Alternate readability...

What contributes to the readability of http://www.rnc.org?

My answer: that depends a whole lot on who the reader is. Are you coming to the site to find out information about George W. Bush, his administration or its policies? Well, then you'd better be a critical reader of website or you're pretty much SOL--that information is buried deep on the rnc site, if it's there at all. However, if you're coming to the site to find out what the RNC thinks about John Kerry, why, then you're in luck! This is the site for you! You hardly even need to know how to navigate through a website to find yet another negative (and often mocking) "factoid" about the Democratic candidate. (Here's an interesting factoid of my own: on the RNC homepage, John Kerry is mentioned 24 times. George W. Bush? 3. )

So, to sum up, to read this site in the way it's apparently meant to be read, you need few if any skills beyond the ability to point-and-click. No matter where you go on the site, you're sure to encounter the RNC's message about John Kerry, and in that way, the site is very "readable." However, if you're looking for something more substantial, you're in for some difficulty.