Who Wants To Be The Analog To Kos At Newsweek?
Via a number of sources, Markos Moulitsas has won a column assignment at Newsweek. In a press release, the magazine announced that Markos will occasionally appear in both the print and on-line versions of the periodical as the presidential campaign rolls towards its November 2008 conclusion. Markos himself comments that he expects "heads exploding in wingnutlandia today," but also expects the conservative columnist Newsweek will hire to balance his entries to explode a few heads on his side as well.
Don't count me among the explosions. While I don't find Markos to my taste, his win is a positive step forward for the blogosphere, and I congratulate him on that. I also give high marks to Newsweek for engaging the blogosphere and opening themselves to the talent that has developed organically within it. Too many media outlets treat us as a plague instead of the consumer focus group we are -- and as a potential resource they have mostly left untapped.
Speculation has already begun on Newsweek's choice for a Rightosphere head-popper. Tom Maguire kindly recommends me for the position, but Newsweek has not contacted me, and if they plan to announce this soon, they must already have communicated with their first choices. I'm not certain that I would be a complete analog to Markos in any case. I try to expand minds, not explode heads; a proper balance would have a conservative willing to match Kos' stridency on topics, and hopefully with better arguments.
Who would make a good match for Markos at Newsweek? Who can burst open heads with tough-minded conservative rhetoric? Or should that be what we want in the soon-to-be filled position at Newsweek?
UPDATE: Danny Glover at Beltway Blogroll notes that Newsweek may have a few moments of discomfort over Markos' political fundraising. I don't really think this is an issue for a columnist, is it? They have had Sid Blumenthal do columns there, as well as Dick Morris and other political activists. They'd also have to have been deaf and blind for the past four years to have missed Kos' extensive political activism and support for Democratic candidates.
UPDATE II: Read Danny's latest post on this subject to recall the Ben Domenech saga. It has some object lessons for both sides. In the meantime, Jeff Goldstein -- who would certainly make a provocative candidate for the open slot -- has decided to focus on bunny blogging, which isn't as cute as it sounds.
Posted by Ed Morrissey on November 14, 2007 9:13 AM | Comments () | TrackBacks (3)
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