Posted on 11/15/2007 2:43:01 PM PST by blam
Karl Rove To "Balance" Kos at Newsweek The Nation
The Nation -- Newsweek announced that Karl Rove, the controversial architect of the rise and fall of the modern G.O.P., will join its ranks as a new contributor to balance the recent hire of blogger Markos Moulitsas.
This is an odd pair on several levels. First, it makes Kos look huge. His web commentary and grassroots organizing have earned him a media perch on par with one of the most powerful people to ever work in the Bush White House. If columns are going to be handed out based on power, then at least Newsweek understands that there is power beyond holding office in Washington.
Second, it reveals a common misunderstanding of partisanship in the traditional media. In this model, Rove and Moulitsas automatically balance out each other's partisanship, because they are political operators. I doubt it. Rove has spent an entire political career devoted to the advancement of the G.O.P. and its politicians. Moulitsas has spent his political career toggling between support and confrontation with the Democratic Party. Yes, he's a liberal partisan Democrat who generally wants the party to win. But he has repeatedly challenged Democratic politicians, offering criticism, scorn, ridicule and several well-funded primary challenges. He even sits on the board of They Work For Us, an independent organization devoted to pressuring incumbent Democrats and supporting primary challenges. So while Rove and Moulitsas are both more politically active than a typical columnist, they are nowhere near equal on the partisanship scale. Newsweek Editor Jon Meacham says that means readers will "know that what they get from Karl has to be judged in the context of who Karl is...Readers will have to decide if he's simply an apologist." Fine, "reader beware" applies to both of them. Now let's keep track of how many times Rove flatly criticizes Republicans, or calls for a primary against a senior Republican senator in a safe seat.
Third, of course, there's this constant media fixation with "balance" itself. If the goal is something like equal time for liberals and conservatives, most of the media is failing badly. A recent study found conservatives have 60% of the the syndicated newspaper columns, while 58% of the Sunday show guests were conservative in 2005. Then, apart from the numbers, equal time cannot substitute for factual, thoughtful news and commentary. Criticizing Moulitsas' endorsement of the balance approach, Portfolio's Jeff Bercovici breaks it down: Is that what it's about? Balance? So you have a liberal shouting on one side, and a conservative shouting on the other side, and if their voices exactly cancel each other out, you've done your job? That sounds like Crossfire, or like the obligatory post-debate spin room, not like a magazine with an outsize regard for its own reputation.
Maybe we all just have to live in that spin room now. At least it's "balanced" by partisanship.
This shows how completely out of touch Rove has become. Good riddance and may you be flushed down the toiletto with the rest of the elit Rino ilk. I will make a special trip to the bookstore and shake out all the subscription litter cards and drop them in the mail for processing.
Rove would eat this guy alive.
This is like Mozart vs. Snoop Dog.
This is like the Swift Boat Vets versus JFnK.
LOL! Yup!
Just as a note, this is an editorial from The Nation reprinted by Yahoo News.
Was it written by Katrina Van DuhNeedAMan?
There’s nothing wrong with a liberal woman that her first orgasm won’t cure...
It won't be all fireworks, Karl Rove and Kos will both agree on importing 20 million illegals as Democrat voters.
Heh, heh!
;^)
I don’t get it. The article says Rove was “the controversial architect of the rise and fall of the modern G.O.P.” I get the fall part — but how in the heck did he have a tinker’s dam to do with the rise?
The GOP rose because of the New Right and Ronald Reagan. It treaded water doing George the First years. And it then plunged to an ignominious new low doing the disastrous reign of George the Second and his court jester Rove.
The far left just can’t seem to get anything right. Nor could the egregious Rove.
“...Rove, the controversial architect of the rise and fall of the modern G.O.P....”
Who writes this garbage? What a drama queen... He should wear his propeller beanie hat and try out for a soap opera stint starring Lassie, a fire hydrant and an unemployed steam roller operator named Pancake.
I don’t care what either of these men think.
Rove is actually going to scribe for Newsweek?? Nice! Who will he drive crazier, Libs or “Bunker conservatives”?
Pray for W and Our Troops
Doesn’t matter to me as I mostly wouldn’t read that POC rag even if The Gipper wrote articles from the afterlife for them. The only time I do read it is in the dentist’s office to get me ready for the pain.
http://www.opinionjournal.com/extra/?id=110010620
and
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1923341/posts
Getting his voice out there, IMHO, is a plus - and if not in a publication of YOUR approval = did you ever think that he can have more of an impact if in a publication that isn’t considered strictly and exclusively conservative?
It’s nice to preach to the quire, and it makes us feel good = but we’re already on board. If he get’s read out there in blue-country, just maybe some people will wake up.
Rather comical, even tho’ sadly so, how y’all jumped up and down and clapped when his columns appeared in the WSJ - but now he’s a loser???
Get a clue, folks
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.