# Who are the best columnists out there? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 10, 2002, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-best-columnists-out-there/118264 "2002-07-10T15:58:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CyberPundit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@CyberPundit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CyberPundit)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2002, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-best-columnists-out-there/118264/1 "2002-07-10T15:58:11Z")
I guess this depends to some extent on your politics. From my centrist perspective these are the best (in no particular order): **Robert Wright** : A fascinating columnist who writes about foreign affairs and globalization for Slate. He has also written two superb books on evolutionary pshycholoy (The Moral Animal) and a big-think book on macrohistory (Non-Zero). His columns on 9-11 and beyond have been superb. Here is a selection. [http://www.nonzero.org/911pieces.htm](http://www.nonzero.org/911pieces.htm) **Fareed Zakaria** : Writes a column for Newsweek and is also the editor of their international edition. His articles are well-written but also have the kind of intellectual depth missing in ,say Thomas Friedman. **Robert Samuelson** : Arguably the best economic commentator in the States (with competition from Krugman). Newsweek. and WaPo. **David Broder** the most fair-minded and sober of political columnists. WaPo. **Michael Kinsley** : Arguably the wittiest and cleverest columnist around in the US. A real pleasure to read. For some reason he has the reputation for being liberal but actually he is quite centrist for instance he strongly supports free trade. **Samuel Brittan** : A British columnist writing for the FT on economic issues. Also very sober and judicious, kind of like the David Broder of the Brits in terms of style. **Nicholas Kristoff** : the new columnist for the New York Times. Did some superb commentar/reportage on the terrorist groups in the Phillipines and in general a very sane commentator on foreign issues. **The Economist** : No particular writer since it’s annonymous but their commentary is all-round excellent, both their “leaders” and their specific columns like Lexington and Bagehot. Hands down the best news/commentary magazine in the English-speaking world. ---
**Author:** ![peasea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bc79bd/32.png) [@peasea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peasea)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2002, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-best-columnists-out-there/118264/2 "2002-07-10T16:14:28Z")
\*\*Ann Coulter: \*\* Her unbiased views and subtle descriptions of the current political climate provide a fair view into the minds of conservatives and liberals alike. Or, at least, there must be _some_ parallel universe in which that’s true. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2002, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-best-columnists-out-there/118264/3 "2002-07-10T19:08:53Z")
Well, I don’t know if this makes them the BEST columnists out there, but the ones I find myself in agreement with most often (but who almost never make me cringe) are Charles Krauthammer and James Lileks. There are way too many guys out there who share my basic views, but can’t stop making asinine, smug, and/or boring arguments for them. (PLEASE, God, WHY do Marvin Olasky and William F. Buckley have to be on MY side?) ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2002, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-best-columnists-out-there/118264/4 "2002-07-10T22:32:26Z")
A few: [William F. Buckley](http://www.nationalreview.com/buckley/buckley.asp) [Linda Chavez](http://www.jewishworldreview.com/cols/chavez1.asp) [Arianna Huffington](http://www.ariannaonline.com/columns/index.html) [Charles Krauthammer](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/opinion/columns/krauthammercharles/) [Howie Kurtz](http://sitesearch.washingtonpost.com/cgi-bin/search99.pl?searchdatabase=serf&serf_wp=on&wp=on&day_count=14&byline=howard+kurtz&source=post/) [Wes Pruden](http://www.washtimes.com/national/pruden.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2002, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-best-columnists-out-there/118264/5 "2002-07-10T22:42:01Z")
My two favorites are **Thomas Sowell** and **Walter Williams**. Their columns are featured at [www.jewishworldreview.com](http://www.jewishworldreview.com). ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2002, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-best-columnists-out-there/118264/6 "2002-07-10T23:14:29Z")
[Leonard Pitts](http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/living/columnists/leonard_pitts/) of the Miami Herald. He would be one of my 5 best columnists, and is without doubt the most perceptive, level-headed, realistic African-American columnist that perhaps ever lived. ---
**Author:** ![SpartanDC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b2d939/32.png) [@SpartanDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpartanDC)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2002, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-best-columnists-out-there/118264/7 "2002-07-11T00:04:27Z")
**Peasea** , I’m hoping that the last sentence of your post meant you were saying what you said with _extreme_ sarcasm. Ann Coulter gives thinking conservatives a bad name. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2002, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-best-columnists-out-there/118264/8 "2002-07-11T14:54:54Z")
What, no one has mentioned [James Lileks](http://www.startribune.com/stories/804/3049731.html)? ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2002, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-best-columnists-out-there/118264/9 "2002-07-11T14:57:04Z")
I believe **astorian** did. ---
