Hey, don't feel bad. Lots of lurkers like me love your blog because of what you actually do write, so that probably balances some of the people who are pissed about some delusion involving you. I'm personally quite grateful that you read a lot of the stuff I don't have time to, yet aren't part of the weird, inexplicable, unthinking villager careerist consensus that people get pulled towards. You were able to maintain critical thinking about both Obama and Hillary, and a variety of other subjects, and actually adapt to new information. I read you because your opinions stand out. I read Digby, you, PZ Myers, Alas, and a few others. I also do miss Max Sawicky though. 
I'm sorry people are pulling away. I have a whole shelf of "Elitist" awards, myself, and they're mostly for positions and attitudes I don't hold.
I've been reading you, Avedon, regularly for several years. I suspect some of those people have not. During the primaries you were a level head when much of the Liberal blogoshpere had lost their ever-loving minds. I can see where you're aggravated over this.
I must admit that at some point in the campaign I deleted you from my daily reads, I'm back and you were right.
Ahem... he's half white. And in Goldman Sachs' pockets from the gitgo.
You've always beeb The Lady in my little corner of these dusty tomes. There are (were) a number of prominent "lefty" sites - "coasters" and "talkers" and such ilk - I stopped visiting back when they were all behaving as Rushpublicans and Faux News personalities over Obama v Clinton, and haven't returned since.
Their loss, not mine.
Clinton is a Bilderberger, 'nuff said? That she's the big O's SoS speaks for itself.
Been, always been, The Lady.
Damned HP laptop keyboard.
It seems that some people still pick at scabs.
I know that as a Clinton supporter I still carry a lot of anger over the way She was treated and the way friends treated me during the election.
I just think it's better that we deal with what's happening now, than sing neener neener games.
Avedon, I don't comment often and I tend to write short things but I read you because you're clear and concise. And interesting. (Besides I miss your writing in another venue.) Your blog is my starting point in the morning. I surf through your blog roll because of the range of sites you have on it. You are doing good work which I hope you will keep doing. You don't deserve what that piece said.
Forgot to add that I love your garden pictures. I have a terrace and sit outside a lot, but I haven't been able to grow flowers in pots. I covet your garden.
Illegitimus nom carboendeum.
Don't let them get to you.
Your's is an honorable and intelligent blog that doesn't shill for the flavor of the day.
Wish more were like you.
This is an example of what I have come to dislike about blogs and their comment threads. They are an extraordinarily efficient othering platform.
You were tarred and feathered in less than fifty comments and not one of those peeps, including the author of the piece, knows if what they are saying is true or not.
"Ahem... he's half white. "
As if racism in the U.S. has vanished without a trace. Ahem.
BTW, the memo didn't come from Axelrod, but from the Obama campaign's South Carolina Press Secretary. Obviously, it could have originated from Axelrod, but that's another story. FWIW, Obama and Axelrod did later say it was the wrong thing to do, but of course the cow was already out of the barn. If anything, the flap *about* the memo was far more heated than the actual contents of said memo were. But again, that's another story.
My own opinion, for what it's worth, is that the flap over the memo wasn't consequential in South Carolina, which Obama was heavily favored to win and did. What it did do was cause Bill Clinton to be more circumspect about criticizing Obama, but then Bill was always both a help and a burden to Hilary and couldn't play too big a role in her campaign without the danger of overshadowing her.
But for me the memo wasn't the ugliest thing that happened during the primary campaign. I think it was when Hilary Clinton tried desperately to play games with counting delegates from Michigan and Florida, that was the closest the Democratic Party came to having a very ugly split that could well have exploded at the convention in Denver. Thankfully sanity prevailed and a floor fight was avoided.
N0...you don't deserve that crap.
I enjoy reading your blog whenever I get the chance. You've long been included in my first tier of political/social online commentaries I may have penned a response or two over the years, but mostly I don't have the time to engage you and/or your commenters. I have never read (nor heard of) Riverdaughter until today. I'm certain I know why that is the case.
At any rate, just continue being yourself. That is why I come here.
Jemerson
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.
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David, David, you have completely rewritten the history of the delegates from Mich and Fla. if anyone abused the system it was the behind the scenes horsetrading that went on. And let's not forget who led that why the always neutral Donna Brazille.
You are in very good company, Avedon. The Confluence attacks the extraordinary people. You only have to look a couple of posts ahead of yours to see they actually attack commenters with lengthy posts, as well.
