Rich's trenchant but spectacularly ill-timed opinion piece in today's NY Times might be subtitled, "Why We've Already Lost (Though I Still Have My Job)". While I am often first in line praising Rich's work, there are times when I feel it's necessary to step back and take the longer view.
As a professional actress, my take on Rich's writing goes back to his days as a drama critic, when he was perfectly willing to help close shows and destroy actors' and/or directors' careers, as he dished up his well-written barbs. As bright and thoughtful as he is (and as often right, as well) in his present position he remains what he was then, a Critic. At the risk of being flippant, this description of the work of a Critic seems apt:
In many ways, the work of a critic is easy. We risk very little, yet enjoy a position over those who offer up their work and their selves to our judgment. We thrive on negative criticism, which is fun to write and to read.
To most people, the fate of theater artists at the hand of a Critic don't matter much. But the results of an election, and the potential changing of hands of the party in power in these terrible times, matters very much indeed. In these days of Citizens United, when the media isn't providing much of a bulwark against the barrels of cash flowing to the GOP, a Critic needs to figure out where the damage he's so good at inflicting can do the most good. A Critic needs to consider the effect of his work very carefully in such a case.
Rich's column follows the pattern of much of the punditry in the current election cycle: offer mild, somewhat dismissive praise for the work of the Administration in the past two years, then follow it up with much stronger, more forceful criticism (often borrowing Republican memes to do so). For most of the past two years, such often well-deserved criticism was welcome and necessary. But in the ten days leading up to an election which offers a large number of races that are virtually tied, it's both foolish and dangerous. The goal for Democrats has to be to exhort everyone to get to the polls, to display some of the party discipline that our adversaries are fabled for, and prevent a calamitous outcome.
Using his bully pulpit, the Critic Rich has the opportunity to persuade Democratic voters to prevent the House from falling into the hands of far worse people than even the most disappointing of Dems. Handing the gavel to Boehner (and perhaps even McConnell) will not result in more punishment for the tricksters who grabbed the money and ran; it will result in more rewards for those same people. The unemployment, foreclosures, and economic suffering that ails a large part of the middle class in this country, that Rich bemoans in his column, will not be cured by a Republican Congress. They will be increased exponentially. And, of course, the number of dangerous, insane candidates that actually stand a chance of winning is beyond terrifying.
As a Critic, Rich needs to step back from his enjoyment of skewering others and recognize his larger responsibility. He can return to holding the Dems responsible for their failure to punish the wrongdoers in the financial industry the day after the election. But for now, he has to rise above his pleasure at being a Critic, and try to serve the larger good.