Bob Woodward thinks the need for speed and the lack of patience are the bane of modern journalism.

"My problem with the media environment now is defined by two things: speed and patience," the Pulitzer Prize-winner told an audience at the Hanover Marriott last week. "I think you get the story by being slow and patient. When [Carl Bernstein and I] broke the Watergate story, we would do drafts. Two or three weeks would pass before a story would be published. Now, it looks like we have incremental advances on a story. Somebody will ask, ‘Can we get it on the Web site by 10 a.m.?'"

Woodward said there are fewer stories that make newspaper readers stop in mid-activity, such as eating breakfast. He called these "bacon-cooling moments" — a term that drew a bemused murmur from the audience, mostly supporters of the United Jewish Appeal of MetroWest NJ.

"Of course, that wouldn't apply to you," Woodward said to appreciative laughter.

The journalist and author spoke to an audience of more than 400 at Metro Magic, an annual fund-raising event sponsored by UJA of MetroWest New Jersey.

In addition to critiquing his colleagues in the media and gatekeepers in the White House, Woodward responded to questions from the audience, at one point disagreeing with a questioner who suggested that the current global climate is "more dangerous" than it was for previous generations.

"Those comparisons are kind of academic," he said. He did concede, however, that "it is a really dangerous time. One thing that President Bush said that is really true…is that the stakes could not be higher. Things could explode in the Middle East in a way we can't even think of."

If that climate is as perilous as the politicians warn, shouldn't the American public be asked to make some sacrifice, as the nation did during World War II, Woodward asked?

"The [Iraq] war has been outsourced to the military; the leadership has not asked for any sacrifice from lots of people," he said. "There should be an effort to give in some meaningful way."

Woodward then asked for a show of hands by those who feel they had made a "personal sacrifice" as a result of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq or the war on terror. Not a single hand went up in response.

"See? The leadership of the country has not asked for it, and if there's any group of people that would be willing to, in a serious way, make a contribution, this is the group — and you do it for Israel."

He called the men and women serving in the military "our surrogates. They're there because we're not. What do we owe them? We owe them everything."

Woodward lamented that while American troops struggle overseas, politicians at home can't seem to find a way to work together to find a solution.

"Domestic politics now border on hate," he said. "It's getting to that dangerous level where the struggle becomes so partisan, so angry and hateful. People have to settle down and work vigilantly and make the effort to achieve some sort of consensus. No one knows better than this [audience] what hate leads to. We get on that train too often in American politics, and we better watch ourselves."

MetroMagic was cochaired by Shari and Mark Bernstein of Boonton, Amy and Larry Freundlich of Short Hills, and Sharon and Jimmy Schwarz of South Orange.