**Author:** ![peasea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bc79bd/32.png) [@peasea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peasea)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2002, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-best-columnists-out-there/118264/10 "2002-07-11T15:19:51Z")
> [@](#): > > Ann Coulter gives thinking conservatives a bad name. Don’t worry, SNenc, I don’t consider Ann Coulter a thinking conservative. So as to not hijack this thread, I’ve started a [new one](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=124989) in the Pit. As for columnists, ---
**Author:** ![peasea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bc79bd/32.png) [@peasea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peasea)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2002, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-best-columnists-out-there/118264/11 "2002-07-11T15:23:22Z")
Oops…wrong button. I was going to mention [Michael Moore](http://www.michaelmoore.com). I don’t think he has a syndicated column, but his occasional essays, movies, etc. are a refreshing break from the ‘mainstream’ voices. ---
**Author:** ![king\_of\_spain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7cd45c/32.png) [@king\_of\_spain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/king_of_spain)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2002, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-best-columnists-out-there/118264/12 "2002-07-11T15:36:50Z")
Surprised no one’s mentioned [Jon Carroll](http://www.sfgate.com/columnists/carroll). ---
**Author:** ![Michael\_Ellis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/977dab/32.png) [@Michael\_Ellis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michael_Ellis)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2002, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-best-columnists-out-there/118264/13 "2002-07-12T05:03:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Eve \* > \*\*What, no one has mentioned [James Lileks](http://www.startribune.com/stories/804/3049731.html)? \*\* Alrighty then Eve, I’ll mention [James Lileks](http://www.lileks.com/). 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Big\_Kahuna\_Burger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Big\_Kahuna\_Burger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Big_Kahuna_Burger)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2002, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-best-columnists-out-there/118264/14 "2002-07-12T05:12:32Z")
I prefer [David Shribman](http://www.boston.com/globe/columns/shribman/) to David Broder. Shribman writes fewer columns than Broder, and IMHO this makes his better because he doesn’t spread himself out so much and nearly all of his columns are worth reading, as opposed to Broder, who has too many fluffy and rehashed columns for my taste. ---
**Author:** ![JonScribe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3be4f8/32.png) [@JonScribe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JonScribe)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2002, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-best-columnists-out-there/118264/15 "2002-07-12T05:22:19Z")
I’ll vote for Molly Ivins. An example from her recent column on Bush and his weak attempts at addressing the accounting crisis: "Perhaps I am too cynical, but I believe there is a separate class of people in this country called Too Rich to Go to Prison. With the peerless John Ashcroft at the helm of the Justice Department, I don’t think any of the now-infamous CEOs need to lose sleep over the prospect. It’s not exactly like Bobby Kennedy going after Jimmy Hoffa. “On the other hand, the only A.G. we’ve got did instigate a 13-month-long undercover investigation that resulted in the arrest of 12 prostitutes in New Orleans. Amazing – they found 12 whores in New Orleans. Surely Osama bin Laden is next.” ---
**Author:** ![Netbrian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71e660/32.png) [@Netbrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Netbrian)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2002, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-best-columnists-out-there/118264/16 "2002-07-12T05:26:16Z")
I shall sit and simply vote for “Dave Barry”. I also like the Economist people… ---
**Author:** ![Michael\_Ellis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/977dab/32.png) [@Michael\_Ellis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michael_Ellis)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2002, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-best-columnists-out-there/118264/17 "2002-07-12T05:53:16Z")
Dave Barry’s good too. ---
**Author:** ![Largo62](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/45deac/32.png) [@Largo62](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Largo62)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2002, 8:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-best-columnists-out-there/118264/18 "2002-07-12T08:22:27Z")
Has everybody forgotten a fellow named Cecil something? ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2002, 9:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-best-columnists-out-there/118264/19 "2002-07-12T09:37:18Z")
I always enjoy reading Alistair Cooke’s [Letter from America](http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/letter_from_america/default.stm) at BBC online. ---
**Author:** ![Balduran](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/cc9497/32.png) [@Balduran](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balduran)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2002, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-best-columnists-out-there/118264/20 "2002-07-12T12:19:48Z")
John Matshikiza, from the [Mail and Gaurdian](http://www.mg.co.za/l1.jsp). Their links have changed recently, but I think you’ll find him [here](http://www.mg.co.za/Content/l2_c.jsp?a=42) along with some other very good ones. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-best-columnists-out-there/118264.md?page=2)