Presented (almost) without comment:
Washington, D.C.-based writer for Newsweek/Daily Beast and blogger Megan McArdle is joining the ranks of Bloomberg View, where she will be a columnist covering the economy, business, politics and national affairs.
I’m beginning to wonder if Bloomberg View is an experiment in machine-editing, ’cause I just can’t believe a sentient being would make the decision justified by this quote:
“Megan is an extraordinary writer and thinker,” said David Shipley, Executive Editor of Bloomberg View in a morning statement. “Few people have done a better job chronicling the economic, corporate and technological disruptions of the last decade. She’s going to make a lot of readers — those who have followed her for years and those who will discover her at Bloomberg — smarter and happier. We’re thrilled that she’s joining the team.”
Good luck with that. If Bloomberg readers can count, I just don’t think “happineness” will be the correct emotional descriptor.
I did have another thought: I’m wondering if McArdle’s finely honed survival skills are in play, in which case we may be getting a leading indicator on the prospects for our Beastly friends.
Consider this an open thread — though by all means reference your favorite McArdle howlers below. Mine is this one from my once and present digs at Inverse Square, brought into new relief by too many tragic events over the intervening years.
Image: Guido Reni, Cleopatra with the Asp, c. 1630
Yatsuno
Yup. Sounds like Tina has let the death rattle out for Newsweek. And you bet Blenderella is trying to get out while the getting’s good, but Bloomberg has a huge bankroll behind it, so we’ll unfortunately be subjected to her ramblings for quite some time.
schrodinger's cat
Why is it that the correspondents covering the economy for major news organizations are innumerate with no formal training in math or economics. Examples, McCardle, MattY and Adam Davidson.
Aji
An “extraordinary thinker?” Seriously? I guess his definition of “extraordinary” means “a millimeter deep.” I always thought the word for that was “superficial,” but I guess I’ve been using the wrong dictionary all these years.
Might also explain why people like her are rich, and I’m . . . well, decidedly not, I suppose.
Yatsuno
@schrodinger’s cat: Because Krugman is shrill.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
Holy God, is anyone else watching ‘straight reporter’ Jim Miklasweski (sp?) all but have an on-air stroke about women being admitted to the special forces?
What I was gonna say, before I was side-tracked by his hysterics, is that McArdle could have found a home at Politico, where everybody knows Nate SIlver is totally like a snotty suck up nerd who studies and shit:
Doing your homework is like totally gay.
I’m not at all surprised at VandeHei, but I always thought Harris was the smarter…. er, less stupid half of Politico.
Tom Levenson
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: Yeah. That was a good one. It’s alright, though. The Politico talking horse is bringing butter knives to an intellectual gunfight. This won’t get any prettier over time.
Belafon (formerly anonevent)
@schrodinger’s cat: Because, otherwise, they might hear statements like “raise taxes on the rich” or “the debt doesn’t matter as much as getting people to work.” We wouldn’t want reality seeping into discussions of economics, or any talk of improving the lives of the help.
PeakVT
In cased anyone missed it: an extensive review of McAddled’s mendacious whoring.
Villago Delenda Est
OK, I’m cynical enough to think that this guy isn’t a total idiot, and he’s using “extraordinary” in a manner that seems complimentary, but can always be used in a reboot effort to mean something denigrating.
Because if he meant this sincerely, he’s in the running for putz of the year, and has close to a death grip on it.
Higgs Boson's Mate
It’s becoming apparent that most editorial page editors are as dumb as a bag of hammers. Thus, they hire people like McArdle, Douthat, Greenwald, etc. because they’re the only people on the planet dumber than the editors.
Zifnab
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: The entire Politico crew has had Silver in their sights for ages (ie, the last seven or eight news cycles at least). They’re still super butt-hurt that Nate bothered to make a Presidential election about poll numbers and GOTV estimates, rather than “Who is going to throw me the best BBQ and polish my knob?”
cmorenc
Speaking of the painting at the head of this thread, it would be a GREAT inhibitor to keep Megan McArdle from inflicting herself on talking head panels on the TeeVee if there was a special requirement, just for her, that she couldn’t appear unless she had one breast completely hanging out. NOT that I’m really much interested in viewing her tits n’ bits – the desired effect is that she would thereby likely be strongly disinclined to afflict herself on the viewing public. OK, so this sounds like a very sexist requirement, so let’s even things up a bit and require grandpa McCain to appear shirtless and in his boxer shorts if he wants to appear on any further talking head teevee shows.
kindness
It would be nice if we had a link to the Bloomberg guy so we could tell him what we think of Megan McbargleArgle.
