When I tell conservative friends the premise of One Daily Link, many of them laugh and ask who could possibly qualify as a thoughtful liberal columnist. My first answer is always and immediately Bill Scher. Then Theodore R. Johnson, A.B. Stoddard, Ankush Khardori, and on and on. But the first is always Bill Scher. 

I discovered Scher in the early days of this site when finding opinionated but respectful political columnists seemed more hopeful than practical. “Writers like Bill Scher” became a regular Google search, because Scher is the kind of writer we should all be reading. He states his point, presents his evidence, and isn’t remotely disagreeable in the process. His choice of topic is also often unique. Take, for example, his piece yesterday in the Washington Monthly concerning the midterms. He breaks down what constitutes a wave election and comes to a conclusion that, while unexpected, makes plenty of sense. It doesn’t mean you have to agree with him. It does mean you should read him whenever you can.