DOWD-ING THOMAS: New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd has edged past Tribune Media Services columnist Cal Thomas into tenth place in the Lying in Ponds Top Ten. I don't say often enough that being in the Top Ten should not imply that a columnist is actually guilty of excessive partisanship. I've argued that a strongly ideological columnist will have a naturally strong preference for one party over the other, but that Lying in Ponds is trying to make a distinction between this kind of normal party preference and the excessive partisanship characterized by the "blind, prejudiced and unreasoning allegiance" so clearly exhibited by pundits like Ann Coulter and Paul Krugman. Ms. Dowd's relatively high score seems to result from general negativity toward those in power rather than ideological intensity. She has often been very critical of Democrats such as Hillary Clinton, Al Gore or John Kerry; in fact she had more negative than positive Democratic references both last year and this year. Similarly, Mr. Thomas has written several columns quite critical of Republicans, particularly concerning the Middle East.
| Author/ Affiliation |
Title/ Date |
words | PI | Partisan References |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Molly Ivins Creators Syndicate |
Time to get serious 25 November 2003 |
900 | 89 | 1D+: Democrats 7R-: Republicans, Republican Party, Republicans, Republicans, Cheney, Republicans, Republicans 1D= |
| Robert Scheer Creators Syndicate |
For the GOP, criticism is next to cowardice 25 November 2003 |
1005 | 87 | 10D+: Democratic, Gen. Wesley Clark, Clark, Max Cleland, Cleland, President Clinton, Sandy Berger, Cleland, Cleland, Cleland 24R-: GOP, President Bush, Republican Party, Bush, the president, the president, the president, the president, President Bush, the president, White House, the president, Nixonian, Bush, administration, White House, administration, Bush, Bush administration, The president, Bush, Republican, Saxby Chambliss, Bush 1D=, 4R= |
| Richard Cohen Washington Post |
The Patriotism Refuge 25 November 2003 |
921 | 79 | 1D+: Democratic 14R-: Republican National Committee, White House, George Bush, the president, Bush White House, administration, administration, Colin Powell, administration, Condoleezza Rice, administration, Bush administration, Richard Nixon, White House 1D=, 3R= |
| Mona Charen Creators Syndicate |
I hate popular culture 25 November 2003 |
819 | 75 | 3D-: Clinton, Al Sharpton, Democratic Party 1R= |
| Paul Krugman New York Times |
The Uncivil War 25 November 2003 |
822 | 73 | 1D+: Clinton 1R+: Reagan 11R-: administration, administration, administration, the president, Republican Party, Bush administration, Nixonian, Republican National Committee, the president, the president, the president 2R= |
| David Brooks New York Times |
Refuting the Cynics 25 November 2003 |
817 | 60 | 1D+: Clinton 4R+: Ronald Reagan, Reagan, Bush, Bush |
| E. J. Dionne Jr. Washington Post |
The Democrats Take a Dive 25 November 2003 |
1108 | 19 | 19D+: Democrats, Democratic, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Barney Frank, Frank, House Democrats, Kennedy, Clinton, Frank, Frank, Clinton, Clinton, Kennedy, Kennedy, President Clinton, Clinton, Democratic Congress, House Democrats, Democrats 20D-: Democrats, Democrats, Democrats, Democrats, Democratic, Democrats, Democratic, Kennedy, Democrats, John Breaux, Max Baucus, Breaux, Baucus, Breaux, Baucus, Baucus, Baucus, Democratic Party, Democrats, Democrats 14R-: Republicans, Republicans, House Republican, Republican, Republicans, Republicans, Republicans, Phil Gramm, Republican, Gramm, Republicans, Republicans, Republicans, Republican 6D=, 9R= |
| Brendan Miniter WSJ OpinionJournal |
Free Northpoint 25 November 2003 |
721 | 12 | 1D+: Mary Landrieu 1D-: Clinton administration 1R+: John Sununu 5R= |
| David Ignatius Inactive |
Stop This Game 25 November 2003 |
861 | 0 | 4R= |
| Cal Thomas Tribune Media Services |
Judging Michael Jackson and ourselves 25 November 2003 |
811 | 0 |