When he came to work at The Times, Mr. Silver gained a lot more visibility and the credibility associated with a prominent institution. But he lost something, too: the right to act like a free agent with responsibilities to nobody’s standards but his own.

We should not bomb Iran. We should end the war in Afghanistan tomorrow. Bring the troops home tomorrow. Marriage equality is a constitutionally guaranteed right on par with civil rights in the 60s. Let’s end the drug war. Legalize marijuana now. Let’s repeal the Patriot Act.