lying in ponds
The absurdity of partisanship
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Gail Collins
New York Times

Columns 45
Words 44719
Normalized Median Partisanship Index 14.00
Normalized Total Partisanship Index 34.11
Normalized Combined Partisanship Index 24.05
Democratic Index -8.12
Republican Index -69.08
Positive Index 12.78
Negative Index 44.33
Neutral Index 42.89



Partisan References

Type Number All References
Positive Democratic 101 Obama(18), Barack Obama(6), Democrat(5), Democrats(5), Christopher Dodd(5), Obama administration(4), Burris(3), President Obama(3), the president(3), Democratic(3), Dodd(3), Dick Durbin(2), Reid(2), Hillary Clinton(2), Charles Schumer(2), Kennedy(2), Al Franken(2), White House(2), Ted Kennedy(2), Maloney(2), Roland Burris, David Axelrod, Tom Daschle, Daschle, Clinton, Al Gore, Hillary, Schumer, Gillibrand, president, Jay Rockefeller, Democratic House, Barack, the Obamas, Michelle, administration, Specter, Biden, Harry Reid, Maurice Hinchey, Ken Salazar, Andrew Cuomo, Mills, F.D.R., The president
Negative Democratic 146 Obama(11), Specter(10), Democrats(8), Burris(8), Paterson(6), Gillibrand(6), Geithner(5), Biden(5), Eliot Spitzer(5), Rod Blagojevich(4), administration(4), Joe Biden(4), Dennis Kucinich(3), Blagojevich(3), Democrat(3), David Paterson(3), White House(3), Arlen Specter(3), Mills(3), John Edwards(2), Caroline Kennedy(2), Tom Daschle(2), Kennedy(2), President Obama(2), Roland Burris(2), Barack Obama(2), the president(2), Democratic(2), Nelson(2), Dodd(2), Hillary Clinton, Mike Gravel, Chris Dodd, Reid, Durbin, Nancy Pelosi, Charles Rangel, William Jefferson, President of the United States, John Kerry, Vice President Biden, Kerry, Christopher Dodd, Barbara Mikulski, Harry Reid, Tim Geithner, Scott (Entrepreneur!) Murphy, The president, vice president, Elizabeth Edwards, Spitzer, Lieberman, former vice president, Maloney, Wilbur Mills, James McGreevey, Bill Clinton
Neutral Democratic 307Obama(36), the president(16), Democrats(14), Barack Obama(13), Democrat(13), Burris(11), White House(11), Reid(10), President Obama(10), Harry Reid(9), Democratic(9), Maloney(8), Gillibrand(7), Obama administration(6), administration(6), Dodd(6), David Paterson(5), Tim Geithner(5), Specter(5), Geithner(4), Joe Biden(4), Hillary Clinton(4), The president(4), Barack(4), Biden(4), Roland Burris(3), Bill Clinton(3), Clinton(3), Timothy Geithner(3), Kirsten Gillibrand(3), Eliot Spitzer(3), Ben Nelson(3), Hillary(2), Paterson(2), Nancy Pelosi(2), Max Baucus(2), Michelle Obama(2), Murphy(2), Nelson(2), Mills(2), the president-elect, Democratic president, Carol Braun, Rod Blagojevich, Senate Democrats, John Kerry, Durbin, Jimmy Carter, Obamites, House leadership, Kennedy, Chuck Schumer, Carolyn McCarthy, McCarthy, Al Sharpton, Tom Daschle, Harry Hopkins, Philip Klutznick, Vice President Joe Biden, Blagojevich, Franken, Democratic Party, Robert Rubin, Lyndon Johnson, Kent Conrad, Tim (Great Guy!) Geithner, Caroline Kennedy, Michelle, Obamamania, first lady , Anthony Earl, vice president, Tom Harkin, Spitzer, Robert Gates, Hinchey, Gates, Arlen Specter, Al Franken, Ted Kennedy, Robert Byrd, Jon Tester, Carolyn Maloney, Steve Israel, the Obamas, Obamaites
Positive Republican 14 Republican(3), Steele(2), Ronald Reagan, Charles Grassley, Kay Bailey Hutchison, Susan Collins, Olympia Snowe, Perry, Michael Steele, Specter, Bush administration
