How to be a New York Times conservative

By Michelle Malkin  •  March 12, 2009 09:45 AM

In in its announcement of the hiring of Ross G. Douthat as resident conservative op-ed contributor, the New York Times makes explicit its employment critieria for any pundit to the right of Dennis Kucinich:

You must “steer away from partisanship…or doctrine.”

You must “frequently criticize Republicans.”

Show a “concern for income equality.”

And be a “squishy pro-lifer.”


Tim Graham
asks:

Would the New York Times announce it’s hired a “liberal writer” for the op-ed page and then declare they “steer away from partisanship or doctrine,” are “squishy” on a “woman’s right to choose,” and “frequently criticized Democrats”?

Posted in: New York Times

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Comments


  1. #646509
    On March 12th, 2009 at 9:48 am, NJ-Aviator said:

    Isn’t the NYTimes out of business? Not yet?

    Give it time….

  2. #646514
    On March 12th, 2009 at 9:53 am, Dave the Libertarian said:

    It’s the NYT. Surely we didn’t expect them to hire a hardcore conservative. Of course they’d hire someone who is a bit self-loathing when it comes to conservative values.

    None of this is a shock, a surprise, or even relevant in my life, as I never bother to read the NYT anyway.

  3. #646517
    On March 12th, 2009 at 9:53 am, On-my-soap-box said:

    Their feeble attempt to announce they are in support of the Fairness Debacle?

  4. #646519
    On March 12th, 2009 at 9:54 am, twofoot said:

    In other words, you must be a liberal.

  5. #646520
    On March 12th, 2009 at 9:54 am, mchristian said:

    How do you qualify to be a NYTimes conservative?

    Be sure to say, “I am a lifelong conservative and member of the Republican party, but…” before you disavow any conservative beliefs.

  6. #646523
    On March 12th, 2009 at 9:56 am, rotarymunkey said:

    “Hi, my name is Arlen Specter, and I write for the New York Times.”

  7. #646524
    On March 12th, 2009 at 9:57 am, jangar said:

    “I campaigned for McCain”

  8. #646526
    On March 12th, 2009 at 9:59 am, Bogtrotter said:

    “Isn’t the NYTimes out of business? Not yet?”

    Our tax money will be used to bail it out of financial difficulty before too long. Count on it.

  9. #646528
    On March 12th, 2009 at 9:59 am, swede said:

    Wonder how long he figures to have a job there.

    ATTENTION NYT STAFF…BRACE FOR IMPACT!!!

  10. #646531
    On March 12th, 2009 at 10:03 am, cheapseat said:

    he shouldn’t look for a ride on the corporate jet anytime soon, it’s being sold. what a career move, take a job with a morally and economically bankrupt company. let the good times roll.

  11. #646532
    On March 12th, 2009 at 10:03 am, happyscrapper said:

    I know a lot of conservatives, some of my best friends are conservatives, and that man is no conservative.

  12. #646533
    On March 12th, 2009 at 10:04 am, wighttrasch said:

    Their ’squishiest’ part is between the ears…

  13. #646534
    On March 12th, 2009 at 10:05 am, Craig said:

    If Ross G. Douthat starts moonwalking like David Brooks, the NY Times will have found their perfect new RHINO.

  14. #646536
    On March 12th, 2009 at 10:08 am, GladzKravtz said:

    swede said:
    Wonder how long he figures to have a job there.

    Wonder how long it will be before he trends left – then full tilt…?

  15. #646537
    On March 12th, 2009 at 10:08 am, PBoilermaker said:

    Is this for real?

  16. #646539
    On March 12th, 2009 at 10:10 am, swede said:

    at 10:08 am, GladzKravtz said:
    Wonder how long it will be before he trends left – then full tilt…?

    Well, he’d better do it quick!

    Welcome aboard Titanic mate! How’s your backstroke?

  17. #646546
    On March 12th, 2009 at 10:14 am, GladzKravtz said:

    Titanic

    Aren’t ya glad it has been a cold winter? :)

  18. #646550
    On March 12th, 2009 at 10:15 am, battleaxe said:

    That IS news – the NYT still thinks its relevant.

  19. #646565
    On March 12th, 2009 at 10:22 am, JHSII said:

    Sounds like a job for Bill Grant!!

    Don’t they already have a big sign on the front of the building that reads: “No Conservatives need apply” under their “Help Wanted” sign??

  20. #646567
    On March 12th, 2009 at 10:22 am, Paul said:

    If Ross G. Douthat is a conservative writer, I never heard of him. I don’t read the Atlantic, but I would think he’s show up somewhere.

    I think NYT is about to give up the ghost. If I were Douthat, I’d keep my day job.

