Today on the Dish, Andrew mixed it up with some readers over the freedom of speech in private media, called out smear-mongerers who cry pedophile, admired the literate rant of a Times restaurant review, and anything-but-admired Dick Morris the self-professed propagandist.
In political coverage, we rounded up reactions to Obama’s presser, Nate Cohn explored the black voter effect on this and future elections, Razib Khan noted that Asian-Americans are trending left, and Steven Malanga reminded the GOP that class, not race, was the main reason Hispanics don’t support them. An argument along those lines earned Congressman Trey Gowdy an Yglesias as well. Massie explained how the decency of supporting marriage equality paid off with straight voters, Jonathan Bernstein broke down the chances for tax reform, and Douthat recommended that any Republicans with an eye on 2016 get their act together fast. Also, with the fiscal cliff looming, Neil Irwin worried about how the market would react if we fell.
Much of today’s best posts belonged to readers: an Iraq vet shared his personal experience with the cult of Petraeus, another offered some apt analysis of Obama’s approach to big generals, and another considered the effect of overloading today’s servicemembers with medals and ribbons. A reader also noted last week’s wide gains for progressive Coloradans while others offered myriad views on Texas’ future as a swing state. Speaking of Texas, Paul Burka profiled “the most important thing that happened on election night” down in San Antonio. In continuing cannabis coverage, Yglesias raised the price of legal weed while Kleiman and Waldman wondered about its law and new order.
In international coverage, we went through reactions to, and the IDF tweeting of, the growing violence in Gaza, Christopher Dickey checked in on the uprising in Jordan, Ryan Avent anticipated the geopolitical impacts of a shifting oil market, and Christopher de Bellaigue argued that our sanctions on Iran would remain ineffective. Some readers pushed back on the idea that it was any less dangerous for gays in Uganda.
In assorted coverage, David Remnick pushed Obama to act on climate change, something that surely helped Sandy make 2012 a banner year for natural disasters. David Simon severed political greatness from sexual fidelity and Mary Beard found it hard to recognize the politics described by Cicero. Ian Leslie highlighted the productive mental difficulty of handwriting, Josh Wallaert lamented the declining shareability of online images, Christopher Mims decried ridiculous tech patents, ESPN outranked all other media properties, and we investigated the geography and possible solution to illegally-downloaded music. Archived Andrew excoriated the publishing industry while Lindsey Graham looked indignant in our FOTD. We took a geometric journey in our MHB and gazed at Philly brick in our VFYW.
– C.D.
(Photo: Palestinian medics carry a wounded baby into the al-shifa hospital in Gaza City following an Israeli air strike on November 14, 2012. By Mahmud Hams/AFP/Getty Images)
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