Curious: For the past month, books about presidents (Being George Washington, Killing Lincoln and Jack Kennedy) by pundits (Glenn Beck, Bill O'Reilly and Chris Matthews respectively) have occupied three of the top five slots in the New York Times' nonfiction bestseller list.
As the great probability theorist Pierre de Fermat might have said, "Once is happenstance, twice is coincidence, but three times is a think piece."
So let's turn that fact into meaning. Perhaps a Big Idea:
The American people are yearning for real leaders.
Advantages: No need to read the books or talk to anyone; I could use the greatness cudgel to knock about Barack Obama for claiming that his legislative accomplishments rival the best presidents', perhaps deploying the You're-No-Dead-Icon diss engine; I could use the greatness cudgel to bash Newt Gingrich for evoking Lincoln in defense of exterminating judges who make Newtonally incorrect decisions, perhaps pointing out that Lincoln never left his wife even though she was bad crazy.
Disadvantage: So boring I can't even finish this sen
Alternatively, I could selectively cite the books as evidence to support my whatever-winged agenda:
Our greatest presidents were beset by critics in their time, just like Obama is now.
Advantages: Heavy quote-lifting reduces original thought workload; Obama apple-polishing pays off in cushy government job, maybe even a czarship.
Disadvantage: Would have to read books.
(MORE: Doyle: The Siri Scandal That Wasn't)
Or:
Our greatest presidents differed from Obama in some fundamental way, proving that he sucks.
Advantage: Zeitgeisty.
Disadvantage: Might increase sales of books.
Or:
The sad decline of journalism today is best exemplified by comparing the eminent scribes who covered Washington, Lincoln and Kennedy in their day to these television yelling heads........
Read more: http://ideas.time.com/2011/12/27/of-presidents-and-pundits/#ixzz1iIULpfZQ
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