1. I think one mistake people are making is thinking that the Atlantic is a liberal magazine. It's not. It's a centrist one. Which actually was a big factor in why Williamson proved to be a problem.
-
-
6. The problem for Atlantic & NY Times op ed is they are centrist publications in era where center is increasingly irrelevant & wilder, non-consensus opinions are gaining salience.
Show this thread -
7. Institutionally & tonally, Atlantic is geared towards consensus world of "reasonable discourse." But that's not American politics in age of Trump, where tribalism & blunt demands are dominant voice.
Show this thread -
8. One way elite pubs try to thread the needle is to subsume all Never Trump conservatives into category of "reasonable." Which explains why Williamson got hired by Atlantic despite batshit sensibility.
Show this thread -
9. Elevating Never Trump conservatives is I think the wrong approach since they really are fringe in their own movement & don't tell us much about where conservatism is.
Show this thread -
10. Of elite centrist publications, I think the one that does best at capturing current moment is Washington Post, which really does try to represent in opinion pages wider & fraying spectrum of American opinion
Show this thread -
11. I mean Post has
@ebruenig (a rare socialist voice in USA press) & smart Trumpists (Gary Abernathy) as well as many others. It's a more accurate representation of where things stand right now.Show this thread -
12. For Atlantic, there are two possible paths. They could continue to go with centrist conservatives & centrists (Frum,
@CaitlanAtlantic,@conor64, Jonathan Rauch). Try to create on paper the responsible consensus that no longer exists in reality.Show this thread -
13. The other option is to embrace the authentic American Berserk, "in the destructive element immerse." Try to hire writers who capture the bananapants whackiness of the moment.
Show this thread -
14. What would an "American Berserk" editorial policy look like? Hire Williamson back but also get a Valarie Solanas style feminist advocating SCUM manifesto agenda (i.e. killing all men)
Show this thread -
15. Let's rename The Atlantic Monthly "The American Berserk." Get
@herandrews to argue against woman's suffrage, get Judith Butler to argue for the eradication of gender, get Andrew Bacevich to advocate for the end of American hegemony.Show this thread
End of conversation
New conversation -
Loading seems to be taking a while.
Twitter may be over capacity or experiencing a momentary hiccup. Try again or visit Twitter Status for more information.