zlacker

> its talent for making an argument

As usual the Economist says little with a lot of words. This particular piece is a shallow recitation of campaign impressions with zero actual policy analysis. You don't learn anything by reading it.

>>kingko+(OP)
Quite the contrary: it has a reputation for conciseness and well-expressed, informative views. What would you have us read instead?

To quote its Wikipedia article, 'The publication boasts a tight writing style that seeks to include the maximum amount of information in a limited space. Atlantic Monthly publisher David G. Bradley described the formula as "a consistent world view expressed, consistently, in tight and engaging prose."[12]' -- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Economist

>>doodyh+7
Find me one fact or analysis angle in that piece that the representative reader didn't already know. It's like getting Joe Blow's take down at the bar except with tighter prose.

>>kingko+b
It's purely an opinion piece, an endorsement. It summarizes the existing arguments for and against and comes to a logical conclusion. I, for one, didn't know that they conducted their own global presidential poll - http://www.economist.com/vote2008/ I also wasn't aware so many conservatives had jumped ship, including 27 newspapers (last week's 'Lexington'): http://www.economist.com/research/articlesBySubject/displays...

I read The Economist because I don't always have time to read entire articles about every little development on every issue. How many New York Times articles would you have had to read to gain as much information as from this one Economist piece?

Again, what would you have us read instead?

>>doodyh+y
A breezy, superficial understanding of complex issues is worse than none at all. You'd be better off knowing that you know nothing rather than having an article like that represent your knowledge.

> what would you have us read instead?

Off the top of my head Stratfor covers similar territory as the economist, but much better. It also has its biases. For economic analysis John Maudlin's newsletters aren't a bad place to start. Go read one and see how much more information and analysis dense it is compared to the economist.