Students compete to be WaPo’s “Next Great Pundit”
Posted by: Chris Heller in News, Vox Populi, tags: America's Next Great Pundit, Contests, Washington Post
At least two Georgetown students are competing to become “America’s Next Great Pundit” over at the Washington Post.
The contest, which awards a three-month stint with the Post to the winner, received approximately 1,400 entries earlier this year. Out of those 1,400, 50 were selected by Post staff for the vote.
PhD candidate Conor Williams (GOV ’11) and Alex Bodaken (COL ’12) are currently second and seventh, respectively, in the pool of candidates. While both wrote sample columns about the impact of the D.C. mayoral election on education reform, their styles and backgrounds seriously differ.
“That the American Left is intellectually incoherent is a truism in American politics,” Williams wrote. “I should be chosen because I’m determined to discover some order amidst this chaos (or die trying)!”
Bodaken’s strategy, on the other hand, is to “use humor and a distinctly Washingtonian viewpoint to distinguish and elevate my columns.”
“I hope to give a perspective not only on issues affecting my generation, but also to provide a unique look at how my generation views issues and current events happening in the country and around the world,” he added.
Can’t choose between Williams and Bodaken? Neither could we. Luckily, the Post let us vote for both of them!
Get voting, gang. Or else this guy might win.
[Full disclosure: Williams TA'd our "Elements of Political Theory" class. We vouch for his punditry.]
Photo: Washington Post
Entries (RSS)
I salute these candidates. Without pundits, Americans would have to think.
“Can’t choose between Williams and Bodaken? Neither could we. ”
Really? I think I’ll somehow find a way to choose between the moron who hates unions (“Sure, conservatives have demonized unions before–but this time it’s different because WAITING FOR SUPERMAN”), and the lesser moron who just thinks the mayoral election was all about school reform.
As another student who applied, I can honestly say I was disappointed with these pieces. I’m inclined to agree with AHFC above…
Haters gotta hate. Doesn’t everyone love blog comments?
Both these guys sound like complete douchebags. Which means they’ll be a perfect fit for the Washington Post’s editorial page.
I have to admit, they are pretty smart because they played to the ed board’s obsession with school reform (and fell on the right side of the issue).
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