Why I still sub to WaPo
The reporting is still solid, as long as you avoid the blind spots of their stable of MAGA ball washers, and even their OpEd page has some hidden gems
There are two reasons really. First, the deep reporting that they do. Like the NY Times staff reporters, the Washington Post does some outstanding deep reporting, and I enjoy reading this output.
But I mostly ignore the op-ed pages. There are a few exceptions, Max Boot and Jen Rubin are goth clear eyed, and have really been a worthy read.
And then there is the gem that is Alexandra Petri. If you do not know of her, she is a satirical genius that always brings a smile to my face. Like this paragraph:
You pull the Trump sneakers out of their shoe box with the gold tissue paper and the enormous TRUMP on the top. They are just as garish up close — indeed, more so, like a pimple in high definition. They include oversize red areas and have been designed in a confusing way, like the current legislative map of North Carolina. They look as though a lesser Midas tripped over a pair of Yeezys.
As I am wont to say, that is GOLD (pun intended).
Later in the post, she riffs this gold on the experience of actually wearing them:
This is when your phone starts to ring. “You’re being indicted,” the caller says. Your net worth, which fluctuates depending on how you are feeling on a given day, suddenly plummets. Is it possible, you briefly wonder, that you are getting net worth and self-worth confused?
“It will be fine,” you hear yourself saying, “because I am worth untold millions — or I was, until you brought me down like this.”
The indictments start pouring in, thickly, one after the next. It must be the shoes! You can’t remember being indicted all the time before the shoes.
You try to take the shoes off, but they won’t go. You struggle and push and yank at the laces, but they just pull tighter and tighter. You strain and strain and then — pop! The laces fly off.
These are not well-constructed, it turns out.
Absolutely awesome. Read it here on this Guest Link and I hope you enjoy this fun lark.
Your experience on the Post is much better if you just glance at the headlines of their stable of crackpot conservatives, Thiessen, Olsen, and Garaghty(sp?), McArdle and others for the giggles.
Also, stay away from the comments.
Did you know there are actually 2 journalists named Alexandra Petri? The humor one at the WaPo, however, is def the best. She’s excellent and her humor is totally right up my alley as well.
And when summing up the best at WaPo, don’t leave off Philip Bump! His weekly “How To Read This Chart” newsletter is great for any data nerd (raises hand!). And his normal stuff is great too.
Happy Sunday!
I like David Drehle and miss Michael Gerson. It was sad he passed away so young. Leana Wen is great, too. A godsend during Covid.
I’ve become so oblivious to Thiessen and Hewitt that I don’t even know whether they’re still there.