The damage Paglia and others do is the message that gets to the public at large. True progressives rarely get heard, instead they put Paglia-like people who are simply controversial just to stir up ratings. So the message that gets out to the public at large--most of whom pay little real attention, yet still vote based on fragments on TV--is the stupid, pandering message that the Paglias get out, such as: Kerry is too effeminate, McCain is masculine, Giuliani is strong, Gay men deserved got what they deserved (in so many words), etc.

You'll note that she plays into the national meme that declares all democrats are weak, all republicans are strong. You see that meme played out on Tim Russert's show, Chris Matthews, and most pundit foolishness. And it doesn't even take Paglia being on those shows, because the guests read her crap, are taken in by it, and it gets to a national audience. Do you see now how her cheap shots damage liberal/progressive positions? Notice how you can say anything about a democrat (most especially if your last name is Clinton), and it'll get national coverage via these talking-head shows, which feeds the print media, which feeds the broadcast media, on and on.

So, I'm tired of this crap, and it's time to call people on this garbage. Just taking a controversial view doesn't make one think unless it's backed up by something other than opinion. That's why she and those like her do not make me think, except how much she makes the world a worse place for her invective and stupidity she spreads. The Nancy Grace's and O'Reilly's are the types that quote her trash, or quote others who quote her trash because it plays into the trash they want to spread.

One other thing, I'm tired of the trivialization of important issues, Paglia going on about Edward's hair is a way of trivializing everything about him. He has some important things to say, yet precious, nationally read space is being wasted on critiques of his hair, just like the mindless critiques of Gore got Gore's jackass opponent and coterie in the White House. The world would have been far better off if the media had paid attention to the issues instead of pimping false stories about Gore's Love Story Connection, Internet Inventiveness, Earth-toned clothes, and the nearly endless number of other trivialities that ended up having the election go as it did.

I really don't see how that's not obvious. Salon is a nationally read website, it gets quoted on nationally broadcast media and in print media.

--Ron Robertson