William Marvel: Dilemma of the Unrepresented

David Shribman's column a few weeks back about "double haters" reflected a sudden new realization of popular political sentiment. The Wall Street Journal and other newspapers of national or regional circulation have recently been pontificating on those voters who hold both political parties in contempt, as though it were something that had happened recently. The concept is probably also a topic of discussion on radio and television, although I lack both of those devices and could not confirm it. Even when I'm on the road, as I was recently for a week, I prefer listening to Linda Ronstadt, Joni Mitchell and Heather Pierson. 

Judging by references to the specific ratios of these double-haters within different political demographics, the subject must have appeared as the result of the endless polling with which we've lately been pestered. I suppose I'm not alone in thinking these observers a little tardy in recognizing the phenomenon, and wondering where they've been these past two decades.