Wednesday, May 5, 2010
I thrive on the angry comments posted online under my columns. Having spent the last few years putting my crazy left-wing slant on various issues, the indignation is almost proof that I’m doing something right. But enough with the self-aggrandizement — and by that, I mean more of it but in a more subtle manner. This is my last column for The Kansan, and there’s a lot that needs to be said.
The greatest thing opinion writers can do with their medium is get people talking while airing personal grievances about society. I think sometimes I succeeded. I think sometimes I was just trying to meet a deadline. No matter what the reason, everything said that columnists write is inspired by a belief that something needs to be said.
To try and be the person who decides what needs to be said takes a tremendous amount of ego. That’s the one trait that every columnist, blogger or talking head has in common. There is nothing about any of us columnists that makes our opinions superior. Rather, we are the ones who think we can best express those opinions to the masses. Some people do it by being silly, some by being straightforward and some by being smug and occasionally a little abrasive.
When you grow up in a state whose politics are typically opposite your own, you learn to get loud. When you find the overall political climate of the country skewing that way, you get defensive. And when you discover that society, no matter what it projects to be, is always in a state of conflict, you lose interest in ever shutting up.
Since I first became a columnist for this newspaper, a lot has happened in the political world. Stars have risen and fallen: one-time Democratic Messiah John Kerry has faded into irrelevance (or the equivalent for people who are still U.S. Senators). Glenn Beck has taken the job of televised vitriol dispenser to Olympian heights. John McCain and Arlen Specter have gone from being the only good Republicans in the Senate to a depressed burnout and a Democrat.
The make-up of the partisan branches of the federal government have gone from overwhelmingly Republican to mostly Democratic. But, as can be expected from an entity comprised of several hundred people in expensive shoes, it still only gets a little bit more done without a lot of prodding.
Tea parties have gone from being games where little girls dress up and pretend to entertain guests to chaotic clusters of general fury about stuff that people pretend didn’t exist when conservatives were the majority in Washington. And, in Arizona, racial profiling has gone from being a serious problem to an institution.
It doesn’t really matter who’s in office, what polls indicate, or even what policies are implemented at any level. There’s always something wrong in society, and people are going to want to complain about it in a place where people don’t have to pay attention but have a good opportunity to. My time at the Kansan is done, but there will always be Liberal loudmouths around. They just won’t be as good-looking as me.
— Cohen is a senior from Topeka in political science.
Opinion Desk: Add to political discussion
The Kansan Opinion Desk seeks your input in a new weekly column.
Politically Correct: The ethics of torture tactics
Our panelists offer their opinions on whether torture should be permitted in ...
Cohen: Magazines mask true beauty
The mainstream media says you're only important if you abide by their ...
Columnist doesn’t regret taking diverse viewpoint
Letter: No such thing as 'gay blood'
Keith: Issue with Cain isn't racist
Columnist disapproves of Cain, but not for racial reasons.
Politically correct: same-sex marriage
Three political columnists share their thoughts on laws allowing same-sex marriage.
Mersmann: Honest facts about writing this column
I write a column and so can you!
Partisan hate doesn’t help discussion
Shocking columnist's interests encompass everything
Cohen: How Palin’s campaign made me appreciate ...
Politically correct: Obama’s report card
Columnists weigh in Obama's progress. Cast your vote in The Kansan's poll.
Cohen: How "change" has changed politics
Cohen: Dems’ indecision may cost them
The DNC needs to sort out the nomination, or it may regret ...
Letter to the Editor: Defining the value ...
Questioning how the law affects the institution of marriage.
Red and blue don't always mix
While U.S. politics are heating up headlines, politically mixed relationships are feeling ...
Cohen: Kansas Republicans can learn from Obama: ...
Offhand remarks by conservatives leave room for questions.
Cohen: Beliefs about Gaza should be more ...
The conflict in the Middle East isn't as clear-cut as some people ...
Journalist calls KU women to action
Speaking to a crowd of 100 at the Dole Institute, the columnist ...
