=, 11R=
How 'Inevitable' Got Outmaneuvered
15 February 2008
996 21 12D+: Obama, Obama, Obama, Obama, Obama, Obama, Howard Dean, Obama, Obama, Obama, Obama, Obama
8D-: Hillary Clinton, Clinton, Clinton, Clinton, Bill Clinton, Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Clinton
2R-: Bush, Bush
15D=
A Party Divided by Sensibility
12 February 2008
960 8 7D+: Obama, Obama, Obama, Obama, Hillary, Clinton, Hillary
6D-: Clinton, Clinton, Clintonism, Democrats, Obama, Obama
1R-: George W. Bush
13D=, 4R=
Division Problems
7 February 2008
1048 13 4D+: Clinton, Obama, Obama, Clinton
3D-: Clinton, Clinton, Obama
2R+: Huckabee, Romney
6R-: Mitt Romney, Republicans, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Romney, Republican Party
13D=, 17R=
Salvation Show
5 February 2008
1039 13 11D+: Obama, Democratic, Clinton, Clinton, Gene Sperling, Hillary Clinton, Harry Truman, Clinton, Obama, Obama, Obama
4D-: Obama, Obama, Obama, Clinton
22D=, 9R=
The McCain Divide?
1 February 2008
1175 12 12R+: McCain, Barry Goldwater, Reagan, Gingrich, Vin Weber, Romney, Weber, Charlie Crist, McCain, McCain, Limbaugh, Romney
4R-: McCain, Romney, McCain, McCain
3D=, 50R=
Hobbled by Hubby
29 January 2008
1042 16 20D+: Barack Obama, Edward M. Kennedy, Obama, Obama, Ted Kennedy, Caroline Kennedy, Obama, Kennedy, Obama, Kennedy, Kennedy, Kennedy, Hillary Clinton, Obama, John Edwards, Obama, Kennedy, Kennedy, Obama, Ted Kennedy
12D-: Bill Clinton, Clinton, Bill Clinton, former president, former president, Obama, Bill Clinton, Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, the Clintons
17D=
The Ideas Bill Forgot
25 January 2008
1163 19 29D+: Bill Clinton, Clinton, Clinton, Clinton, Clinton, Clinton, Clinton, Barack Obama, Obama, Bill Clinton, Clinton, Clinton, Obama, Obama, Clinton, Obama, the Clintons, Hillary Clinton, Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Obama, Obama, Obama, Obama, Obama, Bill Clinton, the Clintons, Bill Clinton, Obama
11D-: Bill, Democrats, Hillary Clinton, the Clintons, Bill Clinton, Bill Clinton, Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Clintons, Democrats, Clinton
7R+: Ronald Reagan, Reagan, Ronald Reagan, Reaganphobia, Reagan, Reagan, Reagan
6R-: Reagan, Richard Nixon, Nixon, Bush, Bush, Republicans
15D=, 2R=
Crunch Time for McCain
22 January 2008
1092 2 3D+: Hillary Clinton, Clinton, Clinton
3D-: Democrats, Obama, Clinton
7R+: McCain, McCain, McCain, McCain, McCain, McCain, McCain
6R-: George W. Bush, Republican, Bush, McCain, McCain, Mitt Romney
4D=, 35R=
A Demographic the Democrats Can't Forget
18 January 2008
969 16 6D+: John Edwards, Clinton, Obama, Clinton, Artur Davis, Democrat
3D-: Democratic, Clinton, Barack Obama
8D=, 1R=
President Non Grata
15 January 2008
1085 19 5R+: John McCain, Romney, Mike Huckabee, McCain, Republican
16R-: President, President Bush, Bush, George W. Bush, Bush, administration, Bush, Bush administration, Bush, Rudy Giuliani, Fred Thompson, Bush, the president, Bush, Republican Party, Bush
1D=, 37R=
A Candidacy's Prose and Cons
8 January 2008
1041 29 20D+: Barack Obama, Obama, Obama, Clinton, Clinton, Obama, John F. Kennedy, Stevenson, Obama, Obama, Obama, John and Robert Kennedy, Obama, Obama, Obama, Obama, Obama, Obama, Obama, Obama
3D-: Clinton, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Clinton
3R+: Republican, Mike Huckabee, Karl Rove
1R-: Huckabee
12D=, 1R=
A Whiff of Revolution From Iowa
4 January 2008
1101 25 19D+: Barack Obama, Obama, Clinton, Obama, Edwards, Edwards, Obama, Democrats, Democratic, Democrats, Democratic, Obama, Democratic, Obama, Obama, Democratic, Democrats, Obama, Democrats
6D-: Hillary Rodham Clinton, John Edwards, Clinton, Clinton, Clinton, Clinton
8R+: Mike Huckabee, Huckabee, Huckabee, John McCain, Huckabee, McCain, David Winston, congressional Republicans
13R-: Mitt Romney, GOP, Romney, Romney, Republicans, Republican, Mitt Romney, Romney, Republican, President Bush, McCain, Romney, Republicans
5D=, 9R=