Ann Coulter's profanity
My colleague Doug Clark breathes a sigh of relief that the News & Record editorial board chose not to add Ann Coulter's column.
So do I.
We worried then that she was too mean-spirited.
She only confirmed those misgivings with her totally gratuitous comments about 9/11 widows.
Offering diversity of views is no excuse for compromise decency and good taste.
Comments (9)
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We who are about to read, salute you.
Posted on June 9, 2006 9:00 PM
As a political commentator Coulter makes a good side show exhibit. But if the paper is serious about turning down the level of mean spirited rhetoric, wouldn't a good followup step be to eliminate the columns of Maureen Dowd and Molly Ivins? It isn't just that both use insulting names to belittle anyone they disagree with, it's more that they both write the same column over and over and over again without ever really saying anything.
Posted on June 9, 2006 9:48 PM
Good pass on Coulter, but I think Dudley Bokowski has a point, especially with Ivins. Both shrill and repetitive, she is both shrill and repetitive. Dowd is snarky--Mean Girls plus NYT--and occasionally interesting. How about Mark Steyn? Or one of the New Republic guys?
Posted on June 9, 2006 11:47 PM
Hmmmmmmm.
Now, I've always liked the take-no-prisoners style of our editorial page's resident Texan. She reminded me too much of the Yellow Dog Democrat women in my Southern family.
But Allen, haven't you deep-sixed Molly because she was too much like Maureen "Let's Call 'Em Names'' Dowd right after the redesign?
Posted on June 10, 2006 9:26 AM
Dudley makes a great points. All those mentioned are bomb throwers at best. Coulter at least is selling a book and her brand of talk sells her books.
Posted on June 10, 2006 11:45 AM
I apologize, I forgot that Ivins was gone. Dowd is actually disappointing. I read an article of hers about her mother that was really good, but for every one like that there are countless others that are just mean spirited name calling. When President Clinton was in office, all Dowd could write was defenses of his and his wife's conduct. If a relatively non-controversial Democrat is elected President I have no clue what she will ever find to write about.
Posted on June 10, 2006 7:20 PM
Yes, to confirm, Molly Ivins is gone, Dudley and Jeri.
And our reasoning: With Dowd coming back their voices and positions were too similar.
Not everyone shares that opinion, as a number of callers have reminded me.
Posted on June 10, 2006 7:52 PM
Good choice to drop Molly. Molly is a one topic columnist, which is to bash the Bushies. If Jeb doesn't run and win in 2008, Molly will fade completely away.
Maureen, despises men (except Bill Clinton, she's got some taste) and especially, again as Molly does, George Bush. Don Imus has stated on his show that the issue with Maureen is she's been scorned by all the right men.
Posted on June 12, 2006 5:01 PM
Oh, I dunno. Ivins and Dowd wrote columns during the Clinton presidency too.
Posted on June 12, 2006 6:56 PM