Negative Republican 253 Republicans(32), Republican(21), Bush(12), Sanford(12), Steele(10), George W. Bush(9), administration(6), Republican Party(6), McCain(5), G.O.P. (5), Tedisco(5), John McCain(4), Rudy Giuliani(4), Bunning(4), Bobby Jindal(4), Republican National Committee(4), Bush administration(4), Perry(4), Palin(4), Ensign(4), Mitt Romney(3), Rush Limbaugh(3), Judd Gregg(3), Arlen Specter(3), Jindal(3), Michael Steele(3), Specter(3), Sarah Palin(3), the president(2), Bristol Palin(2), Mike Huckabee(2), Bush White House(2), Dick Cheney(2), Jim Bunning(2), Mitch McConnell(2), Susan Collins(2), Limbaugh(2), Republican president(2), George W. (2), Huckabee(2), Mark Sanford(2), President Bush, Tripp Easton Mitchell Johnston, President, President George W. Bush, president, president of the United States, White House, Thompson, Republican-controlled Congress, Donald Rumsfeld, Lindsey Graham, Gregg, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Graham, Olympia Snowe, Schwarzenegger, Senate Republicans, Republicanism, Rush, Hank Paulson, Chuck Grassley, Grassley, W., George Bush, Giuliani, Bushness, House Republicans, Rick Perry, Collins, Tom Coburn, Robert Bennett, Bennett, Reagan, George Pataki, John Ensign, Romney, Fred Thompson, Huck, Newt Gingrich, Gingrich, Mark (“I’ve been unfaithful to my wife”) Sanford, GOP, Mark (“I love your tan lines”) Sanford, Ronald Reagan
Neutral Republican 79Republicans(12), Republican(10), John McCain(7), Arlen Specter(3), Bush administration(3), McCain(3), Fred Thompson(2), Rush Limbaugh(2), Bush(2), Arnold(2), Steele(2), Hank Paulson(2), Perry(2), Specter(2), White House, Mitch McConnell, Laura, Kay Bailey Hutchison, Susan Collins, Collins, Olympia Snowe, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jindal, McConnell, Grassley, George H.W. Bush, James (A Proven Record) Tedisco, Judd Gregg, G.O.P. , Bristol Palin, Palin, Todd Palin, Eisenhower administration, Norm Coleman, Coburn, Dick Cheney, President Ford, Sanford, John Boehner



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
Gorging the Beast
16 April 2009
980 45 5D+: Obama, F.D.R., Obama, The president, Obama
2D-: President Obama, Bill Clinton
3R-: Republican, Republicans, Ronald Reagan
5D=, 1R=
The S.C. Firecracker
27 June 2009
967 13 1D+: Mills
6D-: Wilbur Mills, Mills, Mills, James McGreevey, Eliot Spitzer, Mills
4R-: Mark (“I love your tan lines”) Sanford, Sanford, Sanford, Sanford
2D=, 2R=
The Love Party
25 June 2009
991 78 2D-: Rod Blagojevich, Eliot Spitzer
17R-: Mark (“I’ve been unfaithful to my wife”) Sanford, Sanford, Sanford, Republican, John McCain, Sarah Palin, GOP, Sanford, Sanford, Mark Sanford, Sanford, Sanford, Sanford, Sanford, Mark Sanford, Sanford, Republicans
1D=, 2R=
A Nation of Candidates
20 June 2009
1024 91 1D-: Dennis Kucinich
26R-: John Ensign, Ensign, Ensign, Republican Party, Republican, Republican, Mitt Romney, Romney, Bobby Jindal, G.O.P. , Fred Thompson, Mike Huckabee, Huckabee, Huck, Huckabee, Newt Gingrich, Sarah Palin, Gingrich, Ensign, Rudy Giuliani, Republican, Palin, Palin, Palin, Republicans, Ensign
3D=
Barack Takes Sides in New York
18 June 2009
1060 3 2D+: Maloney, Maloney
5D-: Paterson, Maloney, Gillibrand, Gillibrand, Gillibrand
1R-: George Pataki
27D=, 1R=
Mr. Dodd’s Best/Worst Year
13 June 2009
1026 52 12D+: Christopher Dodd, Christopher Dodd, Christopher Dodd, Ted Kennedy, Christopher Dodd, Obama, Christopher Dodd, Dodd, Dodd, Ted Kennedy, Dodd, Kennedy
2D-: Dodd, Dodd
3R-: Republican, Reagan, Bush administration
7D=, 2R=
Bring On the Tarantulas
11 June 2009
921 28 5D-: Democrats, Democrats, Eliot Spitzer, Paterson, Democratic
1R-: Republicans
2D=, 1R=
Options Are Overrated
4 June 2009
930 100 3D+: Obama administration, White House, Obama
Jon & Kate Begin to Grate
30 May 2009
934 0
When Sallie Met Barack
28 May 2009
962 11 3D+: White House, Andrew Cuomo, President Obama
2D-: Nelson, Nelson
4D=
When Did Cowboys Get Wimpy?
