Wednesday, March 11, 2009

That's One Fewer Baseblogger For Man ...

Ross Douthat is headed to the Times. Obviously he a giant step up from Bill Kristol. Douthat's usual posture is one of being an interested heterodox conservative trying to turn the GOP into a sort of Christian Democrat-lite party, which actually provides some sort of financial support for the nuclear family structure that seems to be at the root of a lot of conservative activism. However, this is coupled with a penchant for veering into the an alternative universe wherein it's affront for taxpayer dollars to go to a non-profit that performs any abortions whatsoever, and where the "compromises" to reduce the number of abortions involve enacting legislative and logistical barriers that minimize access to safe abortion clinics. And then of course you can wash it all down with a shot of life-begins-at-conception. Like I said, progress over Bill Kristol. But as Lindsay observes the news is getting very different reactions depending on whether or not the writer has a Y chromosome. See Kevin Drum for another mixed take.

Even worse, unless the Times igoing to have Douthat keep a blog as well, his loss means one fewer baseball fan, putting the treacherous forces of basketblogging are on the march. To the barricades!

Though, does the New York Times (which, it should be said, steadfastly ignores the Mets in favor of more Yankee boosterism) know that Douthat is a lifelong Red Sox fan? Perhaps we can derail his new job offer through other means ...

4 comments:

drip said...

Maybe Douhat knows that The Times is part owner of the Sox (10%, I think) though they may be trying to sell to raise cash. It also owns The Boston Globe which must make for some interesting conflict discussions. Oh wait, it's The Times -- no such problem.

Nick Beaudrot said...

Wow. That's cause for a blogger ethics panel.

Anonymous said...

He'll continue to blog. That's part of the deal.

Nick Beaudrot said...

Yes, but will they let him post random musings about Major League baseball? Or will it be limited to asides in his columns and more substantive posts (see Will, George).