Comments on: Now For Something Completely Different

By: Gordianus

Gordianus — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 04:42:46 +0000

An excellent choice that they would never, under any circumstances, hire is Paul Mulshine of the Newark Star Ledger. He is fiercely anti-neocon and a very good language stylist. This fellow needs a national forum.

By: Daniel Larison

Daniel Larison — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 20:38:53 +0000

Bacevich would be an outstanding choice. I can actually imagine them offering the position to him. No idea whether he would be interested in it, but that would be an inspired move.

By: srv

srv — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 20:02:52 +0000

Actually, too late, John Cole wants Bacevich now.

By: Aziz Poonawalla

Aziz Poonawalla — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 17:15:07 +0000

I think a solid choice would be Joshua Trevino. I lay out the full case in detail in a big post at City of Brass. Yes, Josh is a friend of mine, but I think a case can be made on the merits and it is quite compelling.

By: Gordianus

Gordianus — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 02:16:19 +0000

As you say, they will never ask. My guess is that the Times would like someone along the lines of George Will. Times subscribers would find him respectable and establishment enough to feel comfortable reading him and feeling good about themselves for doing so. So who is a young, middlebrow George Will? Who cares?

By: Grumpy Old Man

Grumpy Old Man — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 00:35:08 +0000

You’d have to learn to write in Middlebrow.

By: Daniel Larison

Daniel Larison — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 00:20:06 +0000

I don’t know that I would find it horrifying, but it simply isn’t going to happen. I am flattered that my name would come to anyone’s mind for the position, but I don’t think it would ever occur to people at NYT.

By: ambignostic

ambignostic — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 23:34:34 +0000

Lapsed Republican John Cole came to the same conclusion back in November.

If you want a serious answer: Larison, Larison, Larison.

By: James Kabala

James Kabala — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 23:31:24 +0000

It didn’t take long (comment #3, in fact) before someone in this thread made a suggestion you might find interesting (or, more likely, horrifying):

http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2009/01/desperately_seeking_conservati.html

Several later commenters second the idea!