Aji
@Villago Delenda Est: Nah, it’s the death grip. This is Shipley, formerly of TNR, the NYT, and marriage to Naomi Wolf (former on that last one, too). He’s sincere – at least, as much as plastic-y Villager types are sincere about anything other than their own rampant narcissism.
pete
“morning statement” — bad hangover? not enough coffee? or … don’t tell me McM tied him up all night and tickled him until he submitted
Yatsuno
@cmorenc:
Ew. Ew ew ew ew ew ew ew. Therapy bills coming forthwith!
MattF
…and everyone here is now talking about McArdle. ‘Let’s you and her fight, and my boss will give me credit for the enhanced ad revenue.’ The man is doing what he’s paid to do.
Higgs Boson's Mate
@cmorenc:
You sick bastard. Just for putting that image in my head I reply with one word:
Speedo
Villago Delenda Est
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
Both of those pompous sacks of shit need to be put in a tumbrel and sent to their just desserts.
They both project their own warped sense of priorities on him.
Roger Moore
If reading McMegan makes you smarter, you must be starting from a very low baseline; low enough that it’s hard to believe you can read and remember to keep breathing at the same time. The best she’s likely to manage is to make people feel smarter by comparison.
raven
Tips for drinking Golytely?
ranchandsyrup
Please, Bloomberg View, give her a calculator that goes to the billions (at least) along with her new hire package.
scav
Interesting detail (or me at least, although not really unexpected) is how already mixed up in this the big name old-school names are.
Vice suicide thing. They also invented suicides for their fashion shoot (or drown / gas / slit ) and classified non-fiction as fiction to make up the numbers. But Hey! “We know how to speak to young people. They’re listening to us. We’re a trusted brand for them.” — Vice’s chief creative officer Eddy Morretti.
gogol's wife
Love the Reni! He was a fave of Gogol’s.
gogol's wife
@raven:
Breathe deeply.
dmsilev
Who, exactly, reads McArdle and becomes happier? Masochistic professional economists?
Villago Delenda Est
@dmsilev:
The Koch Brothers.
pokeyblow
@raven: The hours drag by.
Scout211
@raven:
Is that a real question or a metaphor for reading mm?
Cold, sweet popsicles immediately to cut the awful taste worked for me. Literally or metaphorically speaking.
pokeyblow
@gogol’s wife: Have you seen Reni’s (supposed) Beatrice Cenci?
A masterpiece.
Eric U.
there is no way to read mcbargle and become happier and smarter. The “extraordinary” I could excuse. I think she’s so extraordinary that she should start her own web site and put up a paywall. That’s the way to riches for an extraordinary thinker like her
dmsilev
@Villago Delenda Est: Well, I suppose, but don’t you simply expect your minions to do your bidding? I mean, get angry and shark-tank them when they fail, sure, but other than that it should just be straightforward mild satisfaction that they’re doing their jobs.
StringOnAStick
McAddled and happiness have nothing to do with each other, unless there is some trendy $800 kitchen device involved.
max
though by all means reference your favorite McArdle howlers below.
Oh, god no. I really hate wiping blood from my eyes.
cmorenc:Speaking of the painting at the head of this thread, it would be a GREAT inhibitor to keep Megan McArdle from inflicting herself on talking head panels on the TeeVee if there was a special requirement, just for her, that she couldn’t appear unless she had one breast completely hanging out. NOT that I’m really much interested in viewing her tits n’ bits – the desired effect is that she would thereby likely be strongly disinclined to afflict herself on the viewing public. OK, so this sounds like a very sexist requirement
Too complicated. Stick with the painting. Give her a pet asp for Xmas.
max
[‘Tell her you got it from Heimlicher Schlemmer. She’ll love it!’]
Alien Radio
Surely This should also be tagged with “Gastritis broke my calculator”?
burnspbesq
Just curious: am I the last person on earth to hear about the “Feminist Taylor Swift” Twitter feed?
danimal
@Alien Radio: Excuse me, sir. Can you tell me where the Pink Himalayan Salt is located?
raven
@Scout211: Damn popsicles come in packs with red, orange and purple! I bought some Italian Ice and that seems good. Someone said to strain the broth from chicken soup but that only gave me 1/4 cup or so. I felt pretty funny until I swam my laps and now I’m fine. It’ll be over soon.
Villago Delenda Est
@burnspbesq:
No. I just learned of it from you, and despite that I have no desire to check it out.
raven
I was happy to find Popsicles and Icicles .
