Groupthink at New York Review of Books

There’s an interesting blog post at the New York Review of Books website. A celebration of New York Review of Books 50th anniversary by former intern Andrew Haig Martin.

http://www.nybooks.com/blogs/50-years/2013/feb/23/intern-out-cold/

In the piece, “The Intern Who Went Out in the Cold,” Andrew Martin describes the reaction of long-time NYRB editor Robert Silvers to the introduction as VP candidate of Sarah Palin: “Who is this awful woman? . . . She does seem rather sinister, doesn’t she?”

This is Robert Silvers’ first visceral response, mind you, when nothing was known about Palin. In her introductory speech, Palin went out of her way to praise Geraldine Ferraro, as well as Hillary Clinton’s “determination and grace.”

Yet Robert Silvers finds her to be an alien creature. Quite a display of class prejudice.

Why does Andrew Martin include this incident in his essay? Andrew Martin is certain that the hostile sentiment expressed by Robert Silvers will find widespread, maybe unanimous agreement from New York Review of Books’ readers. An example of groupthink at New York Review of Books and the established literary community.