  21. #646568
    On March 12th, 2009 at 10:22 am, Cicero said:

    “His writing steers away from partisanship — he frequently criticizes Republicans — or doctrine, showing a concern for income inequality that is usually the terrain of more liberal writers. On abortion, he said in an interview, “I’m sort of a squishy pro-lifer,” interested in finding areas of compromise. He initially favored the war in Iraq, but later opposed it.”

    Maverick.

  22. #646569
    On March 12th, 2009 at 10:26 am, WarEagle82 said:

    Michelle needs a new picture for the NYT. I wouldn’t ruin good fish wrapping it in this tired old rag…

  23. #646571
    On March 12th, 2009 at 10:28 am, John Deaux said:

    This is kind like the “lifelong Republicans” the Democrats bring out every election to endorse their candidate.

  24. #646580
    On March 12th, 2009 at 10:32 am, b-cat said:

    In other words, they want some “conservative” to write intellectual gobbledygook.

  25. #646589
    On March 12th, 2009 at 10:36 am, BlameAmericaLast said:

    This guy’s a conservative? Let’s see. He criticizes Republicans, he’s FOR income equality (redistribution of wealth), against the Iraq war, wavers on abortion.

    Tell me, what PART of this guy is conservative?

  26. #646616
    On March 12th, 2009 at 10:55 am, Old Tanker said:

    I actually thought that was a joke…..it must be a Monday somewhere

  27. #646634
    On March 12th, 2009 at 11:06 am, Misscheryl said:

    OT but important

    March 12, 2009
    Categories: White House

    FBI raids office of D.C. CTO, Obama appointee

    Federal agents this morning are searching the office Washington, D.C.’s Chief Technology Officer.

    The search is part of “an ongoing investigation,” said a spokeswoman for the FBI’s D.C. Field Office, Lindsay Gotwin, said. She declined to comment further on the raid of office, at 1 Judiciary Square.

    The outgoing Chief Technology Officer, Vivek Kundra, was appointed last week Chief Information Officer by the Obama administration…”

    Here’s the link:

    http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0309/FBI_raids_office_of_DC_CTO_Obama_appointee.html

  28. #646645
    On March 12th, 2009 at 11:09 am, tonyr951 said:

    On March 12th, 2009 at 9:48 am, NJ-Aviator said:

    Isn’t the NYTimes out of business? Not yet?

    They can always rent space in the building to Al Jazeera

  29. #646653
    On March 12th, 2009 at 11:13 am, zeroangel said:

    I think it would be fair to mention that Ross G. Douthat; the new hire; did not write the linked article.

    That is, RICHARD PÉREZ-PEÑA wrote the following:

    His writing steers away from partisanship — he frequently criticizes Republicans — or doctrine, showing a concern for income inequality that is usually the terrain of more liberal writers. On abortion, he said in an interview, “I’m sort of a squishy pro-lifer,” interested in finding areas of compromise. He initially favored the war in Iraq, but later opposed it.

    I wonder how Mr. Douthat would describe himself and if his quoted remarks are even in context.

    Sean Hannity also frequently criticizes Republicans. Also, it only says Mr. Douthat “shows a concern” for income inequality, not that he supports it outright.

  30. #646657
    On March 12th, 2009 at 11:16 am, thirteen28 said:

    Here’s a good example of Douthat’s “conservatism” – a review of a book he co-wrote.

    And here’s Douthat’s admonition as to why us mouth-breathing, knuckle-dragging, club-wielding troglodytes need intellectual guidance from elites such as himself.

    Pffft. This guy wouldn’t know conservatism is Zombie Reagan smacked him in the mouth.

  31. #646660
    On March 12th, 2009 at 11:18 am, zeroangel said:

    …oh well. Guess I spoke too soon.

  32. #646664
    On March 12th, 2009 at 11:21 am, Red State Skeptic said:

    Is there any “conservative intellectual” who didn’t get beat up as a kid? Do grade school beatdowns compel Ivy Leaguers to become Republicans? I bet you David Brooks still gets beat up. That kid from C-PAC is so lucky he is home-schooled.

  33. #646665
    On March 12th, 2009 at 11:21 am, Flyoverman said:

    What you are seeing is the NY Times death rattle.

    Is he like the token black?

  34. #646669
    On March 12th, 2009 at 11:24 am, zeroangel said:

    RSS:

    Huh? Where did that come from? Sorry, honestly (no sh|t I am not trying to be sarcastic or patronizing) I don’t get the connection.

  35. #646676
    On March 12th, 2009 at 11:26 am, Red State Skeptic said:

    You don’t think Ross G. Douthat looks like he got beat up a lot when he was 8?

  36. #646678
    On March 12th, 2009 at 11:26 am, happyscrapper said:

    On March 12th, 2009 at 10:26 am, WarEagle82 said:
    Michelle needs a new picture for the NYT. I wouldn’t ruin good fish wrapping it in this tired old rag…

    It should be made into toilet paper.