Many other bloggers, and a good share of commenters have been put through the Confluence mincing machine.
Was the point of riverdaughter's argument that you have some obligation to read her smug, self-important posts?
David, David, you have completely rewritten the history of the delegates from Mich and Fla.
There's nothing to be rewritten with regard to the flap over whether and how those delegates from Michigan and Florida were to be counted in late May and early June of 2008, and how Hilary Clinton tried very hard to get a favorable result for her own chances, regardless of what had gone on months prior to that when both Michigan and Florida insisted on bucking the Democratic Party's primary schedule and were sanctioned for doing so. While the Republicans handled it far better than the Democrats did, the fact is that Hilary Clinton went along with it only to change her mind when she was desperate to overcome Obama's slim delegate lead.
Here's a news story from the time, FYI:
How Clinton Shifted on Michigan, Florida Delegates
And believe it or not, I knew all that before I even googled on the subject. So much for rewriting history!
Oh David, my goodness. Let's just talk about Michigan, then. One of the candidates wasn't even on the ballot, yet he was handed all the delegates who didn't vote for the candidate who was on the ballot, plus 4 of hers because the Rules Committee decided some people probably voted for Clinton ONLY because Obama wasn't on their ballot.
What about all the states where serious complaints and cheating took place on the caucuses? I'm sure you can find some 1-sided history on google for that, too.
Why no, David, racism isn't dead. I experience it every day, and I'm only five eighths "white". Guess you missed the whole "in Goldman Sachs' pockets from the gitgo" thing.
What matter the color of the puppet's skin?
Hi Avedon. I only do one main post per week on Thursdays so I was a little behind on the Goldman Sachs angle, but it's legitimate for you to note the silence. It's been very quiet on the left on this one.
For the record, I only weighed in heavily on the primaries once on this site and in was in criticism of Clinton. I never felt like you were in the tank for either candidate, though my general impression was that you leaned towards Hillary. The post by riverdaughter strikes me as very thin skinned and more interested in avenging a perceived slight than accurately characterizing your writing at the time.
P.S. WHERE IS MY FUCKING BLOGROLL LINK?!
HarDeeHarHar, there was no way to fairly deal with Michigan's delegates since as you say Clinton's name was on the ballot while Obama's and Edward's weren't. Trying to fairly divine the voters intent after the fact wasn't possible, period. All you could do is punt, which is exactly what the DNC did by counting them but in such a way that they had no impact on the final Democratic primary result. Clinton surely knew this, but chose to risk a convention floor fight anyway as her chances to win dwindled. (Seriously, her last hope to stop Obama was to beat him in the North Carolina primary, but she failed.)
As for the caucus states and cheating, that's so much sour grapes, with a side of grudge in your case it seems. Oh well.
Riverdaughter and her coterie of idiots went off the rails many moons ago.
When that blog decided to jump in the tank for Sarah Palin because they decided her vagina was the ultimate trump card to decent policies and experience, the Confluence showed that it was no longer a blog worth reading.
You don't need anything from petty morons like those. In the immortal words of Truman Capote: "Fug 'em."
Why no, David, racism isn't dead. I experience it every day, and I'm only five eighths "white". Guess you missed the whole "in Goldman Sachs' pockets from the gitgo" thing.
Then I suggest you leave the subject of race out of it entirely rather than lead with it. The funny thing is that I hear from Republicans all the time about how it was Obama's cool blackness that fooled people. Honestly, Obama didn't win because he's black.
How can you take seriously a person who too few watts to be able to determine your gender, Avedon?
On the bright side, The Sideshow doesn't seem to attract The Tedious Haranguer (besides Tom, anyway) that is the bane of MercRising. I envy you the nice, generally-supportive community that Sideshow attracts, even if you do get the occasional nastygram.
How can you take seriously a person who too few watts to be able to determine your gender, Avedon?
On the bright side, The Sideshow doesn't seem to attract The Tedious Haranguer (besides Tom, anyway) that is the bane of MercRising. I envy you the nice, generally-supportive community that Sideshow attracts, even if you do get the occasional nastygram.
Yeh, I think maybe being styled "This Avedon creature" at The Confluence could be seen as a compliment, given the tone of the conversation you linked to. Voltaire's Prayer and all that.
No, you don't deserve it.