23 May 2009
973 38 3D+: President Obama, Obama administration, Charles Schumer
2D-: former vice president, Democratic
3R-: Bush, Republican, G.O.P.
5D=, 1R=
Guns, Geysers and Mr. Reid
16 May 2009
1058 44 3D+: Reid, Obama, Ken Salazar
8R-: Tom Coburn, Republican, Republicans, Robert Bennett, Bennett, Republicans, Bush administration, Republicans
22D=, 1R=
Trouble on Air Obama
14 May 2009
1024 3 2D+: Maurice Hinchey, Democrat
3D-: Obama, the president, the president
1R+: Bush administration
1R-: John McCain
14D=, 4R=
The Care and Feeding of Arlen
9 May 2009
1022 22 3D+: Democrat, Al Franken, Democratic
12D-: Arlen Specter, Specter, Specter, Specter, Arlen Specter, Specter, Arlen Specter, Specter, Lieberman, Specter, Specter, Specter
1R+: Republican
1R-: Specter
15D=, 4R=
Bristol Palin’s New Gig
7 May 2009
972 14 5D-: Elizabeth Edwards, Eliot Spitzer, David Paterson, Spitzer, David Paterson
4R-: Bristol Palin, Palin, Republican, Sarah Palin
1D=, 3R=
Joe Biden, the Flu and You
2 May 2009
962 10 10D-: Joe Biden, Barack Obama, Joe Biden, White House, Biden, White House, Biden, White House, administration, vice president
4R-: Susan Collins, Collins, Michael Steele, Republican National Committee
4D=
The Amtrak Connection
30 April 2009
1093 27 8D+: Specter, Democratic, Biden, Obama, Democrats, Democrats, Harry Reid, Democratic
4D-: Biden, Specter, Specter, Democrat
4R+: Michael Steele, Steele, Specter, Steele
12R-: Republicans, Specter, Republicans, Steele, Steele, Arlen Specter, Bush administration, Specter, Arlen Specter, Republicans, Republican Party, Republican
17D=, 6R=
Come Visit. Live Life. Eat Cheese.
25 April 2009
905 0 1D=
Twitters From Texas
18 April 2009
958 61 4D+: Barack Obama, Obama administration, Obama, administration
1R+: Perry
6R-: Rick Perry, Perry, Perry, Perry, Republican Party, Perry
1D=, 2R=
The Obama Holiday Tour
11 April 2009
991 0 13D=
Barack’s Continental Coolness
4 April 2009
1048 60 11D+: Barack, the president, the Obamas, the president, Obama, Obama, Michelle, Obama, Obama, the president, Democrat
3D-: The president, Obama, Obama
9R-: Republicans, administration, Republican, Bushness, Republican, Republican, G.O.P. , House Republicans, Judd Gregg
7D=, 2R=
The People Have Mumbled
2 April 2009
1060 39 1D+: Democratic House
4D-: Democrat, Scott (Entrepreneur!) Murphy, Biden, Gillibrand
12R-: G.O.P. , Republicans, Tedisco, G.O.P. , Michael Steele, Republican National Committee, Rudy Giuliani, Giuliani, Tedisco, Tedisco, Tedisco, Tedisco
16D=, 4R=
How to Train a Governor
28 March 2009
967 8 1D+: Democrats
6D-: David Paterson, Paterson, Paterson, Paterson, Democrats, Democrats
2R-: George Bush, Republicans
4D=
Everything Bad Is Good Again
26 March 2009
955 0 12D=, 1R=
Rage Redux: Changing Channels
21 March 2009
982 68 13R-: George W. Bush, George W. Bush, George W. , George W. Bush, Bush administration, George W. , Bush White House, Bush, Bush, George W. Bush, W., Bush, administration
6D=, 3R=
The Grievance Committee
19 March 2009
1025 23 2D+: Barack Obama, Obama
4D-: Tim Geithner, Geithner, Eliot Spitzer, Barack Obama
4R-: Hank Paulson, Chuck Grassley, Grassley, McCain
4D=, 4R=
Just Steele Yourselves
7 March 2009
1100 88 5D+: Democrat, Al Franken, Democrats, Democrats, Barack Obama
39R-: Steele, Republicans, Michael Steele, Republican National Committee, Republican National Committee, Republicans, Steele, Republicans, Senate Republicans, Republicans, Mitch McConnell, Jim Bunning, Bunning, Bunning, Bunning, Republicans, Steele, Steele, Republican Party, Republican Party, Republicans, Rush Limbaugh, Bobby Jindal, Jindal, Republicans, Steele, Limbaugh, Steele, Limbaugh, Steele, Rush Limbaugh, Republicanism, Steele, Republican Party, Rush, George W. Bush, administration, Republican president, Republican president
