Letters to the Editor
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Slow down
Glenn,
I love your stuff, but you're starting to show symptoms of writing too fast. You're opening yourself up to unnecessary arguments and you're repeating yourself too much.
First, as only Cicero seemed to notice, Brooks does quote polling data. He cherry picks it, and ignores polls that would directly address the questions he's raising, but he does quote a poll. By not appearing to notice that, and by quoting him at length but leaving the data out, you give critics an opening to dismiss your larger point, which is valid. If Brooks deigns to respond, he can do that whole arch bloggers-don't-know-what-they're-talking-about thing.
Second, you could write this column in half as many words and not leave any ideas out. It would be more impressive. As it stands, how many different times do you say that Beltway Pundits substitute their own opinions for the average Americans? I count six, though the exact number is a judgment call.
Slow down, Glenn. You're a better writer than this.