One down, a whole lot of newspapers to go

August 30, 2005

David Stoeffler took over as editor of the Arizona Daily Star a couple of months ago, and to his credit, one of his first major decisions was to throw out the trash.

[W]e’ve decided that syndicated columnist Ann Coulter has worn out her welcome. Many readers find her shrill, bombastic and mean-spirited. And those are the words used by readers who identified themselves as conservatives.

This isn’t an example of a newspaper replacing a conservative columnist with a liberal one. Taking Coulter’s place will be Fox News’ Tony Snow, a former speechwriter for George H.W. Bush.

Regardless, one can only hope this is a sign of things to come. Ezra described perfectly the circumstances that may force Coulter from a variety of op-ed pages.

A few months ago she was on Time’s cover, now she’s kicked off a Western regional’s op-ed page. This, of course, should be expected. Coulter, and others like her, are the red bull and vodka of political pundits. First time you see her she makes you feel weird, but good. Second and third times, there’s still novelty, but you’re a bit surprised by how strong she is. Give her a couple more chances and you love her — there’s never been a columnist this awesome! You could read her forever!

The next morning, you wake up blinded, aching, hating yourself. Just knowing that you indulged in Ann hurls (sorry, bad word choice) you into a pit of self-loathing. More to the point, you hate her for making you feel that way. The Time cover was the peak — politics was drunk on partisanship. But that was just the election afterparty, we were all feeling a bit loopy. Her ejection from the op-ed page is the inevitable next step. She makes us all feel sick, and we want her out of our lives forever.

I’m not saying Coulter doesn’t have a right to spew dishonest nonsense; she does. I am saying there’s no reason for newspaper editors to pay generously to give her a megaphone.

Here’s to hoping the Arizona Daily Star is the first of many.

Would it make any difference if there was some kind of letter writing campaign to the Universal Press Syndicate? As this been before?

  • The Arizona Daily Star isn’t the first. The Centre Daily Times in Pennsylvania bounced Coulter a year or so ago, for the same reasons. Clearly, they were ahead of their time. I do think unease is taking hold, if only a little, with that sort of viciousness. Some folks are beginning to suspect that the people they thought were the cool kids, based on their snarlingly aggressive claim to being so, may have been playing them for fools.

  • Another piece of this “unease” was the demise of CNN’s “Crossfire”. I don’t think anyone was particularly offended by Begala (or even the LA madman), but Tucker’s shrieking and Novak’s snarling were really getting predictable … death in that medium. Same with “Capitol Gang” – the liberals usually had something thoughtful (i.e., not predictable) to say; Novak and O’Beirne, on the other hand, never had anything new to say. Dr. Laura’s hit hard times as well. Who knows? maybe someday even the “Big Fat Idiot” drughead will lose his appeal.

  • Here’s something I just read (from the Cincinnati Enquirer):

    Rush Limbaugh’s radio audience was down 25 percent from a year ago in Chicago, off 19 percent in Los Angeles and off 23 percent in Washington, D.C., in the March-through-June ratings. He held firm in Nashville, Tenn., and Huntington, W. Va., but was off by 42 percent in Green Bay, Wis., according to a sampling of ratings supplied by Arbitron Inc.

    Conservative compatriot Sean Hannity’s audience dwindled by 18 percent in Huntington, 36 percent in Chicago and 23 percent in Washington.

  • #2 Mark – There seem to be 2 of us with the same first name. Do you have any suggestions as to how we could differentiate ourselves. Anything but Mark # 1 and Mark # 2 would work for me.

  • From this day forward I shall be know as marcus alrealius alrightus

    Peace, love and all that other hippy stuff.

    marcus alrealius alrightus
    aka Mark

  • Yeah, but which one are you? Mark or
    Mark?

    Or is this a puzzle where I should be
    able to deduce it?

  • Hey!

    Let’s not lose sight of what’s happening.
    The new “Queen of Mean,” Ann Coulter,
    may be on her way down. And so, too,
    the rest of them.

  • Remember when that idiot said something inappropriate and mean and the nice old lady said, “Oh honey, never mind him, he’s just an old kook.” That’s Annie Coulter, never mind him.

  • hark – The Mark in comment #2 is the intelligent one, even though he rarley comments his posts are usually pretty good. I’m the one from number #6 who comments more frequently but doesn’t have as good of things to say but now I have a cooler name.

  • Marcus – hey, thanks for the info, and don’t
    put yourself down! I never met a comment
    on this site that I didn’t like. Even a couple
    of that troller, Nate’s, yesterday, made me
    think.

    I am just so impressed with the people
    here who share in the dialogue, and I
    know that there are many others out
    there, observing, but a little reticent
    about joining the discussions. Jump
    in! Join the revolution of thoughtful
    people who have something to contribute
    to this battle against ignorance and arrogance
    and power and hubris, and want to return
    this country to its destiny.

    We need everybody. We really do. Our
    leaders have let us down. We need to
    rise up from the trenches and restore
    this nation to the ideals we all cherish.
    Our leaders won’t do it, unless we demand
    it.

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