This Exists: “America’s Next Great Pundit”

by Rachel Sklar | 12:35 pm, September 29th, 2009

» 2 comments

Seriously? Sometimes, no comment is needed. This from our inbox this morning:

WashPost Launches America’s Next Great Pundit Competition

Aspiring pundits across the country have the chance to be “America’s Next Great Pundit” by entering The Washington Post’s political columnist competition.

Starting today The Washington Post opinions section is asking people around the country to tell us why they deserve to publish their opinions in The Washington Post and be the next Dana Milbank or Eugene Robinson. Ten contestants will be picked from among all the entrants, and then the field will by narrowed down by rounds of challenges testing the skills a modern pundit must possess. They’ll have to write on deadline, hold their own on video, and field questions from Post readers. After each round, a panel of Post personalities and reader votes will help determine who gets another chance at a byline and who has to shut down their laptop. The ultimate winner will get the opportunity to write a 13-week column that may appear in the print and/or online editions of The Washington Post.

Follow the competition or launch your career by entering online at www.washingtonpost.com/pundit.

WHY. WHY. WHY. Oh wait, I know why: User-generated content, and buzz buzz buzz. Hey man, if it’ll bankroll the next Walter Reed exposé, it’s cool. Actually, a contest encouraging people to be the next Dana Priest might be good, too.

Here’s what these pundits will do, by the way. From the website:

Beginning on or about Oct. 30, ten prospective pundits will get to compete for the title of America’s Next Great Pundit, facing off in challenges that test the skills a modern pundit must possess. They’ll have to write on deadline, hold their own on video and field questions from Post readers. (Contestants won’t have to quit their day jobs, but they should be prepared to put in about eight hours a week for three weeks.) After each round, a panel of Post personalities will offer kudos and catcalls, and reader votes will help to determine who gets another chance at a byline and who has to shut down their laptop.

PACK UP YOUR LAPTOP AND GO! Here’s what the triumphant bloviator or bloviatrix will win:

The ultimate winner will get the opportunity to write a weekly column that may appear in the print and/or online editions of The Washington Post, paid at a rate of $200 per column, for a total of 13 weeks and $2,600. Our Opinions lineup includes a dozen Pulitzer Prize winners, regulars on the national political talk shows and some of the most influential players inside the Beltway. We’ll set our promising pundit on a path to become the next byline in demand, the talking head every show wants to book, the voice that helps the country figure out what’s really going on.

Almost as romantic as The Bachelorette, eh? We can’t wait. You might even see us there — we’re comin’ for you, DemocracyGurl4583!

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http://the-w.com/ CRZ

Did you really just say “no comment is needed” right before delivering another 500 words?

Not only has THAT irony escaped you, but you’ve also missed that many of your tags could easily apply to M as well.

All that said, I think I’ll have to enter this because it’d be the best way to prove that any idiot can be a pundit.
bonsomme

She said “SOMETIMES” no comment is needed. Clearly she did not believe this was one of those times.

I plan on writing about this as part of my entry into the contest.