Personal Problems: Part II
My friend Publius has taken some heavy criticism for a recent post asking Virginia's political bloggers to take their personal problems out of the public arena. Given Publius' balanced criticism of bloggers on both sides of party lines and some intra-party squabbles, it seems odd that people took personal offense at what he had to say.
Publius didn't give Hanger bloggers a pass - he referred to the "Sayre/Hanger blog wars," implying two sides to the violence. He just pointed out that Hanger made an effort to pull his supporters off of the blog attacks, and (perhaps for that reason) Hanger won a close election. When the attacks start flying, it is hard for anyone to sort through the passion to find the truth, and so people just get fed up with everyone involved. The best thing anyone can do when the debate starts to get overly personal is often to remove oneself from the fight.
The situation is similar in the Kilo/Waldo dispute, where it is impossible to sort fact from fiction, and so everyone involved seems covered in mud. Maybe Waldo was wrong about who commented on his site and falsely impugned Kilo, but was it necessary to call Waldo a "liar" in the title of a post? Is there no amicable way for people involved to explain what they thought and did and then to publicly clear the air?
Publius did not propose any rules, just some self control. Bloggers discredit themselves and the blogosphere as a medium when they bring ad hominem attacks against each other into the political discourse. It is only fair that The Virginian Federalist criticize bloggers for the same gossip and personal attacks that we have previously condemned in the mainstream media news channels.
Blogs are a fun, interactive way to share thoughts, ideas, and experiences. They bring average citizens into the political discussion in a way not previously possible. If bloggers, especially the widely read ones, maintain a modicum of civility in their posting, many more people will take blogs seriously as a source of information and discussion.
10 comments:
Why are we still talking about this?
Just ignore them and pray they go away. Once the attention whores no longer get attention... there will be no reason for them to whine.
So Bloggers 4 Sayre did nothing but attack Senator Hanger? Abusive, Vile, and outright falsehoods... as the Slantin News Leader would put it?
A candidates family and even employees get brought into this by pro-Hanger bloggers...
Take a moment to think about the tactics employed by Conservatives and then by Liberal Bloggers during the Kilgore & Allen campaigns. Notice any similarities in what just transpired in the Sayre/Hanger matchup?
We play by the rules, stick to facts.. dear Lord, did we employ tastefully done photoshops otherwise representing political cartoons again? (GASP!)
Now take an honest look at the other side, and tell me you don't see the almost exact tactics we've seen before.
and finally, the myth of blogs winning elections went up in smoke on this one... frankly because hardly anyone in our district reads them...
and I will repeat (hopefully not to be ignored again) Hanger called Myron and shut down B4H, but Myron's mudslinging continued for days afterward.. Only the New Dominion dove into that sewage with him (Thanks Guys)
So your supposition about Hanger's win hardly flies...
STD,
You make my point. It is this kind of impassioned campaign on both sides (not saying who was worse – that’s what I said I didn’t like, remember) that is hurting the blogosphere’s influence in the political system.
See http://vafederalist.blogspot.com/2007/06/get-your-personal-problems-out-of-my_1239.html for more of my response.
Conservative bloggers have their hats handed to them in campaigns because they lack passion...
To paraphrase Winston Churchill, You can judge the effectivness of a politician by the reaction of their opponents...
This is why Reagan, and "W", and Bill Clinton are vilified.. They were effective...
SWAC bloggers are attacked constantly even though we play by the rules...
You cannot type at your keyboard with 'one pinkie up', and expect win against these people....
B4S is the first time 18 Conservative bloggers has come together for anything... The ODBA can not even claim that...
Using facts, issues, and humor, we carried forth a good campaign.
It's curious that hardly a peep comes from you to condemn a blogger that attacks family and employees of a candidate for office. If you are so fired up about the bloggers role and reputation in the blogopshere, it would seem you would have condemned this from the get go.
No just tsk, tsk, the entire confrontation, because you were not part of it. IF YOU and every other blogger would have raised their voices when that blogger went into the sewer, we'd have less of it.
