A proud liberal, Rich writes with verve, humor, and industrial-grade vitriol. His columns typically target the right, whether it’s the Bush White House, congressional Republicans, or conservative pundits. But he has expressed deep disappointment with Democrats, including President Obama, using the same rhetorical weapons. Perhaps as a holdover from his years of theater criticism, Rich frequently focuses on the different styles of politics.

As a theater critic, his unsparing takedowns earned him the nickname "The Butcher of Broadway." In 2003, he turned his cleaver on The Passion of the Christ. In the face of accusations of making a terrible film and being an “unambiguous anti-Semite,” an outraged Mel Gibson demanded Rich's "entrails on a stick."