Writing style

Eugene Robinson is a syndicated columnist based at the Washington Post Post. He is also a frequent guest on my favorite morning talk show, "Morning Joe" on MSNBC. I honestly haven't read a lot of Robinson's work. Some of his columns are picked up by the Charleston Gazette on the weekends, but I'm not an avid follower.

On the show, he seems like a very intelligent, eloquent man who really understands politics. This shows in his writing as well. Robinson is unafraid to tackle controversial topics, both on TV and in print. His most recent column, "Guns and responsibility," takes on the very divisive topic of gun control following the  shootings in Tuscon and asks how a man who obviously had mental problems got his hands on such deadly weapons.

Robinson has a very reader-friendly writing style. He sometimes uses words that require a dictionary, but the following sentence may include a slang phrase or cliche. I think this makes Robinson appealing to people of varying education levels. A lawyer in Washington, D.C. and a college student in West Virginia may read the same Robinson column and find it equally enjoyable.

As a columnist, Robinson is writing his opinion. However I as a reader never felt as though he was pushing his views down my throat or forcing his opinion on me. Robinson's opinions are backed  by facts based in research or interviews with sources closer to the action. For example, he talked to the Pima County (Ariz.) sheriff about the shootings in Tuscon and why he thinks the incident occurred. He also quoted statistics from the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence.

I noticed Robinson does not use "I" or "me" often in his writing. He gets his views across without having to remind readers that this is what he thinks. I think that is the mark of a good opinion writer. When I read op-ed pieces or editorials, I don't want to see "I think this...." or "My thoughts on this are..." Instead, I want to read a solid, intelligently written argument based in fact. Nowhere in Robinson's writing does he use devices to appeal to emotion, incite anger or create fear.

Robinson's columns are very well thought out and easy to understand. When he appears on "Morning Joe," he does not act arrogant or condescending in any way. This is reflected in his writing, and I think that is why I and many others find him so appealing.