Tonybrown74
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
Shorter Politico: “He think he all that!”
Green is an ugly color on some people.
Jebediah
On account of the open thread-ness I am going to plug my friend and neighbor’s kickstarter project. She is an accomplished professional photographer with a focus on pets. She is trying to fund a coffee-table book of senior dogs, with an eye towards promoting their adoption as well as funding rescues/adoptions of senior dogs. If any of y’all are sympathetic to the plight of senior critters and can spare a few bucks, take a look. Thanks!
burnspbesq
@Villago Delenda Est:
Wise move. The concept is much more amusing than the implementation.
raven
@Jebediah: You might point her to this site just because of the subject matter
The Senior Dogs Project
………..”Looking Out for Older Dogs” ………..
“Blessed is the person who has earned the love of an old dog.”
NickT
Speaking of glibertarian frauds:
http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/rand-paul-to-introduce-immigration-bill-amendment-eliminating?ref=fpb
Have fun chasing the Hispanic vote, little grifter.
Alex S.
@MattF:
Yes, sadly, she’s fun to ridicule.
jim filyaw
@Higgs Boson’s Mate: amen.
SiubhanDuinne
@cmorenc:
I do not care to see the words “McCain,” “boxer shorts,” and “talking head” in the same sentence. Thank you for your cooperation.
Jebediah
@raven:
Thanks – I’ll do that!
MDC
It’s simple: The readers that she’s going to make smarter and happier are the readers of whatever publication(s) she’s leaving in order to go write for Bloomberg.
efroh
Failing upward once again.
NonyNony
@MDC:
Except that she currently writes for The Daily Beast and so is probably one of the smarter and better-informed writers on-staff where she currently writes.
I don’t know anything about Bloomberg View – do they employ any columnists who are smart, witty and well-informed? If so I expect Jane Galt’s tenure there to be about like her tenure at the Atlantic – short, and punctuated mostly by other writers on staff linking to her to send her pity clicks. If they’re more like the Daily Beast then McArdle may be one of their biggest eyeball draws – as people link to her with comments like “My God could McArdle be more wrong than this?”
Suffern ACE
@NickT: Isn’t that W’s plan?
feebog
Apparently, you can fool some of the people all the time…
Tim I
I think Mr. Shipley’s comment is apt.
She’s going to make a lot of readers…smarter and happier.
They will be very happy to know that they a hell of a lot smarter than Megan will ever be able to pretend to be. she fits into that “dumb as a box of rocks” category all her own.
marindenver
The only possible conclusion for someone being able to write this (and presumably with a straight face) is that they have never read any of her work. I mean this is the person who suggested that we train school children to rush armed intruders rather than hide. Nuff said.
Comrade Jake
She must get her fair share of page hits. Himalayan Pink salt for the win, I suppose.
schrodinger's cat
Bloomberg should have hired Austerity Cat instead of McMegan.
Doug Milhous J
The worst part is she’s replacing Josh Barro, the one young conservative writer who is smart.
Eric U.
@Doug Milhous J: I’m pretty sure that being smart disqualifies you from being a conservative writer
schrodinger's cat
@Doug Milhous J: Really smart, or smart for a conservative.
Herbal Infusion Bagger
Evidently someone told them to hire a counterpart of Felix Salmon, and they hired McArdle. Unfortunately, while McArdle is a good writing stylist, like Salmon, , she doesn’t understand finance or economics (unlike Salmon).
Roger Moore
@SiubhanDuinne:
I could probably be convinced to watch Meghan McCain in nothing but boxer shorts on a talking head show. She’d be a lot more fun to watch, and would probably make more sense on policy, too.
gogol's wife
@pokeyblow:
No, I never saw that. Beautiful.
Phoenician in a time of Romans
@feebog:
“Megan is an extraordinary writer and thinker,”
Apparently, you can fool some of the people all the time…
The statement, feebog, is technically true…
El Cid
I’d be happy enough if they’d actually hire ordinary writers and thinkers.
NickT
@Herbal Infusion Bagger:
Salmon is streets ahead of McArdle stylistically. He also knows what long words like hypothetical mean.
Kathleen
@PeakVT: The blog post that was linked tell you everything you need to know about Megan’s “success”. The four letter “K” word (“Koch”). She’s doing the locomotion on the Wing Nut Welfare Gravy Train.
ffredpalakon
Outsourced to the Notorious BDL:
Bob h
The target audience here is presumably the same one that has been satisfied with the hallucinations of the WSJ editorial page. Not highly discriminating.