The New York-Washington Media Bubble
Posted by Tom Elia
The New Editor
Watching MSNBC's Hardball, I just did a double-take when guest host Andrea Mitchell asked New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd where she thought "the American people were" with regard to the Bush Administration and the NSA domestic surveillance story.
Forgive me for asking, but what the hell does Maureen Dowd, or for that matter, other New York Times columnists like Paul Krugman, Bob Herbert, or Frank Rich, know about what the American mainstream is thinking?
Folks like Dowd, Krugman, Herbert, Rich and the New York Times editorial board are so far removed from the mainstream of American political thought that only a Beltway insider could possibly be unaware of the disconnect.
You want to ask Maureen Dowd where she stands on an issue? Fine, but asking Maureen Dowd, editorial page editor Gail Collins, or most other New York Times staffers "where the American people" stand on any issue is a little like asking Jerry Falwell where the American public stands on the controversy over Christmas, or Michael Moore where the American public stands on Halliburton.
Would you really expect an accurate assessment from either of those two figures on two such issues? How out of touch with the American public could one be?
Honestly, if you asked Dick Butkus where the average NFL fan stood on the issue of tightening the definition for roughing the passer, you'd get a more accurate assessment...
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