Liberal/Conservative Traits in Editorial Columnist Donald Kaul
Uploaded by athena700 on Apr 01, 2000
Donald Kaul, a Tribune Media Syndicate’s newspaper veteran of twenty five years, can be said to be famous for his often sarcastic but astute observations on everything from campaign reform to "Who Wants to be a Millionaire." Occasionally a letter to the editor appears in the newspaper protesting his remarks, usually from a self-proclaimed, right-wing conservative calling him a "bleeding heart liberal." What exactly do these terms mean, however? Are they absolute in what they represent? In general, a conservative opposes social programs and government intervention in business practices. They usually stress Judeo-Christian values as a solution to most issues. Conservatives are opposed to affirmative action, unions, and taxation-- especially of the rich, since they are the ones who provide jobs for the rest. A liberal believes government intervention is necessary to provide all people with equal opportunities before the law. Their most sacred tenets are progressive taxation, welfare, and public education. Liberals stress diversity and individual civil rights. Donald Kaul exhibits more traits of a liberal, although he is a moderate in his beliefs. The subject matter in the articles analyzed were the separation of church and state, gun control, environmental protection, capital punishment, and the rivalry between Republicans and Clinton.The subjects Kaul writes about are not regional at all; they affect every citizen of America in any region. Broad topics that many can relate to, including current events and popular television shows, are covered in his columns in a satirical way. Often he criticizes issues with an unusual perspective, conveying his message with no fear of rebuke. One example of this is his criticism of William Bennett, the so-called "Virtue Police Chief," as being nothing more than "a pompous blowhard who is easily our single most overrated intellect." A person reading Kaul’s column for the first time may be surprised to discover the author is painfully blunt and to the point, unlike many writers who make desperate efforts not to offend anyone. Donald Kaul is a very sarcastic writer in general. Speaking still of Bennett, he further surprises the reader by saying, "It must be swell to be that much better than other people". What honesty! Being somewhat cynical myself when it comes to the media, I can give Kaul credit for saying what was on everyone else’s mind when they were too scared to do it themselves. An effective tactic when writing his columns is his use...