Usually I let crap in the Washington Post slide off me, but today's column by David Broder got under my skin enough that I had to write him a response. These swelled heads like Broder are human beings, they do have feelings, they want to be liked!,so a letter just might hit their vulnerable spot.
If you feel the same, drop him a line at davidbroder@washpost.com.
My letter, for what it's worth, is below.
Dear Mr. Broder,
Given your status as a media voice with experience and wisdom, I was very upset by this column, especially the last sentence. When you say "The lady is good" I believe you should have said "The lady’s political instincts are good." That is far different from what you have written. From your column I have to assume that you wouldn’t mind having Palin as President. The thought scares the daylights out of me, because she is the opposite of the careful, thoughtful leader that this country needs, whether Republican or Democrat.
I also believe that most American voters don’t appreciate sarcasm and nasty digs, which is what I heard in her speech in Nashville, where she made fun of President Obama for being a "professor" who could make inspired speeches, and asked how’s that hopey changey thing going for him. Her audience (all 600 of them) loved it; I don’t think the broader public does.
Yes, a whole 600 people attended that conference in Nashville. Wow, that’s a mass movement. You could get 600 people together for pretty much any issue in this country if it got the media attention that the Tea Party gets, even without Fox News promoting it 24/7.
Yes, I understand that Palin and the Tea Party cannot be ignored. But you and the rest of the media give them extraordinary attention, far beyond what they deserve. If this were a left-liberal group, they would get zero, absolutely zero attention from the national media.
I think you should take a long look in the mirror and ask yourself if you are serving the interests of a free, balanced, fair press in this country. I read your column out of habit, the Post is my local paper, but I am ashamed and sad by so much of what I read, and I hope that many readers shrug it off as writers filling space and not making sense. And these days, the thought of the demise of the Post doesn’t particularly bother me.
With sorrow,
XXX