  37. #646683
    On March 12th, 2009 at 11:28 am, zeroangel said:

    RSS:

    Oh, OK, you are basing it on the way he looks. Yah, I guess he is kind of dorky looking.

    I thought there was a more complex joke I was missing out on. Mah bad.

  38. #646685
    On March 12th, 2009 at 11:28 am, Misscheryl said:

    zeroangel said:
    RSS:

    Huh? Where did that come from? Sorry, honestly (no sh|t I am not trying to be sarcastic or patronizing) I don’t get the connection.

    Oh, not to worry, RSS is just be his intellectually superior self…we aren’t supposed to understand.

  39. #646688
    On March 12th, 2009 at 11:30 am, happyscrapper said:

    Oh, not to worry, RSS is just be(ing) his intellectually superior self…we aren’t supposed to understand.

    Looks like you have him pegged quite well!

  40. #646690
    On March 12th, 2009 at 11:31 am, zeroangel said:

    Funny, I’ve been accused of similar things.

  41. #646699
    On March 12th, 2009 at 11:35 am, single stack said:

    He’s conservative in the same way that John McCain and his idiot daughter are conservative-progressive Republicans. (her self description)

  42. #646710
    On March 12th, 2009 at 11:39 am, Red State Skeptic said:

    I thought there was a more complex joke I was missing out on. Mah bad.

    Well, where I’m from, just about everyone is “born Republican,” but when I went to school up nauth, it seemed like the only people who were Republicans were either born again Christians or people who were the least popular and seemed like they had an axe to grind for never being accepted.

    Me: “So how bout that Lewinsky scandal!”

    Unpopular college Republican: “Well if you ask me, I’m madder about Bill Clinton for taking credit for welfare reform when it was the Republican Congress that made it happen, and he just conceded to get reelected.”

    Me: “Totally. Talk to you later.”

  43. #646723
    On March 12th, 2009 at 11:43 am, zeroangel said:

    RSS:

    Sounds like you only got a chance to talk to people that DID have an axe to grind.

    Most sensible people in my experience (from either side of the isle) tend to step gently around politics in polite conversation.

  44. #646731
    On March 12th, 2009 at 11:47 am, happyscrapper said:

    On March 12th, 2009 at 11:31 am, zeroangel said:
    Funny, I’ve been accused of similar things.

    Also true. Ha!

  45. #646733
    On March 12th, 2009 at 11:49 am, zeroangel said:

    happyscrapper:

    True that I have been accused; true that I am intellectually superior; or true that you don’t understand? *smile*

  46. #646735
    On March 12th, 2009 at 11:50 am, pabarge said:

    Good grief. The guy describes himself as a squish. Just look at his picture.

    When will the NYT go bankrupt?

  47. #646747
    On March 12th, 2009 at 11:57 am, happyscrapper said:

    On March 12th, 2009 at 11:49 am, zeroangel said:
    happyscrapper:

    True that I have been accused; true that I am intellectually superior; or true that you don’t understand? *smile*

    Good one, Zero! At times, you actually ARE intellectually superior. Most of the time, however, not so much.

  48. #646749
    On March 12th, 2009 at 11:58 am, Red State Skeptic said:

    Most sensible people in my experience (from either side of the isle) tend to step gently around politics in polite conversation.

    I don’t know anyone who wasn’t talking about Monica Lewinsky, Democrats or Republicans.

  49. #646759
    On March 12th, 2009 at 12:04 pm, zeroangel said:

    RSS:

    I’m not saying that. What I am saying is that I think people; (for the most part) that aren’t fanatical about their party affiliation; will generally refrain from making the type of obviously partisan comment as you posted in effort to avoid an uncomfortable argument about politics in everyday conversation.

    happyscrapper:

    Thank you, I think. *smile*

  50. #646803
    On March 12th, 2009 at 12:34 pm, happyscrapper said:

    happyscrapper:

    Thank you, I think. *smile*

    Well, I think I am generally nice to those on these threads who are on the right side of the issues, even those (like yourself) who are, at times, “full of themselves”. I do, however, say what I think and sometimes that is in opposition to some of the most right-on posters here! I think by now they know I am not very PC…and can sometimes be less than tactful, but I save my nastiness for the idiot trolls who actually deserve it.

  51. #646868
    On March 12th, 2009 at 1:06 pm, txvet2 said:

    On March 12th, 2009 at 11:58 am, Red State Skeptic said:

    I don’t know anyone who wasn’t talking about Monica Lewinsky, Democrats or Republicans.

    Ummmm, yeah, the Democrats were trying to pretend that all of the allegations against the Clintons and their administration were “just about sex”, and kept screaming “Lewinsky” at the tops of their voices to keep people from looking at Chinese fundraising, Waco, and a host of other illegal, improper, or downright immoral activities. From your above post, it would appear that the college Republican you described had an IQ and grasp of important issues around 100 points higher than what you demonstrate.

