Comments on: It Ain’t Beanbag

By: Keith Taylor

Keith Taylor — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:00:00 +0000

I've found that in my year or so of reading blogs I've gradually moved right from my previous left-wing position. This has been, I believe, mostly due to some excellent right wing opinions I've found in the blogosphere. My writing has moved on since the days of worldwarbush.com to the point at which I can admit that maybe George Bush isn't the evil little monkey I always thought he was.

He's still an idiot, mind you. Just not evil.

By: James Joyner

James Joyner — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:00:00 +0000

Progress!

By: King of Fools

King of Fools — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:00:00 +0000

Nice to see some progress. I stay away from the vitrol on both sides. I'm fairly conservative but I don't read LGF anymore - the comments are too far over the top. I would rather read thought out arguments.

By: Paul

Paul — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:00:00 +0000

I've found that in my year or so of reading blogs I've gradually moved right from my previous left-wing position.

Keith I surfed your blog. I assume you have heard that quote from Winston Churchill:

"If you are not liberal when you are young you have no heart. If you are not conservative when you are old, then you have no brain."

You are 22 so you are liberal. But I can tell you have a brain... We'll win. ;-)

Paul

By: legion

legion — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:00:00 +0000

Well, I'm (mostly) a lefty - I read Kos and Oliver W and a few other sites because I like the writing of those people. But I rarely look through the comments on those sites. Why? Because it's boring to discuss issues with people who hold the same point of view as you. Oh sure, there are plenty of people on both sides who're only interested in the mental masturbation of "me too!", but I spend much more time looking through the comments at places like this and VodkaPundit precisely because they lean right (and I like a balanced diet of propaganda :-) and the posters are largely sane and civil (even if they're wrong :-). Seriously though, like the quote from Paul, it's just more interesting to discuss things with different people.

By: mark

mark — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:00:00 +0000

Damn. I use "asshat" in my blog. But I find it very therapeutic after reading posts that borderline on insanity.

By: akim

akim — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:00:00 +0000

I guess what actually changes minds is not so much political discourse as the reality of events - when a certain rherotical line deviates too much from observable reality (if you care to take a close look) those who were previously following that line, right or left, will shrink back a bit and start wondering what's amiss. For instance, there is much complaint from every side about media bias. Yeah, well. The media, everywhere in this world, edit like hell - what's good about some parts of the blogosphere (not all of it for sure) is that you can gain access to additional in-depth information and put it all together for yourself. So far I am finding that the most enlightening and hard-to-come-by infos are to be found not in major or even more or less known blogs, but with some recondite bloggers having access to things most people/media are quite simply not aware of. Big op-eds in big press are rather often based on amazingly superficial information - and heated debate that surrounds these op-eds thus appears somewhat hollow by contrast. I am certain that my picture of "current events" would be vastly different if I only had access to major western media - n.american and european (as I remember it being from before discovering those blogs). So my view is: the informational aspect of blogosphere is really much more important than its more "shockingly" visible political heat-field. It jumps at you when you first dip in but it's not what makes it worthwhile in the end. Also, I think intemperate language and insult is ok when you don't aim at attracting readers and ruling minds - when you do, it's a liability and a fucking crime :)

By: Rooftop Report

Rooftop Report — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:00:00 +0000

Morning Bang
Sorry for the lack of posts, Easter called. Jumping right back in: - So, I know guessing when Andrew Sullivan is going Dem is fun, but how about we start a pool on McCain as well? I have May 27th.

By: PoliBlog

PoliBlog — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:00:00 +0000

Seeking the Reasonable
I think that the Rooftop Report misses my point on the contents and styles of some bloggers:Steven Taylor has given up reading Kos, Atrios, and Little Green Footballs due to their heavily slanted coverage. Strangely he has not said anything...

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