The Need for a Less Hypocritical Center at the New York Times

This is kind of a side note since what I'm about to talk about is almost certainly not why the NYT bashes the left at every opportunity.

I've noticed that I hold people on the left to much higher standards than those on the right the same way I would hold an adult to higher intellectual standards than a small child. While talking with people on the right, I have to consider that their beliefs are based on uncritical faith of positions attained through cultural osmosis which a large part of their identity and sense-making ability is based upon. I can't expect them to consider evidence because that's not a factor to the right of a conservative liberal. On the other hand, I can expect those on the left to consider evidence and relative likelihoods based on data.

While I can dismiss and make fun of the spurrious arguments offered by the mainstream right, I will attempt to engage and argue on the left because I know that either I will learn something or they will. I will critisize left-wing ideas much more often than right-wing ideas since right-wing ideas typically disintegrate after even the slightest scrutiny when compared to real-world evidence rather than what could possibly be true considering right-wing prejudices. I suppose that makes me guilty of left-wing infighting since when I "argue" with someone on the right it quickly starts to feel like I'm bullying someone who's helpless (they're not prepared to engage without a group of other dupes) else wasting my time entertaining a con artist skilled in rhetorical tricks and evading questions.

All political conversation takes place to the left of center. To the right of that it's managing fantasies one way or another.

Nate silver is all over this