Riverdaughter/goldberry, not too long ago, seized upon a post I wrote that questioned the motives of persistent PUMA-haters (i.e., a sympatheitic post toward those likeminded to her) as an opportunity to post a torrent of wholly unsupported accusations. It's pretty unfortunate, because they really had the opportunity to own the high ground.
Hillary's 18 million really do deserve some sort of representation, don't they?
And, Avedon, every word you say in this post is true.
Including "crap."
Stay cool, this is a great site. Keep doing your thing.
FWIW Avedon, I haven't delinked you,I just gave up on blogrolling and decided to but my own code up, and I've been a bit slothful about it.
vastleft - I remember that exchange and the spillover pity party that took place at The Confluence over it.
That's become such a pattern with those Front Pagers that they've really lost all credibility with me. myiq2xwho and BB are chronic whiners and attack commenters quite regularly. Then, they wonder why they lose contributors, readers and commenters.
My own opinion, for what it's worth, is that the flap over the memo wasn't consequential in South Carolina
David W., what on Earth makes you think the memo was about South Carolina?
It's also indicative that the Confluence post came after you apologized to them, and gave them a link. For the forensic bloggers out there, do check out VastLeft's above, because the pattern is the same: Reach out to the Confluence, and they try to take your arm off all the way to the shoulder.
(As a troll prophylactic, I don't see the Confluence and the PUMAs as the same thing, though the personnel overlap.)
I suggested that there was something really creepy about the accusations of racism from Obama-supporters aimed at non-Obama-supporters.
And there was and is something really creepy and stupid about charges of classism against Obama supporters from people who got suckered by Hillary's or Edward's faux-populist BS.
Just to clean up the matter, after wading through all the weird CT stuff, I found this quote from Riverdaughter, which I think is especially rich:
".... I guess I’m feeling a bit like Dan Froomkin these days. ..."
In your dreams.
No, Avedon, you didn't deserve such crap. And this is from someone who did on occasion accuse you of being in the tank for Hillary during the primary season...which you certainly were and are not.
The fact that Obama has been the disappointment of the century for progressives everywhere does not deviate the fact that Hillary Clinton did indeed run the race card up and down throughout the primary season, resorting to the likes of Gerry Ferraro to stoke the "working class Americans...White Americans" smack.
And, it doesn't obviate one bit the fact that sites like the one attacking you for insufficient homeage to Saint Hillary were the first to flap about the progressive feminist credentials of Sarah Palin when their shero was denied the nomination and even graciously decided to work for Obama's election.
Now, of course, they want to take full advantage of Obama's slippage to say that Hillary was THE CHOSEN PROGRESSIVE the whole time....yeah, right.
Hillary would have been in the same position now as Obama is now..not because she is better or worse than our current president, but because the Democratic Party as a whole is in the pocket of the same corporate/industrial/intellegensia complex that has despoiled and frustrated progressive/liberal/Left hopes for the past 40 years.
But hey...let them have their fantasies of Hillary run in 2012...I guess that's all they can count on.
If you are going to bust someone for not being a PUMA, ladies, at least get the aim right. Avedon's not your puppet.
Anthony
You're my first non-adult-industry read every morning ... and considering how crooked politicians are in general, for Obama fans to give you shit about your early support for Hillary -- a position which I shared, by the bye -- says to me that these are not deep political thinkers. EXPECT TO GET SCREWED BY POLITICIANS! It's their nature ... and gotta say, Obama's pulled enough unconstitutional crap so far that the honeymoon's long over, as far as I'm concerned.
Avedon - regarding your reference to that crap at the Confluence. Me thinks that there is too much two-way sycophanting going on here. When you are repeatedly referred to as "The Great Avedon" on a blog, you want to return the favor by pointing out that this blog did something that "hardly anyone else" did. When Riverdaughter complained, you expressed your 'hurt feelings' on your blog. What followed was an outcry of support for you. Rest assured, you are loved. Is that not what you wanted to hear?
Btw, as one person against censorship of pornography to another, I think your opinions on pornogarhy are crap. Have you ever heard of "THE FEMALE GAZE", as opposed to the male gaze to which you so oft cater to in your blog. If not, you might want to investigate it. It will shatter some of your 'false' and self-serving assumptions.
Most women whom I am aware of do not feel compelled to endure nor ever really enjoy half of the blatant portrayals of so-called "sexy" women in magazines or in the media.
