Chai's Analysis

Maureen Dowd

In 2004, I was sitting in a car, waiting for the clock to display "2:00." I wanted to get back home since my anxiety with driving on the freeway was starting to take over my life. I sat in my car patiently, getting bored with the radio hip-hop and pop. I didn't bring any CDs and did not own an iPod (and still don't). And, very unlike me, I didn't have a book or magazine to read.

I finally found the NPR station on the radio dial. Diane Rehm was interviewing a woman I had never heard of- Maureen Dowd. Ms. Dowd had just released a book, Bushworld, and was out doing the publicity stunts for it. While being interviewed by Ms. Rehm, Ms. Dowd had such a soft demeanor, she was even asked if she was shy. Ms. Dowd answered in the positive. And, yet, she had this quick wit and often cynical view of the world that catered to my needs right then and there. I felt a strong connection to her work and her attitude about the people who rule this world, particularly the disgust of W.

After the interview, I wanted to read all of Ms. Dowd's columns. I didn't discover the joy of New York Times until that interview. I had been such a Washington Post lady, I wouldn't dare to venture to a new online site that gave me the same news, with different writers. From time to time, I would find Ms. Dowd's column and read it. And then NYT decided to go "Time Select" and I was cut off from reading her words. In some ways, that may have been a blessing.

In the past several months, I have found Ms. Dowd's attitude about our democratic process, the people running for president demeaning and juvenile. I miss her days of critically thinking through America's problems and writing in a manner that teased with our minds. And I also miss her writing that dealt with the actual Bush administration, along with the world events. It is as if NYT editors have pegged her to only write about the Hillary Clinton factor and how much Ms. Dowd hates her. Ah, a real "girl fight."

I don't think she is doing any justice to Barack Obama either. I don't find her support for him convincing, more than just the fact that she does not like Mrs. Clinton. Again, that type of support, which many people have towards Mr. Obama, is myopic. Shouldn't you like the candidate because they are the candidate and not because they are not THAT other candidate? The negative is so much more hollow than the positive.

And that is where Ms. Dowd is right now. Her words are meaningless and although her column is often in the "Top Emailed Articles", I think it is because her negativity about one candidate helps another.

I often miss the days where Ms. Dowd actually wrote columns that attacked a mutual enemy, the Bush Administration over concrete grounds, not simply because he was a Bush. Her arguments were logical and strengthened by her own proses and articles in the newspaper that lambasted Mr. Bush for lying to the public about the various programs he has initiated.

When 2:00 rolled around, I jumped out of the car to pick up my visa from the Indian Consulate. I felt an energy that only strong women can give me. I felt Ms. Dowd's words and believed that she was my light, our light in the newspaper industry. Unfortunately, I don't feel like that anymore.

posted by Chai at 10:50 AM