It occurred to me, reading this, that this is the kind of column Maureen Dowd has been trying to write, again and again. Funny, irreverent, slangy, but informed with penetrating political wisdom and sharp analysis. The problem with Dowd is that liberalism no longer has any wisdom left. In addition, liberals long ago checked their humor at the door.
It's not just a matter of left and right, liberal and conservative, what you prefer a writer's politics to be. Mark Steyn is a great read, whereas Maureen Dowd's turgid nonsense has no style and nary a laugh in a bushel. I've heard many liberals confess that they can't stand reading Anthony Lewis or Frank Rich, though they'll never admit it in public. Even for those who agree with their views, liberal columnists just aren't worth reading. There's no pleasure in it, no humor, no style, and no intellectual return.
Unless it's dripping with sarcasm and cynicism.
Your analysis of liberal writers and columnists is right on the mark. In particular, the parts about "no pleasure" and "no intellectual return." I've found that to so true that I've stopped reading any liberal/leftist writers ten years ago.