Wednesday, August 01, 2007

Jonathan Nicholas's first editorial?

We learned last month that longtime gossip columnist Jonathan Nicholas was going to "Try his hand at editorial writing."

You know - they guy who wrote that completely vapid column a couple times a week for years and years, the guy who always seemed like such a lightweight that there was never a good reason to actually read his column - he went to the editorial page.

I think we saw today one of his first attempts at writing big boy material. Send him back to the nursery.

The third editorial on the page today was one of the most juvenile, content free, swerve off the road to invent reasons to smear the President screeds I have ever read.

The ostensible reason for the editorial was to talk about Britian's new Prime Minister, and Bush's meeting with him. The O took that opportunity to hammer the well worn theme that Bush is a dummy:

"The two men, after all, are rather different. Brown, admitted to college at age 15, took a first at Edinburgh University, then a doctorate, before going on to teach undergraduates. Bush took advantage of Yale to explore the world of the gentleman's C. "

Wait a minute! Bush's GPA at Yale was higher than Gore's and Kerry's. But those guys are liberals, so by definition they are smarter.

From there, it got even more juvenile:

"Brown has written a number of books. Bush may have read a number of books."

Sadly, this is what qualifies at the Oregonian for legitimate political commentary. With Nicholas on the panel, we should be treated again and again to such inane nonsense.

Mysteriously, their circulation plummets.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I am so sick of The Oregonian and its Newhouse/Advance ownership in New York City. Nicholas fits in just right. He knows the style book:

Routinely apply a double standard. Repeatedly practice self-congratulation. Be snooty. Be smug. Be strident. Remember advertiser favoritism. Outright campaign in politics - make a mockery out of the press' First Amendment exemption from campaign finance law. It goes on and on.

I finally dropped home delivery a couple of months ago. It's easy enough to catch what you want at the coffee shop or online.

I feel much better about Oregon now than I did when I brought Newhouse paper pollution into my home and especially now that they don't have their ongoing subscription fee talons in me. You will too.

Anonymous said...

Oh Robert Landauer where are you?

Anonymous said...

Jonathan Nicholas?

What did you expect?

Anonymous said...

Rob - I am in a position to know this for sure:

You got it exactly right! That indeed WAS written by Nicholas! And I can tell you for sure that some of the other members of the editorial board think he is an incredible mental midget that doesn't belong.

Anonymous said...

If I ever run for office again and the O invites me to their editorial board I am going to pass. Their endorsement is the kiss of death anyway.

Dave Lister