50 best conservative columnists?
Here’s John Hawkins’ list.
I like Steyn, who came in #1, but I prefer Sowell, who was #3. I’ve never even heard of some of the other high-up’s, and what in heaven’s name is Dick Morris doing at #14, or anywhere on the list? Andrew McCarthy, #30, is one of my very favorite writers, a keen analytical mind and a courageous one as well. I would have placed him much, much higher.
But the list reminds me how much depth there is on the conservative bench in terms of writers. It’s too bad most of the people reading them are conservatives, too. If I were to show the list to my liberal friends, how many of them would they have ever even heard about? At the most, probably only Coulter and Malkin (whom they’d hate), Krauthammer, and Morris.
No Jean Kaufman on this list. I cry foul!!
What kaba said. Definitely in the top 50.
I’d also include Rush in the top 10, even though he’s radio. The transcripts of his shows alone qualify him, IMO.
kaba, carl in atlanta:
Thanks!!!
And on second look he also failed to include Richard Fernandez at the Belmont Club. Really??
kaba:
I think Hawkins limited himself to newspaper columnists rather than bloggers or online columnists/bloggers such as Fernandez.
Ooh! Libs hate women! (See Coulter and Malkin, and forget not Sarah Palin.)
Prof. (The Puppy Blender) Reynolds mid-pack–well, he’s a Libertarian.
Most of them I don’t know.
Larry Elder…Dick Morris…and various others BEFORE Andy McCarthy?? Dr.Krauthammer belongs near the very top. Annie Coulter before Krauthammer, for Gawdsakes??
And, where, pray tell, is Jean The Neocon Kaufman? Dr.Jacobson belongs there, but I guess his wonderful blog rather than a “column” nixed him.
Walter Russell Mead criticizes the “Blue Model” consistently & eloquently, but I think he’d balk at being called conservative, if only that it would “out” him in academia. That said, he’s one of my favorite columnists.
But, no George Will? Hello? I don’t read him as often as I used to, when he was one of the few prominent conservative voices in media, but he IS a columnist for the Washington Post, has a Pulitzer Price, was on ABC for decades and, the impact of the Obama presidency seems to have made him much more sympathetic to libertarian thought.
Judith,
I’m with you on Mead. He gives real insight into foreign affairs, which is often lacking in other writers. Also, he comes across as someone who has really thought about issues and not as someone looking for gottcha points.
Judith: Amen on George Will. He’s happily moved over to Fox News and, these days, is often part of ‘The Round Table’ on the Brett Baer 6pm news. He and his longtime close friend and baseball buddy, Krauthammer, are awesome when tag-teaming with poor Juan Williams looking shell shocked. (-:
Neo, may I suggest an addition to your reading list whom I see as a very incisive conservative columnist? http://www.americanthinker.com/victor_volsky/
If shown this list moderates and liberals would be asking where’s Kathleen Parker or Andrew Sullivan? Ridiculous, especially Sullivan, but he’s often still identified as a conservative by the MSM.
This sort of leads to the question, who are the best liberal columnists? Is there anyone today with the stature of Walter Lippmann or James Reston? Don’t think so.
Someone give Bill Whittle a newspaper column so he can take his rightful place in the top five.
Why isn’t Krauthammer #1?