Goodbye William Saffire

Trapped amongst the likes of Dowd and Krugman you were a reasonable voice in an otherwise shrill haven of brash bombastic banality (read this to understand the need for the alliteration and learn how to read a column).

My Favorite lesson:

5. Don't fall for the "snapper" device. To give an aimless harangue the illusion of shapeliness, some of us begin (forget "lede") with a historical allusion or revealing anecdote, then wander around for 600 words before concluding by harking back to an event or quotation in the opening graph. This stylistic circularity gives the reader a snappy sense of completion when the pundit has not figured out his argument's conclusion.