Only The Beginning

I saw a new biography of Norman Rockwell at the library so I checked it out.  It's by Deborah Solomon, a well known writer for The New York Times.  Like most Americans, I've seen a lot of Rockwell's art but know nothing about him.

In the introduction we get this:

The great subject of his work was American life [....] Doctors spend time with patients whether or not they have health insurance.[....] Citizens at town hall meetings stand up and speak their mind without getting booed or shouted down by gun-toting rageaholics.

So rather than simply introduce her subject, she sees even a homely description of Rockwell's America as a chance to take cheap shots related to modern political issues.  This may be the sort of stuff that got her patted on the head at the Times, but doesn't she want her book to be better than that?

Ms. Solomon, let's do a thought experiment.  Let's say someone else has written this book, and they're describing the America that Rockwell's work invokes.  Here are two of the sentences:

Doctors spend time with patients whether or not they've signed up for Obamacare.  Citizens at town hall meetings stand up and speak their mind without worrying that the IRS will audit them if they hold the wrong views.

Would you find these sentences helpful, or intrusive? And what would you think of such an author? Would you believe you could trust her as a reasonably objective biographer?  Just asking.