Washington Post: The Most Popular Opinions of the Year.

10. How the GOP Could Win by Richard Cohen, published June 26.
Was this popular because so many Republicans read it with hope or because so many Democrats read it with dread? Probably both. Cohen tries to show how dismal approval ratings and an unpopular war don't necessarily spell doom on Election Day.


9. The Gonzales Clown Show by Dan Froomkin, published April 20.
The writer of washingtonpost.com's "White House Watch" earned multiple spots on the list. In this column, Froomkin writes about how the then-attorney general accepted a blow to his reputation in order to deflect attention from the White House.


8. Why Do They Hate Us? by Mohsin Hamid, published July 22.
A Muslim novelist who split his childhood between Pakistan and California seeks to answer the question.

7. Fitzgerald Again Points to Cheney by Dan Froomkin, published May 29.
This is the most popular of the several columns Froomkin wrote about the legal tribulations of vice presidential adviser I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby.


6. I Lost My Son to a War I Oppose. We Were Both Doing Our Duty. by Andrew Bacevich, published May 27.
A father tries to make sense of his nation's tragedy and his family's.


5. Victory Is Not an Option by William E. Odom, published Feb. 11.

A former head of Army intelligence argues that Congress should wake up to the failure in Iraq and the futility of trying to democratize that country.


4. Bush: 'I Am Relevant' by Dan Froomkin, published Oct. 17.
The president said it, but Froomkin has his doubts.


3. Pratfall in Damascus, editorial, published April 5.
The Post's editorial board criticizes House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's trip to Syria and her statements about negotiating peace with Israel.


2. Why Bush Will Be a Winner by William Kristol, published July 15.
A rousing (and controversial) defense of the president's legacy. The rebuttal, Why Bush is a Loser by David Corn, was also high on the most-popular list. But the top spot goes to:


1. Retreat Isn't an Option by Liz Cheney, published Jan. 23.
On the day of the State of the Union address, the vice president's daughter, a former deputy assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs, argues in favor of continuing the Iraq war.