Bob Herbert and the Subculture of the Punditocracy

In the latest Washington Monthly TA Frank has a compelling article on New York Times columnist Bob Herbert with the provocative title "Why is Bob Herbert Boring?" But rather than being a snide attack on Herbert or a snarky takedown, Frank really wants to know why Herbert (his column from today is here) isn't given a lot more credit for being among the most astute columnists working today. I started to pull excerpts, but the whole thing is so good that you really should read the whole thing, especially if the insular nature of modern punditry fascinates, confuses, or vexes you.

Tellingly enough, I saw references to this piece today on at least a couple of blogs -- Andrew Sullivan and TNR, as I recall -- and ignored it because I assumed that an article on why Bob Herbert is boring would be, well, boring. Instead Frank provides one of the most insightful pieces on the naval gazing journalistic subculture that I've read in a long time. (By the way, can you tell that I've been shopping a submission of an article to that same journalistic subculture with no luck so far? Am I really that transparent?)