Reply #2: Here's my take on Sullivan, but why I read him...

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Don't like him. Don't like his views on about 80% of the things he writes about. I think he's culturally and politically the epitome of "the villager" that liberal bloggers like atrios post about.

That being said I think the majority of his opinions taken together are the epitome of the ill informed American moderate voter. And I find that more often than not he reflects in advance what most of my non political "independent moderate" friends and family think and how they see things.

This isn't to say that Sully influences them as they aren't aware enough of insider political media to know who he is even. Just that who he is, what he believes, and how he shapes is views is the same as a lot of so called moderate independents.

So if nothing else I read him to get a bead on where things are going with people like that in my life and to be prepared.