Village Idiots Redux
Atrios points out the most recent fellating of Matt Drudge by Mark Halperin in Time. Although I hate like hell to give Halperin the hits, I commend the piece to you for its sheer vacuity, its ur-stupidity, its breathless, infantile admiration for the "Eggman:"
During the electoral endgame, Drudge’s vast influence becomes even greater. Editors, anchors, executive producers, reporters, and campaigns are instantly aware when Drudge posts something political. And with just days to go before the voting — with everyone so busy, so tired, so manic, and so vulnerable — political and media actors are more easily turned chasing in whatever direction Drudge points them. Or, more specifically, in whatever direction Drudge’s spoon-feeding sources point them.
This, my friends, is the sound of one hand typing (seemingly with pants around ankles).
And this is what passes for political reporting in the village. Shameless log rolling extolling the influence of a worthless fedora wearing fuck in return for who knows what.
It is politics and journalism as a game, something lighter than air and without consequences, a series of tactics and grudges, and a shining example of why people hold the MSM in contempt and are increasingly tuning it out.
Then there's sportswriting, which really IS about nothing important. Yet the quality is higher. Show me one political pundit who's both as good as Michael Wilbon, and as respected.
Posted by: low-tech cyclist | December 20, 2007 at 05:35 PM
Yet another of very many reasons for every thinking person to abandon "Time". From Stengelgate to the (most recent) JKlein fiasco, this is not a publication that we should even be talking about, much less reading.
Posted by: RichH | December 20, 2007 at 06:58 PM
Rich,
I'm in total agreement with you regarding Time. And Joe Klein is a veritable font of substance compared to Halperin which is damning by faint praise indeed.
Posted by: Sir Charles | December 20, 2007 at 07:59 PM