I don't think it's possible to seriously argue against Helen Thomas having been one of the best reporters on the Washington beat, perhaps one of the best ever.

But that was a long time ago. Age started to catch up to her toward the end of Ronald Reagan's first term. Starting around 1985 she wasn't the best of the bunch any more and the slide downhill was fast.

More to the point: she's not a reporter any more. She just writes about what other people report, and it has become apparent she's not very good at analysis. It may also be that age is catching up to her mind, or perhaps she's just always been one-dimensional, good at investigation and reporting only.

She's been riding on her reputation for at least ten years. That works with people 40+ years old who can remember that she really was a pretty good reporter. But for those under 40 there's probably no first-hand memory of her past glories, and they often read her current work and justifiably wonder what the fuss is about.

There is always a strong need for someone like the Helen Thomas of the late 1970s, but the Helen Thomas of today isn't that: she's not even trying, probably no longer capable of it.