Comments on: The Globe’s opinion pages beef up

By: Glen Bergendahl

Glen Bergendahl — Fri, 07 May 2010 01:48:38 +0000

I’ve never read anything written by Joshua Green, but having read Dan’s piece, I now know where Green will reside on the political spectrum.

Whenever an outlet such as “The Boston Globe” describes a writer as “non-ideological,” one can be sure more liberal twaddle is on the way.

By: L.K. Collins

L.K. Collins — Thu, 06 May 2010 02:27:31 +0000

Whether or not they are co-equals are not the questions. The questions are why Baron weren’t willing to stop the slide sooner, and whether Baron may well be on his way out.

This may also be a situation where one is more equal than the other, particularly if Canellos can pull off the majic trick.

Canellos was good in his DC position; he appears to have shaken awake the editorial page. he appears willing to take on the challenges.

I, for one, wish Canellos the best.

As for Mr.Baron? I think it is time for him to let someone else take the editorial reins of The Globe and move to some other opportunity.

Nothing against him either personally or professionally. It is just that growth required by his task and his skills in fulfilling the requirements as so far demonstrated are at odds. Admission of a bad fit is not an indictment of failure.

By: BP Myers

BP Myers — Wed, 05 May 2010 22:32:08 +0000

@Dan Kennedy said: I’m aware of no law prohibiting someone for charging $50 for a gallon of water.

The Massachusetts Price Gouging Law–all 141 words of it–covers but a single commodity.

Hint: Ya can’t drink it.

(See Section 3.18)

http://tinyurl.com/2d59uab

By: Dan Kennedy

Dan Kennedy — Wed, 05 May 2010 21:58:48 +0000

Baron and Canellos are co-equals who both report to the new publisher, Chris Mayer.

By: Dan Kennedy

Dan Kennedy — Wed, 05 May 2010 21:57:51 +0000

@Bill: What no one, including Jacoby, has reported is under what authority various public officials have been going after the price-gougers. The behavior is disgusting, but I’m aware of no law prohibiting someone for charging $50 for a gallon of water. Too bad there are laws against punching such a person in the jaw.

By: L.K. Collins

L.K. Collins — Wed, 05 May 2010 21:53:52 +0000

I applaud Canellos’ efforts to revitalize, even reinvigorate The Globe’s opinion pages. I look forward to seeing if they deliver on the implied promises.

Less predictability, more diverse analyses and considered thought, even more contention are the hope.

The lingering question, though, is why this sort of change is coming now, and the correlative question of why Editor Baron waited so long and allowed such a precipitous slide to continue for as long as he has?

Is Baron on his way out?

By: Bill Hanna

Bill Hanna — Wed, 05 May 2010 20:26:15 +0000

I read Carroll every week though I often think his viewpoint is too far to the left for me. I read him because he’s a thinker, a theorist even, and he frequently laces his columns with excellent historical context. I think his columns on the Catholic Church are excellent. I also regularly read Jacoby, because where else can I find unadulterated selfishness so celebrated? Where else, for example, can I find price gouging so vigorously defended in the midst of a water crisis, as his most recent column does?

By: BP Myers

BP Myers — Wed, 05 May 2010 17:19:18 +0000

Susan Ryan-Vollmar said: why does Jeff Jacoby still have space on those pages? He’s shrill, repetitive, and frequently at odds with the facts.

I’m hoping he stays around long enough for his kids to be old enough to fight in the wars he so longs for. I look forward to reading those columns.

Should Republicans of his ilk have their way, his oldest ought to be eligible by the time we invade Iran.

And don’t tell me his kids are off-limits. He writes about them all the time.

By: Dan Kennedy

Dan Kennedy — Wed, 05 May 2010 15:01:02 +0000

@Stephen: I used to read Carroll all the time. I still try. Sometimes.

By: Susan Ryan-Vollmar

Susan Ryan-Vollmar — Wed, 05 May 2010 14:49:50 +0000

This is great news. Sounds like the changes are all for the better. I am not a fan of James Carroll, largely because he’s much too predictable (as B.A. points out). And that is boring. But Canellos has left some low-hanging fruit on the improvement tree: why does Jeff Jacoby still have space on those pages? He’s shrill, repetitive, and frequently at odds with the facts. Why not replace Jacoby with a talented opinion writer who takes interesting conservative lines on current events?