What he said
The Commissar, noting that the mainstream blogs (wow, who’d have ever thought that would be a blog meme?) have failed, on the filibuster coverage:
The Main Stream Bloggers have wholly failed us on the filibuster deal. They are a disgrace. Malkin, Kos, Krempasky, Josh Marshall, Captain Ed, Atrios, Hewitt, Kevin Drum, Powerline, and the rest have reduced themselves to narrow, knee-jerk partisan rantings. They predictably parrot a party line precisely skewed one standard deviation to the left or right on every single issue.
They are incapable of original thought. They are unsuccessful 21st Century Turing machines, imitating human imagination, but not quite achieving it.
Ouch! Politics ruining blogging’s long praised objectivity was just a matter of time.
Of course, post election, the Commissar has been taking shots at various conservatives (notably, in his evolution debates which are here). Not many bloggers break from the line they supposedly toe and it’s good to see someone willing to do that.
He also notes that bloggers are riding the anger train:
For the Main Stream Bloggers to rant on and on about sell-outs, disappointments, cowards, Party traitors, etc. etc. is shameful. And why do they indulge in such divisive nonsense? Because, in a Pavlovian-like reaction, they have learned over time that harshness and vitriol sells, or at least draws traffic. Thus, in the guise of thoughtful political commentary, they regularly churn out manufactured controversy. Even in a simple, easy-to-evalute case like the filibuster deal, they can’t stop themselves from pumping their Sitemeters. It’s beneath contempt.
Maybe I should start blogging angry to draw some traffic? Les and I had this discussion the other night. I noted that my traffic has leveled off and is no longer on the upward trend and asked Les (who is an internet guru) what to do. I told him I thought blogging angry would do it. I guess selling out to a party would too.
May 25th, 2005 at 3:35 pm
I blog angry all the time and it hasn’t helped me.
Oh, wait – I don’t have a site meter thingy either.
🙂
May 25th, 2005 at 3:53 pm
My traffic keeps growing, but I am way way way off from yours – so I don’t know if its fair to compare.
However, traffic seems to increase the most when I start posting pictures about local events, start frequenting internet discussion groups more regularly, and when I comment on new (for me) blogs.
Don’t go negative and ranting – unless you can do it with style and grace. On the occasional topic its fine, but your site is so much better than that generally.
As for the mainstream bloggers – I posted some time ago (and am willing to take credit for being the first (or at least the first I say) to say so) that blogging had jumped the shark.
May 26th, 2005 at 2:50 pm
I like long pieces on firearms.
Here’s an idea. Answer this question:
Why, given the advances in material science (including springs) hasn’t anyone produced a simple inexpensive blowback semi-automatic like the Makarov, but in a more capable round than 9×18 or .380?
Yours,
Wince