Maggie's Farm

(1) The assumption is that Keillor is a talented writer - he is and isn't. Everything he has written about politics since the late '70s is over wrought, trivial in concept and minor in execution. His ego drives his prose as pronouncements from Olympus. As James Lileks once said, Keillor's syndicated column is ".....devoid of logic, wit, argument, surprise, or, commas, and generally sound like a prematurely elderly fellow seething over the fact that someone dared run against FDR in ’40."

(2) Keillor is an entertainer. He executes his single routine about "Lake Woebegone" well but once he moves outside his comfort zone he becomes the Angry Liberal and uses his PHC show to promote that opinion. I will admit to being a fan of PHC, but only because of the music - he has some great folk and music acts and that I enjoy. And I will readily admit that when Keillor moves to entertain instead of pronounce, he is very good and fairly funny. I appreciate funny.

(3) As most Great American Limousine Liberals (or GALLs) in their role as the Elite Intelligentsia (or ET), Keillor has mastered the art of weekly column writing using words and phrasing nearly identical in formlessness, subject and are general pointless from week-to-week. He speaks to the Great Unwashed of fly over country from the perspective of somebody who never has to worry about $6/gal gas or a mortgage on a Million Dollar Home - which is a trait of the GALLs of ET. I once again have to quote the great James Lileks speaking of Keillor "There’s conversational writing, and then there’s just talking to yourself as you make coffee." Clearly Keillor is doing the later, but unfortunately getting paid huge sums of money to do so.

Obligatory Disclaimer: I enjoyed and highly recommend Keillor's "The Book of Guys" - it is very funny and in large measure true. It is what Keillor could be as an author or entertainer if he only paid attention.