  52. #646954
    On March 12th, 2009 at 1:47 pm, zeroangel said:

    happyscrapper:

    even those (like yourself) who are, at times, “full of themselves”.

    Full of myself, moi? You mean how I say what I think and don’t always pull punches?

    I do, however, say what I think…I think by now they know I am not very PC…and can sometimes be less than tactful,

    Say it ain’t so, happy! Say it ain’t so! *wink*

  53. #646963
    On March 12th, 2009 at 1:52 pm, happyscrapper said:

    Full of myself, moi? You mean how I say what I think and don’t always pull punches?

    Yeah, like Rush Limbaugh…so I guess you can’t be all bad!

  54. #646977
    On March 12th, 2009 at 2:03 pm, zeroangel said:

    happyscrapper:

    Or, presumably, like you yourself admit doing? (second quote in #52)

  55. #647019
    On March 12th, 2009 at 2:24 pm, Papa Louie said:

    His writing steers away from partisanship — he frequently criticizes Republicans — or doctrine, showing a concern for income inequality that is usually the terrain of more liberal writers. On abortion, he said in an interview, “I’m sort of a squishy pro-lifer,” interested in finding areas of compromise. He initially favored the war in Iraq, but later opposed it.

    Ross may be a Republican [RINO], but conservative he is not! Does the NYT really not know the difference?

  56. #647029
    On March 12th, 2009 at 2:29 pm, happyscrapper said:

    On March 12th, 2009 at 2:03 pm, zeroangel said:
    happyscrapper:

    Or, presumably, like you yourself admit doing? (second quote in #52)

    Well, there ya go! We’re not so different, you and I! But I still find the issue of legalizing drugs boring.

  57. #647034
    On March 12th, 2009 at 2:32 pm, zeroangel said:

    happyscrapper:

    But I still find the issue of legalizing drugs boring.

    Perhaps you never got ahold of really good drugs? In any case, it can’t be that boring since you brought it up again.

    We can totally hi-jack this thread if you like. *grin*

  58. #647073
    On March 12th, 2009 at 2:47 pm, happyscrapper said:

    We can totally hi-jack this thread if you like. *grin*

    Ha! Thanks, but no thanks! My pot-smoking days are far far behind me! Like in the 60’s, man. Peace out.

  59. #647091
    On March 12th, 2009 at 2:57 pm, zeroangel said:

    happyscrapper:

    Same here, not even smoking or drinking for me (well OK, the occasional drink). Thankfully big brother doesn’t restrict my freedoms at gun point when it comes to the drugs of their choosing.

  60. #647127
    On March 12th, 2009 at 3:30 pm, CO2 Producer said:

    Back OT (that stands for “on topic,” but I was too lazy to write that phrase)—hiring Douthat will bring in much new readership, I am absolutely sure. I’m willing to bet Sulzberger’s paper on it.

  61. #647259
    On March 12th, 2009 at 5:28 pm, Pasadena Phil said:

    In other words, they are looking for a conventional RINO like Michael Steele.

  62. #647777
    On March 13th, 2009 at 12:24 pm, EWTHeckman said:

    Papa Louie wrote:

    Ross may be a Republican [RINO], but conservative he is not! Does the NYT really not know the difference?

    Based on what I’ve seen of the Times, he’s so far to the right of them that consider him to be a right-wing fanatic. So no, they don’t know the difference. And if there actually is anyone there that knows the difference, they probably view this guy as their strawman conservative.

  63. #647922
    On March 13th, 2009 at 2:38 pm, Marc said:

    To be an acceptable NY Times columnist, here are the most important terms and conditions:
    1) First and foremost, you must be “ashamed of Israel” as Roger Cohen bragged last week.
    2) You must be in favor of a full Israeli withdrawal back to the 1948 armistice lines and blame the failure of peace solely on Israel’s alleged misconduct (Kristof, Cohen and Dowd make this charge about three times a month)
    3) You must be sycophantic when discussing Islam (Cohen said how happy he was when Obama mentioned Islam before Judaism in the inauguration speech) and preferably you should have “studied” in the Arab world where you gained a full uderstanding of “Muslim grievances”). Kristof recently bragged that he learned Arabic while studying in Cairo and he therefore has an affinity for the Islamic world.
    4) You must have a hatred of G.W. Bush based primarily on W’s support for Israel and you must treat Israel as a naughty child who need Ivy League supervision.
    5) You must be utterly predictable and write the same column week in and week out. Cohen recently rewrote the same hit piece on Israel that he wrote a month earlier for the NY Review of Books.
    7) You must be a terrible snob.

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