I like the Confluence as well as Corrente and Anglachel and many other blogs that have had issues with the Confluence. I admit that I did not visit your site until seeing this over at Corrente so I can't comment on what you or the Confluence said about the other in the past. I was a Hillary supporter who is still angry over what happened during the primaries. I do believe that Hillary would've been a better president than Obama but obviously we will never know.
I also believe that the Confluence has been unfairly attacked by many liberal blogs. This is probably why they remain defensive whenever they remotely expect that someone is calling them racist, Republican, etc. So try to have some sympathy for them as well. That said, I agree that Riverdaughter has not helped her site win over allies. I remember not understanding that post or why she continues to believe that Corrente is the enemy when I've seen them defend PUMAs and the site on several occasions.
It seems to me that our similarities and feelings about the Obama administration are greater than the minor differences that we have. Hopefully, RD will let bygones be bygones. Myiq is snarky but I extremely enjoy his posts and it seems to me that he no longer harbors any resentment towards other blogs besides Anglachel who they believe unjustly called them racist for a post on Acorn.
One thing I hope the Confluence changes is that they concentrate on holding Obama accountable rather than write daily posts on what this so and so blog said about them. The PUMAs will always have enemies in the blogosphere but they shouldn't confuse DKos with sites like this one or Corrente.
I just thought I should mention that you do not deserve this crap, but you do always deserve the crap I give you about your, and some of your pornsick weasel commenters, support of porn.
David W., what on Earth makes you think the memo was about South Carolina?
Only that it came out at that time from Obama's South Carolina campaign and was therefore in play there. The memo itself clearly wasn't about the state per se.
I've been visiting your blog only recently after following a link from Corrente. I only skim Confluence since I think they have been struggling for a focus since the election. I went there last summer because I was choking on the Obama Kool-Aid served up by so called major liberal blogs as well as their anti-Clinton virulence.
This is the first time I have read any of the comments on your posts. My time on the computer is limited and I have found there are very few sites where the commentary is as thoughtful and interesting as the post. That view hasn't changed after reading these.
So, I'll take another helping of Avedon...hold the Comments.
matilda:
You mention, oddly without citing, "a blog" who referes to Avedon as "The Great Avedon," writing:
When you are repeatedly referred to as "The Great Avedon" on a blog, you want to return the favor by pointing out that this blog did something that "hardly anyone else" did.
I'm "impervious" to insults, so calling me a "sycophant" means nothing to me. However, when you say that Avedon's responding to sycophancy you insult and degrade her. One of the great things about Avedon is that she links based on quality. Period. Therefore, you also insult and degrade all the smaller blogs that she links to, who might very well do without recognition if she did not do the work that she does.
treehugger -- Generally the coments are a lot better than this thread.
Hey Avedon
I agree with Ten Bears. You are The Lady.
But you know I don't blogroll, or ask to be blogrolled. But I do link, extensively.
You have your admirers. Never forget that. And Riverdaughter? That's no Goldberry by a long shot. Bombadil would leave that one to the Barrow-wight.
If you are neither an Obot nor a right-winger but, nonetheless, you are very thin skinned and need to belong to a groupthink website, "come together at The Confluence."
In other news, I'm a big, big fan of blogger Bob Somerby; a huge fan of his. That said, Avedon Carol is #1 in my bookmarks.
>The fact that Obama has been the disappointment of the century for progressives everywhere does not deviate the fact that Hillary Clinton did indeed run the race card up and down throughout the primary season,
What crap. It was the Obama campaign that played the reace card-and very effectively. As for Hillary, we will never know how she would have governed, but we do know she ran to the left of Obama (see Krugman for details) and at least we Hillary we wouldn't be stuck with the crushing burdern of "post-bi-partisanship."
Obama was always the worst possible nominee for any genuine liberal (except for Biden-and look where he ended up) but identity politics that confused "black" with "liberal" and the blindness of those who confused fandom with politics gave us Obama (over the wishes of a majority of Democratic voters).
So the only thing I want to hear from former Obama supporters is, "Yup, we blew it." From those who still admire Obama, I don't want to hear anything at all.
Of course, Avedon's mileage may vary.
Mark: I never supported Hillary. My early position on Hillary was essentially, "Oh, no, please, no." As the race progressed and I saw that Obama was clearly no better than Hillary, I started saying, "What's so great about this guy? He's done this, and this, and this, and how is this an improvement?"
