Keeping Up With The Blogging Joneses?

By Big Tent Democrat, Section Blog Related
Posted on Wed Feb 27, 2008 at 04:03:26 PM EST
Tags: (all tags)

Share This: Digg!

By Big Tent Democrat

Kevin Drum writes:

I'd say that some of the worst posts I've written (this one, for example) have come when I noticed that a lot of other people were writing about something and I felt like that meant I had to weigh in too. But, really, it's just the opposite: if everybody else is already writing about something, what's the marginal value of one more opinion? Unless I have something genuinely new to say, pretty small.

(Emphasis supplied.) I think that the part of Kevin's statement that I emphasize is true for most of us bloggers. I think some of the clearinghouse blogs really can't ignore big viral stories, but the rest of us can avoid "me tooism." That said, lots of times it is important to blog about a much blogged story when you believe, as I very often do these days, that most of the Left blogs are wrong and wrongheaded.

Heck, I think that is the bigger problem, a real hesitance to state disagreement with the prevailing Left blog wisdom.

< Boston's 'Safe Homes' Initiative Isn't About Safety | Is Obama Building The Democratic Party? >

Legal

Nothing on this site should be construed as legal advice. TalkLeft does not give legal advice.

TalkLeft is not responsible for and often disagrees with material posted in the comments section. Read at your own risk.

Keeping Up With The Blogging Joneses? | 26 comments (26 topical)

Readers Must Login or Create an Account to Comment

Great point. A democracy requires (none / 0) (#1)
by my opinion on Wed Feb 27, 2008 at 04:13:05 PM EST

free and open discussions by informed citizens that don't all necessarily go along with any prevailing wisdom or opinion.

free and open discussions (none / 0) (#2)
by Capt Howdy on Wed Feb 27, 2008 at 04:16:54 PM EST

based on my experience, dont try this at home (on your local leftie blog)

And exhibit A (none / 0) (#3)
by fladem on Wed Feb 27, 2008 at 04:18:55 PM EST

in the evidence of thoughtspeak would be the defense of the MoveOn Betray Us Ad.

: how so? (none / 0) (#13)
by Nasarius on Wed Feb 27, 2008 at 06:07:55 PM EST

Aside from the lame word play, what's the problem with attacking Petraeus? Glenn Greenwald, for example, has provided extensive evidence that Petraeus is a partisan hack.

Fast reaction (none / 0) (#4)
by Stellaaa on Wed Feb 27, 2008 at 04:22:34 PM EST

Fast reaction sometimes is devoid of critical thinking and analysis. Often times all the info is not at hand. I would love to see an analysis of how often first reactions are wrong. What happens then even if someone is wrong they have to defend it and hold on to the mistake. So letting go of some and taking time to comment is better, but alas the readers are like sharks, they want it and want it now.

Never in doubt (none / 0) (#5)
by Big Tent Democrat on Wed Feb 27, 2008 at 04:25:50 PM EST

and rarely wrong . . .

I make plenty of mistakes. I like to think I correct them graciously.


: I think you do (none / 0) (#9)
by Stellaaa on Wed Feb 27, 2008 at 04:38:09 PM EST

But the MSM and other bloggers continue to defend the initial mistake, it becomes the story. One example I think the race card spin from the Obama campaign will prove how the viral blogging made that story. Willentz has an analysis that I find a good first critical piece on the subject. Willentz story

: Hmmm. (none / 0) (#22)
by jerry on Wed Feb 27, 2008 at 07:30:30 PM EST

How true (none / 0) (#7)
by Lou Grinzo on Wed Feb 27, 2008 at 04:34:36 PM EST

One of the things that I tired of is the endless, extreme pendulum swings in opinion you see on (ahem) some web sites. I've likened it to those scenes from Star Trek where the ship is under attack and the cast has to run from side to side on the set.

Whether it's material posted by the proprietor or merely one of the visitors, those high-speed U-turns tend to create a self-reinforcing effect that diminishes the value of a site.

I was considering changing my site (The Cost of Energy) to a much more wide open format, using scoop or something similar, and this pendulum phenomenon was one of the things that made me reject the idea.


Something I've never understood (none / 0) (#6)
by kmblue on Wed Feb 27, 2008 at 04:28:09 PM EST

is the seeming inability of some politicians
to admit mistakes.
Bush is the prime example of this.
Why?
Do they think their world will crumble into dust
if they say "I was wrong?"
Shucks, I do it all the time. ;)

Greg Sargent didnt get the memo (none / 0) (#8)
by Capt Howdy on Wed Feb 27, 2008 at 04:35:35 PM EST

he is posting at horses mouth that cnn is finally talking about some of the questions about Obamas judgment and associations and posits that it could be because of the fact that Hillary and the campaign have been talking about the media unfairness rather relentlessly.

: Good for Greg (none / 0) (#10)
by Big Tent Democrat on Wed Feb 27, 2008 at 04:38:21 PM EST

: Taylor Marsh (none / 0) (#12)
by Kathy on Wed Feb 27, 2008 at 06:06:24 PM EST

has the CNN video on her site. Pretty even-handed story, I think (with the requisite dig at Clinton to make certain)

wow, double meta (none / 0) (#11)
by s5 on Wed Feb 27, 2008 at 05:09:04 PM EST

A me too about me tooing.

