Posted on 11/29/2004 5:38:04 PM PST by Cableguy
lmost as soon as William Safire announced he was retiring after 31 years as the right-wing uncle at the Times’ op-ed dinner table, conservatives began plotting to retain his perch. “I’ve gotten much advice from people who aren’t columnists about who would be good,” says editorial-page editor Gail Collins. Emboldened by the postelection morals mandate, conservatives seem to be hoping that they can push the page deep into this territory, too: Family-values columnist Cal Thomas, who’s publicly disparaged the Times, said, “It would be a wonderful thing if Sulzberger reached out and said, ‘We get it.’ ” But don’t count on it. “They hold conservatives to a higher standard,” says a righty writer who didn’t want to speak on the record and ruin his chances of getting tapped. “They have to be more sophisticated than the average sloganeer,” he says. “You can’t just represent a party,” admits David Brooks, the op-ed page’s other conservative. Right-wing names bandied about include David Frum, Charles Krauthammer, Christopher Caldwell, Richard Brookhiser, Fred Barnes, and Robert Kagan. But the most-often-fingered candidate is the openly semi-conservative Timesman John Tierney, who, Times sources say, was once considered for the op-ed page and moved to Washington for seasoning, but seemed to stall. “They’ve already got their claws in him,” says a columnist who wants Safire’s job. And conservative or not, columnists best have good manners. “We generally come to them,” Collins says.
please fix the title. somehow some html got in there. it should be Safire
Whatsamatter with Ann Coulter, her pen is at least as civil as MoDo's.
Kevin Dowd.
No George Will?
Al Gore or Ja Ja Binks
Dick Morris please.
You can be very sure they won't pick a religious conservative, a social conservative, or anyone who doesn't support abortion.
This sentence alone shows me that nothing will change.
Does she really think that intelligent readers who aren't columnists don't know what makes a good columnist?
They'll pick another center-rightish type, conservative by NYT standards, but who can be counted upon never to get too far out of line. And he won't write as well as Safire.
And the Times will take another step downward.
My bet would be for a balanced-budget, "moderate" Northeastern RINO.
Then, the "conservative" can complain about budget deficits under Bush, and Bob Hebert can complain about increasing poverty and the lack of spending on welfare programs.
The NY Times is going to try to hit the enemy (i.e. Bush) from both sides. Safire had a lot of prestige, and he didn't have to do their biding. This new columnist will be an anti-Bush ranter, in some form or another.
Who cares who the NY Times hires?? It's a left wing rag. Everyone knows it but the NY times.
The times will NEVER get it. Why don't they just go ahead and paint a big hammer and sickle on the front cover of the paper.
At least THEN I'd believe they have a LITTLE integrity...
Dedicated to breaking the back of the liberal main stream media's DNC propaganda machine... Educating and enlightening One person at a time...
http://www.noDNC.com
I, too, was thinking Ann Coulter, and yet, why would she stoop to the NYTimes???
Limbaugh was kidding around about the NYT job in the first hour of his program today (11/29). Hahahahahahahaha...
Didn't Michael Moore get the job already?
"What about Ann Coulter?"
An EXCELLENT suggestion!
She is just the person for that position...love to see it.
That's probably why it'll never happen, but here's hoping...
Now I know why Cal said this weekend on Fox that the NY Times is the best newspaper in the world.
I couldn't understand why he was sucking up to that paper.
“I’ve gotten much advice from people who aren’t columnists about who would be good,” says editorial-page editor Gail Collins.
Gail Collins, ANOTHER affirmitive action hire.
The CORRECT thing to have said say would be "I've gotten much advice from people who aren't EDITORS about who would be good. This would at least make some sense.
I can't inagine them wanting a conservative to take Safire's place. They will want someone at least as liberal as he was.
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.