Blogger Ross Douthat Gets Kristol’s NY Times Editorial Slot
By Justin Gardner | Related entries in Blogging, Conservatives, Media
For those who thought that Kristol wouldn’t be replaced with a true conservative, well, that would mean that you thought Kristol was a true conservative in the first place.
But I digress…
This is a MASSIVE win for Douthat and a fantastic win for conservatives too. Because now they don’t have to worry about Kristol embarrassing them with that hacky incoherence he masqueraded as conservative thought.
Okay, I guess I didn’t digress, but now I will…promise.
Here’s Marc Ambinder giving his fellow Atlantic blogger big time props…
It’s heretic for a new media pioneer to say this, I guess, but the New York Times remains the most influential journalistic force in the modern world, and its opinion columnists consistently shape policy, government and public opinion. True, the Gray Lady doesn’t seem to get orthodox conservatives very well, and in randier precincts of the Right, the suspicion that the op-ed editors recruit reverse-Alan Colmeses to counter their lefty-Sean Hannities is pervasive. I personally don’t think this is the case; not being able to predict where David Brooks is going to come down on an issue is the reason why I like to read him. Bill Kristol was just a mistake, but boy, talk about the rebound: I think Ross is the sharpest, most innovative heterodox thinker of his generation, left or right.
Heterowhat?
Come on Ambinder…let’s use the new English…
Seriously though, this is also a big win for bloggers too. Of course Douthat is also a published author, but he made the biggest name for himself with his notable tenure at the Atlantic.
Again, well deserved and expect us to be highlighting his columns.
This entry was posted on Wednesday, March 11th, 2009 and is filed under Blogging, Conservatives, Media. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
March 11th, 2009 at 4:15 pm
Yeah, I’m with you.
Libertarian conservatives (in whose circles I tend to run) are going to bitch that it went from a neocon to a socialcon, but I don’t share that dismay. I’m not one that believes that social conservatism means you’re basically insane (even though I don’t tend to agree with it, I can respect that not everyone shares the same core assumptions as me, and that’s part of what political dialogue is). But I do think that most of the most notable social conservative voices are pretty insane. Ross brings a calm, good-faith reason to it, but with sacrificing the values from which his political ideology springs, and that’s a refreshing, refreshing change. If Douthat becomes one of the major voices in that movement (moreso than he already is, I mean), we’re all better off.
March 11th, 2009 at 6:10 pm
He’s a great writer – and very thoughtful. We’ll see – I lean left socialy but I lean right financially and really appreciate a good conservative argument – which Ross always makes.
March 11th, 2009 at 11:09 pm
I have only one question: how do you pronounce the guy’s name? Dowt-hat? Doo-that?
March 12th, 2009 at 3:49 am
dow – that – soft th
March 12th, 2009 at 4:07 am
Or “Dow – thut” if you prefer.
March 12th, 2009 at 8:54 pm
Terence:
Thanks. But I’m disappointed. I was hoping for Doubt Hat. That would have been much better.