Kevin Drum (none / 0) (#14)
by Miss Devore on Wed Feb 27, 2008 at 06:23:44 PM EST

I could choke to death laughing.

The Kevin Drum that thought Robert Scheer went "too far"?

Thank goddess they bumped Scheer from the latimes and Jonah Goldberg got a gig.

lefty bloggers?

: Scheer has an interesting (none / 0) (#16)
by oculus on Wed Feb 27, 2008 at 06:49:46 PM EST

piece up at Huff Post pointing out that, despite telecom lobbying, McCain voted against permitting media expansion.

Blogsphere as MSM (none / 0) (#15)
by koshembos on Wed Feb 27, 2008 at 06:44:09 PM EST

The advantage of both Jeralyn and Big tent lies in honesty, civility, critical thinking, respect for others and, quite important, relatively short posts. By definition, therefore most of the posts here are different than most other posts in other blogs.

As for the Kos&Co. blogs, it is said that when god wants to punish someone, god takes away her/his brains. Kos&Co are raving lunatics on the same level as Russert, Williams and Mathews are.

Amazing meta post. (none / 0) (#17)
by oculus on Wed Feb 27, 2008 at 06:52:09 PM EST

It does seem that, if a certain % of blogs addresses something, the pile on effect is immediate.

worse is the msm being so slow to react (none / 0) (#18)
by Kathy on Wed Feb 27, 2008 at 06:55:06 PM EST

Obama accepted Clinton's statement that the photo did not come from anyone in her campaign yet immediately after the debate, Tweety talked about the photo as if it was leaked by the Clinton campaign. Same with CNN this morning, and then later their webpage had a pathetic article about the photo phlap and didn't really clarify until the end that it was not, in fact, from the campaign.


: Purposely. (none / 0) (#19)
by oculus on Wed Feb 27, 2008 at 06:59:33 PM EST

Which seems to be the whole (none / 0) (#21)
by oculus on Wed Feb 27, 2008 at 07:15:38 PM EST

point of this post.

Though I sometimes (none / 0) (#23)
by facta non verba on Wed Feb 27, 2008 at 07:52:35 PM EST

wish I could have opined because I don't catch a thread in time. I like the fact that TalkLeft limits its thread to 200 comments. Let's face much of what needs to said in those comments. Whatever else is often on the margin.

This blog along with CorrenteWire, OneGoodMove.org, FiredDogLake, Digby, and Crooks&Liars are my favorite in terms of breath of coverage, topics and opinion. C&L is a little uncivil these days, the others remain civil because like Jeralyn & BTD they enforce standards.

I've stopped going to TPM. If one to hear Obama's TPM, I'll visit his website. And I blame Arianna Huffington more than anyone for the divide in the Democratic Party. In her hatred of all things Clinton, she has led the Democrats down an aisle of vitriol. If I am voting for Nader, it's because of the attacks on Obama surrogates on both Edwards and Clinton on the Huffington Post. Every time I think of Lawrence O'Donnell, I want to scream.

I do think that the blogs are pro-Obama generally because that's their demographic. White, college-educated who own computers. 60% of US households have a computer I think. And only 80% of those have an Internet connection. How many of those are progressives or even mainstream Democrats? And then who has the time and energy or even interest in participating in these debates?

Not the single working mother of three. Not the Erin Brockovichs who form a large part of Clinton's base.

: Exactly (none / 0) (#25)
by SoCali on Wed Feb 27, 2008 at 08:15:23 PM EST

Plus I get the feeling that in order to increase their readership and ad monies they go with what is popular.
On another but similar note, I can hardly watch KO lately. He has spent too much time with Tweety and Tim. Maybe another example of building his ratings on the back of Obamamania.

Left Blogs? (none / 0) (#24)
by SoCali on Wed Feb 27, 2008 at 08:11:41 PM EST

Can we start a list of "Left Blogs?" Once Billmon left the scene, I certainly don't see a Liberal A-list blogger left. Kos, Josh and John all do great work but liberal???? Not so much. Even
Atrios, I can't tell. I started reading Talkleft a bit more recently just because it was an alternative to Obamamania among the A-list. You just know when Kos, John and Josh all play into what is popular you have the makings of a disaster.
Does anyone have suggestion for a liberal blog?

: Digby is usually thought provoking. (none / 0) (#26)
by oculus on Thu Feb 28, 2008 at 12:51:59 AM EST

I suppose that's why I keep (none / 0) (#27)
by Militarytracy on Thu Feb 28, 2008 at 09:45:54 AM EST

returning here to read what's up and what's going on. I'm giant glad that you are here and that you blog with "J", this place is often a refreshing haven for me because being worshipful is not required and even sometimes frowned upon ;) I have to sew the rank on my husband's new helmet cover today because he is participating in a live fire practice this weekend. Worship Who? Can't I just chuck this stupid helmet at them and be done with it all? They have all "SUPPORTED" our troops with their votes now haven't they, and made the need of this new stupid beyond stupid helmet cover a necessity!