Jeff, you've got it.
A8's opinions are perfectly valid, no matter how many people disagree with them (or agree, for that matter, as I do find A8's perspective worth hearing much of the time. Certainly any poster with a command of grammar and vocabulary is worth hearing out.)
The arrogance of presuming authoritative statements on behalf of the general public, assuming an entire audience is uniform in its derision (or enchantment), the sweeping declarative statements and the ever-popular victim card is tiresome and overwrought. The content of what A8 believes is rarely troublesome to me. The air of persecution and rhetoric of presumed superiority in the writing is what rankles most. (Those who are kneejerk reactionaries are troublesome in their own right, and A8 is correct to scorn them when they scorn him.)
As for this thread, I had forgotten the Pulitzer's stated intent to focus on American themes, so I presume HERE LIES LOVE wouldn't be much in the running, but RUINED did win not too long ago and I now recall that stirring up a little tempest about what "American themes" meant. Clearly, though, we aren't having much difficulty coming up with interesting selections this year and yet there isn't a clear frontrunner. I will be curious to hear the announcement when it's made!
Words don't deserve that kind of malarkey. They're innocent, neutral, precise, standing for this, describing that, meaning the other, so if you look after them you can build bridges across incomprehension and chaos. But when they get their corners knocked off, they're no good anymore…I don't think writers are sacred, but words are. They deserve respect. If you get the right ones in the right order, you can nudge the world a little.