B4S picked up bloggers who were appalled by it... They made a statement...
Where were You?
STD,
You are acting like a 5 year old...
you have admitted to no wrong doing, and only pointed at the "other" guy, saying it was all his fault, and now you are accusing VFed, of being unethical, cause they somehow weren't around during it all?? How is it there fault that they didn't go searching for posts about a district that (so it seems) they do not live in?
It is comments like these STD, that run OUR blogosphere into the drain. If you would stop pointing fingers for a moment and chill out, things could move on as normal, but attacking bloggers, who didn't really attack you, in the first place, and accusing them of supporting the "other" guy, is ridiculous.
Ethical Blogging:
7 whole profile views.. Let me guess, you just made that up... and now you are the king and/or queen of the blogosphere?
I did not say he was unethical.. I'm saying, if this blog is so fired up about promoting blogging ethics, it could call a spade a spade...
As for your weak argument that they had to search for the 24th. Anyone who reads BNN couldn't miss it, plus they bring us into it...
and exactly pray tell, what have I done wrong?
"7 whole profile views.. Let me guess, you just made that up... and now you are the king and/or queen of the blogosphere?"
Did I ever state, or claim in the least to be the king and/or queen of hte blogosphere? No, I didn't...and you would like me to tell you what you did wrong? Let us start, putting words into peoples mouths is not a debating tactic, it makes you come off as rude, common courtesy helps, I used the word unethical, you used "tone" to describe how VFed has done something you felt was "wrong" that would be why I said unethical, maybe that was a poor choice in words, but my name is "The Ethical Blogger" I can't help but like to use words such as "ethics, ethical, and unethical" why you feel you must attack my use of these words, I do not understand.
Std, they didn't really call your beloved bloggers 4 sayre out on much of anything, they only pointed out that one campaign shut down bloggers 4 hanger, and that campaign won...does that prove anything, no, but it could be something drastic for the blogosphere if other campaigns follow in suit.
The Ethical Blogger (self appointed) says:
"I said unethical, maybe that was a poor choice in words, but my name is "The Ethical Blogger" I can't help but like to use words such as "ethics, ethical, and unethical" why you feel you must attack my use of these words, I do not understand."
Don't use words you can't live up too... You say I put words into people's mouths and you say that I called VF unethical, and now you have to back track off of it, BECAUSE I DID NOT CALL THEM UNETHICAL? (Projection folks, PROJECTION!)
BTW: My name is Chris Green, come out from behind the curtain... I bet a lot of people would like to know just who our 'ethical blogger' is
Std,
Yes, you are correct I did say that, and am not sure what your point is...I clarified, that "you" did not say "VFed, is unethical" I did say however
'you used "tone" to describe how VFed has done something you felt was "wrong"'
You did put words in my mouth
"and now you are the king and/or queen of the blogosphere?"
please, pray tell did I ever say that, if you can find it, please link me to it, I will immediately remove it, if you cannot find it...well, then you have put words into my mouth, and I would have to say that is "wrong doing" or "unethical"
No, I am not back tracking, I wasn't going to push the issue, but it seems you would like to, so let us go for it.
I live up to my words quite fine thank you, my words still stand, you have claimed that VFed was incorrect in its actions, this would be by definition unethical.
unethical:
not in concordance with the rules of right conduct or practice.
Again, I state you DIDN'T say "VFed is unethical" You just used different words to convey this point...
Chris, I would ask if you just outted yourself, but it seems EVERYONE knows you are Chris, so by telling me I have gained no new information about you.
"our ethical blogger" is "The Ethical Blogger" sigh, now that I have that off my chest, I feel a lot better, don't you?
Std, please just stop this, and chill out, if anybody needs to back off of what they said, it is you, you put words in my mouth and seems you did the same to publius...std, you can end this, but you have to make the decision to act cordially to others, and treat them with the same respect they have treated you.
If you made no rude comments on these threads, I would not be here rebuking you, I would be elsewhere searching for a lack of ethics and morals in the blogosphere
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