Monday, August 27, 2007

Drudgery leads the way to influence


The most influential journo in America, says New York magazine, is none other than the newly-reclusive Matthew Nathan Drudge. His mega-website, which famously broke the Monica Lewinsky scandal nearly a decade ago, even spawned a more leftwing anti-site, predictably dubbed the "Drudge Retort" in letters which slant the other direction. It's a backhanded compliment. The guy, hailed as an "equal-opportunity zinger" does not talk through his trademark hat. He seems to be the real deal. Well, mostly. The rebel has gone mainstream.
Read a paen to the erstwhile gossip who Camille Paglia praises as
"a highly creative performance artist who has invented his own genre. The Drudge Report is a kind of existentialist high-wire act.”
It hits the stands this week. Eventually all journalists will be tempted to "kiss his ring" if we want to be linked to his 4 million regulars, he predicts with a chuckle. He is clearly the guy with the greatest hits--more than the NY Times! No longer must Drudge dumpster dive for gossip, but he does tap into New York Times exclusives via their wire service from his bastion in Miami. The poignant case history of a prematurely balding high school nerd who got back at the world through computer power is compelling.

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