3D=, 4R=
The Rant List
5 March 2009
929 71 5D-: Roland Burris, Burris, Burris, Rod Blagojevich, Blagojevich
2D=
The Medium Is the Soup Commercial
28 February 2009
907 0
The Dead Tree Theory
26 February 2009
1002 61 1D+: Barack Obama
1D-: Joe Biden
8R-: Bobby Jindal, Jindal, Republicans, Republicans, Jindal, Republican, Republicans, Bobby Jindal
6D=, 1R=
Finance for Our Times
21 February 2009
923 0 4D=
The Devil Made Me Do It
19 February 2009
976 3 3D-: Roland Burris, Burris, Burris
2R+: Susan Collins, Olympia Snowe
4R-: Republican, Republican, Schwarzenegger, Republicans
5D=, 3R=
How to Stock a Cabinet
14 February 2009
983 25 18D-: Joe Biden, Caroline Kennedy, Kennedy, John Kerry, Vice President Biden, Kerry, Christopher Dodd, administration, Barbara Mikulski, John Edwards, Dennis Kucinich, President Obama, Obama, Democrat, Obama, Kennedy, Biden, Harry Reid
16R-: Lindsey Graham, John McCain, Judd Gregg, Gregg, Republican, Republicans, Mitt Romney, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Republicans, Graham, McCain, Rudy Giuliani, Olympia Snowe, Susan Collins, Republican, Arlen Specter
2D=
The Stump Theory
12 February 2009
973 20 1D+: Obama
2D-: administration, Geithner
2D=
Tough Times at Obama Inc.
7 February 2009
1059 9 8D-: Obama, Tom Daschle, Obama, Tom Daschle, Democrats, President of the United States, Obama, administration
6R-: Donald Rumsfeld, Republicans, Judd Gregg, Republican, George W. Bush, Mitch McConnell
11D=, 5R=
An Ode to the Stimulus Bill
5 February 2009
1010 36 1D+: Barack Obama
1D-: Democrats
4R-: McCain, McCain, Republicans, Republicans
4D=, 4R=
TV in Peril. Is Nothing Sacred?
31 January 2009
956 37 3D+: Obama administration, Democrat, Jay Rockefeller
2R+: Republican, Kay Bailey Hutchison
4R-: Bush, Republican-controlled Congress, Republicans, Republicans
2D=, 1R=
Lilly’s Big Day
29 January 2009
986 82 3D+: President Obama, Obama, president
3R-: Bush, Republican, Republicans
1R=
The New Hillary
24 January 2009
1039 0 3D+: Hillary Clinton, Kennedy, Gillibrand
5D-: Caroline Kennedy, Paterson, Gillibrand, Gillibrand, Burris
1R-: Thompson
18D=, 1R=
Woodstock Without the Mud
22 January 2009
1014 7 5D+: Obama, Hillary Clinton, Hillary, Charles Schumer, Schumer
6D-: Geithner, Geithner, Geithner, Nancy Pelosi, Charles Rangel, William Jefferson
2R+: Charles Grassley, Republican
4R-: Republican, Jim Bunning, Bunning, McCain
8D=, 5R=
Imagining the Inaugural
17 January 2009
1006 10 1D+: Barack Obama
9D=
He’s Leaving. Really.
15 January 2009
1021 77 2D+: Clinton, Al Gore
1R+: Ronald Reagan
15R-: President George W. Bush, George W. Bush, Bush, president, president of the United States, administration, White House, the president, Bush, Bush, administration, Bush, Bush, Dick Cheney, Bush
1D=, 2R=
The Leaves Have It
10 January 2009
1062 32 6D+: Obama, David Axelrod, Dick Durbin, Tom Daschle, Daschle, Obama
4R-: Bush White House, Dick Cheney, George W. Bush, administration
17D=, 6R=
The Illinois Senator Checklist
8 January 2009
1058 5 6D+: Dick Durbin, Burris, Reid, Burris, Burris, Roland Burris
10D-: Rod Blagojevich, Reid, Durbin, Blagojevich, Democrats, Blagojevich, Burris, Burris, Democrats, Burris
1R-: Rush Limbaugh
19D=, 1R=
The Year-End Quiz
3 January 2009
925 33 9D-: Rod Blagojevich, John Edwards, Dennis Kucinich, Hillary Clinton, Mike Gravel, Chris Dodd, Obama, Obama, Obama
10R-: George W. Bush, President Bush, the president, Bristol Palin, Tripp Easton Mitchell Johnston, John McCain, Mitt Romney, Rudy Giuliani, Mike Huckabee, President
1D=, 1R=