Mithras: I didn't fall for the faux populism of either Clinton or Edwards. I didn't trust any of them. I eventually started rooting for Edwards not because I trusted him, but because his rhetoric and focus were improving the debate, and the longer he stayed in the race, the farther to the left he was moving it. I liked him slightly more than I liked the others and saw at least some reason to give him a little bit of benefit of the doubt (people do change), but I remembered that his record in general was really lousy.
Ahhh, but you forgot to read, tdracer...I'm NOT an Obama supporter; I'm not even a Democrat. I'm a Left Independent who voted for Cynthia McKinney and the Green Party last year, mostly because I rejected BOTH Obama AND Hillary as too corporatist and conservative.
You may want to talk all about "identity politics" and the "confusion" of "Black" and "liberal"...but what about the equal conodrum confusing "female" with "liberal"???
Just because you may think that Hillary was the ultimate progressive, td, doesn't make it so...any more than those who thought that Obama merely because he was Black was the ultimate progressive. In my view, BOTH were equally lacking...and if Hillary had been in office rather than Obama, I would gather that we would be saying the same things as we are now.
Either one of them, on the other hand, are virtual Rhodes Scholars in comparison to Bush or McCain/Palin...and though I would not have voted for her if she would have become the Dem nominee, I would still consider her f ar, far superior to any of the Repubs.
Besides...how would you explain how so many Hillary PUMAs were fawning towards Sarah Palin as a besieged candidate merely because of her gender?? Or..who were smacking down Michelle Obama as a "Stepford wife"?? Gee..that's really progressive of you.
In any ways, all this is besides the main point that Avedon was tagged by Confluence mostly because they thought of her as being insufficiently fawning of Queen Hillary...a charge that is, to put it mildly, pure horseshit.
BTW...as one of those "pornsick weasels", allow me to thank you, Avedon, on behalf of sex-positive progressive folk everywhere for your evenhandedness and committment to anticensorship and free sexual expression. And to the haters who may not like her views, I simply say: "Bless your hearts."
Anthony
OOPS...allow me to rephase that penultimate graph:
"In any ways, all this is besides the main point that Avedon was tagged by Confluence mostly because they thought of her as being in the tank for Obama at hte expense of Queen Hillary...a charge that is, to put it mildly, pure horseshit."
Didn't catch the confusing part until now..my apologies.
Anthony
Looked like a confluence of cold, whiny, turds... No reason to put them on my daily reads...
>Ahhh, but you forgot to read, tdracer...
Nope. Your personal politics are irrelevant to my post. But this
>Just because you may think that Hillary was the ultimate progressive, td, doesn't make it so
demonstrates that one of us does indeed have reading comprehension problems. That Hillary was clearly better than Obama doesn't mean she was an ultimate anything.
And in fact like Avedon I mildly supported Edwards, who was not ideal either. But then politics never offers a choice between the good and the perfect; usually it is between the just tolerable and the intolerable. Hillary was the former; Obama was the latter.
Lambert says, "One of the great things about Avedon is that she links based on quality. Period. "
Good point, Lambert. I may disagree with Avedon on an issue, but I have never clicked a link only to say, "What, that fraud?" Say what you will otherwise, she works hard, and thinks about what she posts.
It's a characteristic of those who are good at what they do to respect other people who are good at what they do, even if they disagree.
"shero"?
The word is heroine.
Hillary is a heroine to many people, just as Obama is.
Geeze. The PUMAs are nothing more than the flip side of the Obama Fan Boys. I ignore them both. The primaries are over, Obama won. He and Hillary have kissed and made up and she has one of the top positions in his cabinet. It's time progressives did the same. And I'm speaking as a big time Hillary supporter.
Avedon, don't let the dolts get you down. FWIW, you're my first stop every day.
Avedon,
Just keep doing what you are doing: if everyone is Pissed, it means you are doing it correctly: it's not really THAT lonely, I can honestly say.
credit? heh, good luck with that. everyone's right until they're proven wrong by a smelly logic using DFH in truth, and then it's all "Look! There be Ponies!" and it's like you're invisible.
anyway, nice post. you and i are on about the same page, altho i did endorse obama after the primary, iirc. you know, as in "just don't vote for mccain." anyway, i'm sorry people are still giving you shit and are hung up on that ugly period, just as i'm sorry that a lot of progressives don't want to hear what you're saying, won't or can't.
there's another element of racism here that is seldom discussed, but frankly i don't even to want to bother. we're moving in the right direction on that front. meh. i guess it's good enuff and there are other things to talk about that are more important. i burned out on Drama during the primaries, and if i say less these days, it's bc it's clear to me that for a while longer at least, there are still a lot of people out there who don't want to hear some disturbing, relevant facts about O. ok. i can wait.
