Yesterday was a sad one for many who appreciate sound thinking expressed clearly with humor, courage, and humanity. When I read Charles Krauthammer’s moving letter of June 8, I hoped his physicians were wrong about his prospects. Alas, in fact he had less time than they calculated. Last night I was mesmerized by the tributes to Charles on Fox News. They were all well deserved. There was no one else like him.
I wonder how much attention NBC, CBS, ABC, and PBS have paid to Charles’s passing. Not much would be my guess. The Tampa Bay Times, known by many local red-blooded Americanos as The Tampa Bay Daily Leftist Nag, took note of the passing of one of the most important thinkers and clearest commentators of our time with a two-paragraph brief on 2A under the heading “Elsewhere.” This meager coverage followed two longer pieces in the section, one on the death of KoKo the gorilla, another on New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Arden giving birth to a daughter.
This lineup should not be surprising as clear thinking has ever been much prized or practiced at The Nag. Thus Charles’ passing plays third fiddle to that of a gorilla. Page 1A was led by the umpteenth rant about the Donald’s immigration policy (the Nag’s main complaint seems to be that he has one and is putting it into practice). The rest of the page was devoted to the Buc’s starting quarterback, Jameis Winston, being suspended three games by the NFL for allegedly groping an Uber driver in Arizona and two long feature items.
You’ve heard me say it before. News judgment can’t be taught. It’s a gift.
