We'll never get rid of Dowd at this rate
All things being equal, it's probably not a good idea to begin an opinion column with the words, "There is probably nothing I can do or say to convince you..."
In the past I've praised Lithwick to the skies. Her coverage of the Supreme Court and other legal matters for Slate runs circles around anyone else's, and really big, shiny circles around the Times' Linda Greenhouse. Giving her the guest op-ed slot no doubt seemed like a good gamble, but it hasn't quite paid off the way I'd hoped. Maybe they can find a reporting job for her.
It's possible there's something about this particular piece of high-pressure real estate that throws good writers off their game. David Brooks was much better in the Weekly Standard than he has been at The Times. But Barbara Ehrenreich kicked ass, so it certainly can be done.
Comments
I've always found Lithwick's work ridiculously shallow and trivial; it might play entertainingly to the layperson, but unless you find the cosmetic details of a Supreme Court oral argument important, her pieces are not especially informative and frequently misleading.
Posted by: Anon | August 16, 2004 4:29 PM