Jeebus, CD, don't be such a tease!
Avedon | Homepage | 07.03.09 - 2:55 am | #
exactly. and for the LIFE of me, i cannot figure out what is so goddamn difficult to understand in that statement. really. i can walk and chew gum at the same time, it's not that fucking hard. but some people, still, to this day, "can't hear" that.
If people think of politics as a sport, even as a blood sport, than all that matters is the jersey you wear. So people -- and by "people," I mean "these idiots" -- assume that because Avedon isn't wearing the O jersey, she's wearing the H jersey, and so we're gonna shake our fists at her and yell and chant in unison and yadda yadda yadda. Same deal on the H side. Fans of all kinds give me the creeps.
The eye opener for me was when the Kerrys went to spend some down time with the Schwarzeneggers (sp?) after he conceded. Here you had friendships destroyed and families divided over the 2004 election, but to the players it was just another round. Considering the bitterness of the primaries I would have assumed that Hillary was gonna be in wilderness for the rest of her political career, but instead she has one of the top spots in the cabinet. Everyone needs to step back and realize it's not personal to the players and shouldn't be for us.
"... disturbing, relevant..." I can't stand it!
Just wanted to say hello on my first visit here. As long as Goldman Sachs running our gov't and deciding elections is being discussed here, I'll be back. Thats all that matters right now.We are where we are.
Now, we all must evolve to reveal whats behind the curtain before its too late if it isn't already. Thank you for having the insight and guts to publish what our media wants to hide. As long as they have us at each other's throat, they can sit back and relax. We'll all be joining forces soon so they better watch out. An awakening is happening.
QL, I am pretty sure that the Kerrys went to spend time with Mr. and Mrs. Maria Shriver, not with Mr. and Mrs. Arnold Schwarzenegger. The Kerrys are old friends of the Shriver family.
Hi, Avedon,
I have noticed that my interest in political blogs has waned since the election. I certainly agree with you that Obama is no progressive, and there is much to complain about. However, I'm only interested to the extent that I think my interest can contribute towards changing things for the better.
Back when George W. Bush was in office, and the Republicans had a majority in Congress, I felt that a groundswell of anger towards the Republicans could sweep Democrats into power, and that that would make a big difference. I think it does make a big difference to have Democrats in power.
But now that the Democrats are in power, we are faced with a more difficult challenge: not tipping the scales from one party towards another, but in changing what both parties have in common. The anti-progressive forces at work in America (basically, domination of politics by corporations) are a structural part of our system, affecting both Democrats and Republicans. I personally don't have any idea how to go about changing things.
Will being angry at the system work, the way that being angry at the Republicans turned them out of office? Possibly. But it's a much harder job.
To swing the balance from Democrats to Republicans, we only had to get a small percentage of new people to become angry enough at the Republicans. We're basically a 50/50 nation, and so changing the minds of a few percent of the people can make a huge difference in outcome.
On the other hand, to make structural changes in America, we have to get a majority angry at the current system. Frankly, I don't see that happening. Yes, you can get a majority angry at conditions (lack of health care, bad economy, endless wars, etc.) But most of the angry people will blame the conditions on whatever party is in power, rather than the system that controls both parties. In that sense, political choices (Democrats versus Republicans) work against democracy, because the anger of the people is siphoned off into switching party control, so that it is unavailable for making any real change.
Anyway, my point is that I can't get into being angry at Obama unless I believe that my anger is going to be good for something. That's what I need to be convinced of.
Is the pity party over yet?
Post a link to this, it's important.
http://www.rollingstone.com/
poli..._bubble_machine
"Post a link to this, it's important."
This is irony, right Dr. Geophysics? Not only did Avedon post on this Monday, with a two, follow-ups on Tuesday, the Monday post... Oh, skip it. Must be irony. Has to be.
FWIW, I've heard through the gossip mill that this blogger is a very nice person who had some kind of emotional breakdown and went a little goofy. You certainly didn't deserve that harangue. It's truly sad to see people who can't let the primary bitterness go when our energy would be better spent in pushing Obama to the left.
