Ever since Robert Novak was diagnosed with a brain tumor, the OC Register has been trying out a number of hard right columnists in spite of the growing purpleness of Orange County and the paper’s readership. I’m on the record calling for them to add Paul Krugman of the New York Times as a worthy voice to the paper’s syndicated columnists.
In these trying times, wouldn’t it be good to hear from someone who’s beyond bright about economics? Well, the Nobel committee this morning validated my rationale for my pitch to the Register by naming Krugam the recipient of the Nobel Prize for Economics.
Find the story here.
From the story:
Mr. Krugman received the award for his work on international trade and economic geography. In particular, the prize committee lauded his work for “having shown the effects of economies of scale on trade patterns and on the location of economic activity.†He has developed models that explain observed patterns of trade between countries, as well as what goods are produced where and why. Traditional trade theory assumes that countries are different and will exchange different kinds of goods with each other; Mr. Krugman’s theories have explained why worldwide trade is dominated by a few countries that are similar to each other, and why some countries might import the same kinds of goods that it exports.
So whatdo you say Register? How about carrying some columns from someone who knows a lot about economics, which people seem to be intersted in these days?
Although I am not the columns editor, I might point out that we have a free-market editorial page, so we’re not likely to run a lefty economist. Our running Krugman would be similar to you — who operates a Democratic blog — to start including bloggers who were Republican partisans.
Am I wrong, or isn’t there a huge difference from a major Newspaper as compared to a blog? Really?
It’s quite sad that people have to read other major newspapers outside of where they live to get a different perspective on things. Sad actually.
Oh come on — I’m only talking about our editorial page, which is where the newspaper’s publishers get to espouse their views.
The Register a “major newspaper”?
No, it’s a failing third-rate ideological rag that can’t even do local news anymore as it cuts more and more news staff while preserving the editorial writers who are costing it readership by their increasingly out-of-touch wankery.
The Register is a top 25 circulation news daily; and Steve is right, the editorial pages reflect the views of the publisher. But both the NY Times and LA Times, top 5 papers, run columns from the left and right sides of the aisles. As a result, they generarte more readers and more letters to the editor. I have to believe if the Rehister added Paul Krugman as a regular weekly feature on the editorial pages, readership and letters would probably increase.
Every newspaper in the country, most of them with liberal editorial pages, is losing circulation for a variety of obvious reasons. Maybe “Republican dementia” is right and it is our editorial philosophy that is costing us readers. It must be these GOP positions: our opposition to the Iraq war, our support for gay marriage, our dislike of Bush and his attack on civil liberties, our support for open borders, our support for ending the drug war and legalizing drugs. Oh yeah, it must be all those right wing positions killing the circulation!
Honestly Steve; would it kill you guys to run Krugman every now and then instead of four to six conservative columnists? Will R.C. Hoiles spin in his grave if you do?
No one is arguing that you take editorial positions liberals do agree with; its the rest of the right wing crap we have to wade through to get to it. The NY Times and LA Times both run columns from Hard Core right wing nutjobs. Would it kill you to send a little lefty love our way?
Geez Dan. Don’t give Steve or his bosses any ideas. I know a
couple of folks who have dropped the Reg because of Steve, Alan,
and my favorite Op Ed wingnut Mark.
I would hope they would write a piece right now detailing
how privatizing Social Security is better.
The free market they embrace is talking. Their target market
has changed significantly. They just aren’t paying attention.
Since Matt Cunningham is criticizing two Register editorials, I have to tip my hat to Steve here. But on the subject of *syndicated* columnists, there is no reason why the paper couldn’t have a leftyvoice.
or how about teaming up with the OC weekly and have a two page insert with selected material from their paper and have some of their opinion pieces in. Think of it like how the Las Vegas review journal has an agreement with the Las Vegas Sun to make an arrangement.