One imagines Sulzberger calling @NicholasGuyatt in the middle of the night to ask him to write something good about the 1619 Project. "You gotta help me out here." Including a totally gratuitous use of the word "fragility." https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/19/opinion/1619-nikole-hannah-jones-bret-stephens.html?action=click&module=Opinion&pgtype=Homepage

Guyatt suggests that the critics were protecting their turf; and that, being white and male, it's hard for them to accept Jones' reimagining of America. He never does them or us the courtesy of addressing their substantive criticisms. This feels like -- what's the word? -- p.r.

What's most embarrassing about this is that, once upon a time, Cambridge historians and NYT editors would have blanched at this sort of ad hominem attack.

Now, apparently, it's all they have, and instead of conceding as much, they dig in. Toddler-like.