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Journalists should do their job

New Year’s Resolutions By PAUL KRUGMAN, NYTimes

[T]here can be no illusions: President Bush has turned this country sharply to the right, and this election will determine whether the right’s takeover is complete. …

Beware of personal anecdotes. Anecdotes that supposedly reveal a candidate’s character are a staple of political reporting, but they should carry warning labels.

For one thing, there are lots of anecdotes, and it’s much too easy to report only those that reinforce the reporter’s prejudices. The approved story line about Mr. Bush is that he’s a bluff, honest, plain-spoken guy, and anecdotes that fit that story get reported. But if the conventional wisdom were instead that he’s a phony, a silver-spoon baby who pretends to be a cowboy, journalists would have plenty of material to work with. …

Look at the candidates’ records. A close look at Mr. Bush’s record as governor would have revealed that, the approved story line notwithstanding, he was no moderate.

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