And I've had you on my first read list for years now and cite you so often, sometimes I think I should just call my blog -- What Avedon said.
Found on CalculatedRisk, here's something to smile grimly about:
The Krugman Blues - Loudon Wainwright III
I'm looking forward to seeing him do it live in Winnipeg next week!
You see how great this web site is? It's ahead of everyone else on the Internet!
Steady on.
The eye opener for me was when the Kerrys went to spend some down time with the Schwarzeneggers (sp?) after he conceded. Here you had friendships destroyed and families divided over the 2004 election, but to the players it was just another round. Considering the bitterness of the primaries I would have assumed that Hillary was gonna be in wilderness for the rest of her political career, but instead she has one of the top spots in the cabinet. Everyone needs to step back and realize it's not personal to the players and shouldn't be for us.
QL- | 07.03.09 - 1:19 pm |
Alot of wisdom there.
The Democrats have been in power since '06....complete power? No, not like they are now. But enough to start to make some changes. They choose not to. I have little hope they will fulfill any of their promises... They have become the new GOP. Obama has even kept on Bush's Sec. of Defense...no need for a change since there will be no change. imo
Took a peek over at The Confluence. As usual, they are responding with accusations that trolls and liars are at work against them. Avedon had no right to respond to RD's post, and misunderstood entirely what RD was saying.
It is the place to go when trashing Obama is on your mind, or addressing a topic from the emotionally frantic point of view. Hardly constructive, and actually harmful. That approach is a barrier to being heard.
Fortunately, they don't have a very big voice.
Real progressives don't support personalities. They support POLICIES, and thus the people who commit to them.
Bingo. Said the same thing myself just this morning.
Thank. You. Susie. And. Lambert.
Exactly.
And if you think that continuing to support the Democrats currently in power will promote progressive policy (any more than Democratic majorities in the past have done....well, I have some desert land here in South Louisiana that I'll sell you for cheap.
And, yes, I know the politically correct word for female hero is "heroine"...but "shero" is a legitimate word, too.
Anthony
Well, now Palin is resigning as governor of Alaska. What a clown show the Republican Party has become.
Look! Over there! Sarah Palin! (Er, speaking of the uselessness of following personalities, David...)
Politics can't help but involve personalities, and you can bet politicians as a rule care a great deal about how theirs is perceived.
Palin is a highly visible politician thanks to McCain's elevation of her to be his VP, which was one of the dumbest things he's ever done. Palin's flaking out of her term as governor just made the Republican Party look that much more ridiculous, which lately is sure saying something!
"but "shero" is a legitimate word, too."
And it's much easier to be snarky with too.
Dr. Geophysics did link to the actual Rolling Stone online copy of the Taibbi article. Heretofore, most of us have been reading pirated copies. (It wouldn't hurt the cause to buy the actual magazine and show your support for the iconoclastic work Taibbi does.)
Here is a companion page with five short Taibbi "interview" videos. In the first two, Taibbi reviews parts of his article. In the next two, Taibbi flushes out his government capture thesis and they are worth a look even if you've read the article; watch here and, especially, here.
[Weird. All the videos over there are playing now, except for the first one l linked to, the "Matt Taibbi Runs Down Goldman' Sachs Graduates with Government Positions" one -- maybe it'll come back.]
Grrr. That should be "fleshes out" in my comment, though Taibbi's article is intended to "flush out" that pack of banksters at Goldman.
"Palin is a highly visible politician thanks to McCain's elevation of her to be his VP, which was one of the dumbest things he's ever done. Palin's flaking out of her term as governor just made the Republican Party look that much more ridiculous, which lately is sure saying something!
David W. | 07.03.09 - 10:32 pm | # "
No, the dumbest thing McCain did was to put Palin in the VP position and then not use her popularity to his own advantage. He was minimized as the candidate because Obama decided to run against the VP on the R ticket rather than the top, and McCain's campaign leaders couldn't figure out how to work that to their benefit. Obama knew from Hillary how hard it is to win against a qualified woman, and he didn't have the power to game the general they way he did the caucuses and the D Rules Committee.
That Palin is bailing now is all that need be said about her as someone who could have been a factor in helping McCain beat Obama.
All I needed to know was her wink, myself. Politics isn't just so much playing to the fourth wall, after all.
