Here's A Very Good Rule Of Thumb

Some Candidates Need To Say Provocative Things That Make Noise To Break Through The Media Muffle And Get Themselves Noticed.

The United States Established Itself As A Trustworthy New Nation In Its First Two Decades After The Revolutionary War By Paying Its Debts, Even When Many In The Country Believed It Had No Obligation To Do So. Alexander Hamilton, The Founder Of This Newspaper, Insisted On It.

Obama Is Talking To Voters As Though He Is Their Boss, Or Their Principal, Or Their Father. He Is Not Any Of Those Things. He Is Their Employee. And Employers Don't Like It When Their Employees Yell At Them - Even If Their Employees Have It Right.

I Think Making A Pretense Of Civility Toward Eric Alterman Is Like Making A Pretense Of Civility To A Scorpion.

The Classic Rule Of Thumb Is That If You Are An Intellectual Ideological Magazine, You Do Better In Opposition Than You Do If Your Views Are Reflected By People In Power.