Cohen: Constitution Day deserves more recognition
It celebrates the most important document in American history, yet no one ...
Cohen: A little groundhog perpetuates winter
Because a pampered marmot stood in the right angle under the sun, ...
Politically Correct: The public option
Columnists weigh in on the health care debate.
Cohen: Marriage bill a step backward
Bill fails to address real issues of failed marriages.
Nichols: College start-ups gain popularity
The dorm room is the new nesting grounds for small businesses.
Cohen: Let's make Kansas proud
State's response to abortion debate offers chance for redemption.
The candidate wears Prada
Fashion-conscious politicians make their mark in modern pop culture.
Cohen: Student involvement increases during 2008 election ...
Exciting candidates and campus groups contribute to a strong political atmosphere
Roommates: Are they worth it?
Why it’s not always bad to be a loner
Politically Correct: State budget cuts
Political columnists sound off on budget cuts.
CITIZEN DOLPH: A rare look at the ...
You may not recognize his name, but Dolph Simons Jr., chairman of ...
Cohen: Gear up for caucuses
Politi-geek urges students to partake in elections
Cohen: Democrats have plenty to laugh at, ...
From Hillary to Barack, the Dems are full of faults
Holmes: Svaty is best pick for Democrats’ ...
Holmes on the best man for the left.
Cohen: Drawing the line in political battles
Is the judicial branch truly off-limits from politics?
Cohen: First 100 days an irrelevant mark
Focus on achievements, not a timeline.
Bisexuals face additional challenges
Students struggle for acceptance in LGBT communities.
Letter to the Editor: Challenging society
Some people need to break free from the peer pressures of this ...
Democratic Caucus unorganized yet successful
More than 4,000 democrats attended the caucus last night. This number was ...
Know your Student Senate candidates
Learn more about the candidates for Student Senate
From left: Kimberlee Hinkle, Libby Johnson and Hannah ...
1 comment
Kansas Jayhawk fans hold aloft a reproduction of ...
2 comments
Erin Saupe, a Ph.D. student from St. Cloud, ...
1 comment
0 comments
Armed robbers continue to threaten.
3 comments
Lecture from Greg Mortenson, co-author of New York ...
0 comments
Comments
Cohen: The Loudmouth takes a curtain call
Who is going to write articles ranging from harmlessly misguided to full-fledged insane to make me mad every morning now? Huh?
Cohen: The Loudmouth takes a curtain call
Duh, Chet Compton. What a doofus.
Cohen: The Loudmouth takes a curtain call
If only you'd been as loudmouth as your column header claimed. Too often, this column devolved into mere sarcasm without any actual substance. Hopefully we can get a Rachel Maddow Junior to combat the psychotic Compton over here.
Cohen: The Loudmouth takes a curtain call
xz, you are hoping for someone like Rachel Maddow? What?
Cohen: The Loudmouth takes a curtain call
Whats wrong with Chets "extreme right-wing" opinions? Why don't you apply for the spot of "Liberal Loudmouth?" That way we can bag on you. What fun that would be!
Cohen: The Loudmouth takes a curtain call
Having somebody as knowledgeable as a future Rhodes scholar comment on the political landscape for the Daily Kansan? Yes, Savage, that sounds positively refreshing and awesome.
Cohen: The Loudmouth takes a curtain call
Too bad you never learned to tell the truth or is it your version of the truth? Overwhelmingly Republican to mostly democrat??? The Republicans have not had a veto proof majority since reconstruction. Tell the truth before you leave, you'll feel better if not confused.
The first TEA party was held in November of 2008 in Oregon and George Bush was president so you are wrong again. I don't know if you lied or you just don't know. Either way, I guess you're a qualified journalist or democratic politician now. Too bad the newspapers aren't hiring and we all know the chances of getting elected this year as a democrat.
Cohen: The Loudmouth takes a curtain call
xz: I'll give Maddow this, she's more of a man than Olbermann is.
Cohen: The Loudmouth takes a curtain call
I love you Ben Cohen.
Sign in to comment
Or login with:
OpenID