New York Times discovers strange, alien species called conservatives

[Posted 3:02 PM by James Panero]

Sridhar Pappu reports in the February 2 New York Observer:

The conservative movement, which at various points has felt slighted, ignored, abused, dismissed and otherwise thoroughly adrift in coverage by New York’s "media elites," has finally found a place in The New York Times. Sort of.

For the next year, David Kirkpatrick--formerly the man charged with covering the book publishing industry--will cover conservatives. Not the Republican Party or the Bush administration. No, it’s real conservatives. . . .

"I winced a little when I read that job announcement," said Times executive editor Bill Keller, "because it was a little like ’The New York Times discovers this strange, alien species called conservatives,’ and that’s not what this is about."

If it seems a little wacky, well, it is.

Wacky? Yes. Savvy? Quite--if your editorial motivation is to slice and dice the conservative political coalition.

Here are Mr. Kirkpatrick’s latest "news" stories for the Times:

A Concerned Bloc of Republicans Wonders Whether Bush Is Conservative Enough (January 25),

Conservative Groups Differ On Bush Words on Marriage (January 21),

Bush’s Push for Marriage Falls Short for Conservatives (January 15),

Bush Plans $1.5 Billion Drive for Promotion of Marriage (January 14).

And his latest: Conservatives Use Gay Union as Rallying Cry (February 8).

Jonah Goldberg calls it an "old-time gorillas-in-the-mist vibe" (more here from Timeswatch). I’d call it an old-time big-game-safari vibe--with all the nuance of a elephant gun.

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