"All I needed to know was her wink, myself. Politics isn't just so much playing to the fourth wall, after all.
David W. | 07.03.09 - 11:57 pm | # "
Yes, heaven forbid that any of them step out of the rut that keeps our politicians all the same. Just maybe it's time we get a politician who is a real person with real experience in living in America under the big gov't that has been such a problem for the past several decades.
Just maybe it's time we get a politician who is a real person with real experience in living in America under the big gov't that has been such a problem for the past several decades.
Why yes, you are certainly then against single payer, which has burdened Canada so with its heavy hand of universal health care.
Funny, but my Canadian friends in Winnipeg have a contrary opinion. Who knew?
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Technorati has Riverdaughter at six points higher than Sideshow, so why are they so nuts about the blogroll here? Can I be on the blogroll here?
Not sure I get the whole "credit" thing, when most blogs just link to and comment on other people's posts or news stories. Personally, I find it a bit annoying when I have to click through three or four sites to get at the original story.
What I like about this blog, besides the fact that it's all pretty in pink, and SF+, is that Avedon actually generates original content, and frequently highlights aspects of a stories that others have missed. She's also pretty generous with her links, which is us little blogs appreciate.
Thank you, Ms. Carol. Cavo et cavor.
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CMike:
You're right on the RS version. I was reacting to "print this, it's important" which read to me as if the poster was saying that Avedon had been lax in her coverage.
As for pirated versions, the Something Awful link was complete. I excerpted.
Well, congratulations, Avedon - I understand completely your break from posting - your ego must be sky high with all these accolades rolling in. Might as well savour it. That said, I still think your opinions on pornography are crap. And yes, I'm against censorship.
Annetoo - re: Hillary having the top spot in cabinet. That was a sure way of ensuring her compliance to "The Obama Universe". Obama's handlers were smart. The "Hillary Factor" has been well "managed", sorry, I mean "silenced" by Obama's handlers.
Lambert,
You were probably right that, astoundingly, Dr. Geophysics did not realize that The Sideshow has been covering this topic. The parent post in this thread is but a follow-up to an issue that arose from Avedon's earlier posts. In an earlier thread I agreed with you that everyone "should" read the entire Taibbi article using the link you left in comments in the Suburban Guerrilla thread wherein Susie Madrak discussed the Cap and Trade part of the article.
As for the Something Awful link being complete, I know that. Dean Baker, who doesn't like current international copyright law, clearly differentiates between "pirated" and "counterfeited" items. Pirated copies are as useful to the consumer as authorized copies, counterfeits are sometimes inferior to the original item.
Baker's concern about copyright should be right up your alley.
Anytime you don't toe the party line, the bastards pull out their long knives. We simply do not have a political party in this country that supports populist causes, that actually helps the average person instead of searching for new & novel ways of screwing them. We are a nation of enablers. We let them get away with their shit without calling them on it and then wonder while we are knee deep in that same shit.
Politics is screwed in this country. I think taking to the streets is the only avenue open and they are busy rapidly closing that avenue as well.
haven't followed any of this; sounds like you've taken some unfair licks.
yet, I know of few Obama supporters who embraced the "assumption... that the Big O was a black progressive who just happened to be younger and cooler than all the black progressives."
Look, there's always somebody out there who'll hop all over an blogargument at the drop of a hat.
But I don't agree that Obama supporters were naive or fooled or Obama is less liberal than Clinton. So though you've got a specfic bone to pick with specific people which may be totally valid, Obama voters in general do not owe you an apology. Most of never picked a fight with, nor did we hold the views or attributes ascribed to us.
And as much as I'm loathe to finish the task, does the racism issue really have anything to do with the whole link-denying blog-spat? Here's the thing: as a white male I can say the generally patronizing method and occasional racist move was plain and instantly recognizable. Axelrod's memo was/is irrelevant.
Clinton's Establishmentarianism never precluded Obama's, and I dont' think anybody thought otherwise.
Too bad re your sucky internet exchanges. The specifics don't translate to the general, though, whether it be Obama voters or internet users or '08 campaign dynamics and realities.
p.s. always liked your stuff; you may have a point. On a certain level the politics has been gamed so much that what is ty thright and forms the rule of law no matter who wins the election. I'd love to believe otherwise, but getting anywhere close to running just strips every quality we actually need in a Prznt, and anything fundamentally and necessarily American, from the candidate.
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