The problem with punditry

An event takes place.  Within hours or sometimes minutes multitudes of pundits will have postings, columns, or a statement out in the media (or personal blog).  Unfortunately in their haste to be like the MSM, they often make the same mistake.  The don’t have all the facts.  They can’t.  Yet, they believe that they must make a comment to stay relevant in the commentator world.  This is the problem.  Nobody actually takes the time to think anything out anymore.  Frankly unless your commenting on a subject that you have been abreast (just wanted to use that word) of for some time you don’t know what the hell you talking about.  Yes there are people who’s area of expertise might give them the ability to comment much faster but for most pundits it should take at least a day or so from any event to have a real opinion on the issue.

For example if Congress passes a late night bill you might be able to comment on the complete BS of passing a bill late at night and adding an additional 300 pages say to said bill, but you really couldn’t comment much on the bill since like most Congressmen you wouldn’t have read it.  I’m not saying you have to read every line of every bill to comment, but at least get some cliff notes.  Comment accurately.  That’s why I don’t write much about Bills’.  I can’t understand the language anyway.

If you take any recent event from Michael Jacksons death to Sarah Palin every pundit in pundit land*  felt the need to come out and give their opinion of what happened.  Most with no more information than a twenty second blurb on one of the 24 hour news channels. 

Sometimes you just must let the situation develop. 

I wonder what media punditry would be like if they were paid based on the number of time they were actually right about something.  I would bet it would take longer than ten minutes after an announcement to right their commentary.

That’s why I wait a few days before I say something that still won’t pin me down too much.. **

If you actually read the paid pundits you’ll find they need to write something so often that their columns are like Louis Lamour westerns novels, the same thing over and over.  Fortunately Louis is still fun to read.

 

*(a place where you can take back all you’ve said the next week with brand new analysis)

**(Of course I only have about 4 readers to satisfy)