What’s appropriate
When I first read Right Angle Blog this morning I said to my wife, “oh shit.” Not because I thought the day’s offering was all that pertinent to political discourse, but because I had a feeling we’d be discussing it this
OK here’s my take on the current flame war between the left and right in Ohio’s blogosphere and what’s appropriate for posting on a blog.
What’s appropriate?
What is appropriate for posting really comes down to the individual posting the information and the people who choose to read it. If you don’t think it’s appropriate, don’t post it or don’t read it.
In the case of Matt at RAB, he believes that he made an appropriate choice. John Brunner is an adult, Brunner published the information online for the world to see, and he’s fair game because he considers himself to be a political operative.
That’s a pretty good case. I don’t agree with it, but its logic makes sense.
From JMZ at WLST’s perspective John Brunner is still only a child (family member for those of you who think a 20 year old in college is really an adult) and does not
I tend to agree with Jill. I respect RAB’s opinion to post the information, but that doesn’t mean I have to support it.
As I said in an earlier post, I read the RAB piece, left a comment and moved on. I figured that the best way to show disagreement in the blogosphere was to let the poster know that you disagree and by not linking or promoting the piece on your own site, you limit it’s distribution. But now that the item has gone regionally viral, it doesn’t matter and hence the reason I’m writing about it.
As somebody who considers himself staunchly moderate, I’m always amazed by the level of guttural partisanship on both sides of the political spectrum. Maybe it’s because I’ve earned a living (my family might refer to it as a poor man’s subsidy) working in politics for both Republicans and Democrats and therefore I recognize the good (as well as bad) qualities on both sides.
Heck, last night my fellow Republicans were calling the discord between Bob Bennett and Jennifer Brunner “a political war” and today I find myself describing this current situation as a ‘flame war’. We all are impervious to its impact.
This isn’t a war (wars kill people… and also liberate them). This is a difference of opinion that folks on the outward fringes of the left and right work themselves into a lather about and thus adopt warfare-like principles of discourse to emphasize the self-determined importance of what they are talking about. They subscribe to the “friend of my enemy is my enemy philosophy” (and thus adjunctly the relative of my enemy is my enemy). Such is the case here. John Brunner is a casualty of this, and I think it’s wrong.
But…
Right Angle Blog is Ohio’s leading conservative blog. I expect Matt, etal. to operate from that perspective. I suppose that RAB’s readers do as well.
Buckeye State Blog is a leading liberal blog. I expect Jerid to reciprocate as the left to RAB’s right. And again, I suppose that BSB’s readers feel the same.
What’s appropriate? I don’t know, you tell me… or just continue to visit this page and I’ll continue to assume that what I’m saying is.
[…] UPDATE: Wendell Robinson at wenBLOG also has a reasonable, thoughtful post on the matter. Trackback URI […]
April 5th, 2007 at 4:46 pm
Wendell,
Interesting post. From my take, if John legitimately considers himself a political operative, then and only then would this attack be a little more justified. However, I’ve yet to see him on the record stating that…and even so he’s not employed by a campaign. It’s a hard case to make imho.
It’s funny finding - this so called “line” between the acceptable and unacceptable in politics. Sometimes I talk with my apolitical friends about what goes on, both in the ’sphere and in the land of “real” politics on the ground; they’re amazed at how far the limits are pushed on both sides. In this land concerned with credibility, smears, hypocrisy, and honesty it’s a difficult balancing game. I try to stay honest and above the bar in synching my actions up with my ethics, but it’s still important to have other folks out there keeping you honest.
BSB’s ridiculed Naugle with a funny post regarding this one. I talked earlier today with someone who urged me to respond in force against Matt, post personal information or the like. That just isn’t my style, and hopefully it’s not the style of most of us out here on both the left and the right. When you can tell something is plainly wrong there’s no reason to respond with reciprocal force. We may be partisan at BSB - and you’ll certainly disagree with our actions from time to time - but I think largely most folks at my site are good people.
April 5th, 2007 at 4:46 pm
The inflammatory tone taken by a lot of bloggers and the users that comment is very discouraging to me. In fact, I’m doing a research project on the way that blogs and other new technologies are influencing political discourse in this country. If anyone is interested in participating in my research, I have a survey and other participatory tools on my website. see www.inewsproject.com/survey I’m an undergrad at Bard College working on my senior thesis. Thanks!
April 5th, 2007 at 4:54 pm
Wendell - let me be clear: my objection has nothing to do with the age of the person - it has to do with the connection between a parent and the offspring of the parent. And to get at a parent who is a public figure in politics through his or her child is intolerable. Lisa Renee has indeed made the case in a number of situations about how and why it is intolerable. I’ve not noted as many occasions as she has, but I trust her on that.
That is the crux of my objection. The frat boy posts that go up on BSB, RAB, Plunderbund and others all along the spectrum always disturb me and are the main reason why I use Bloglines now - so I can read when I want, if I want, and there are plenty I pass on.
But I felt and feel that this one by Matt went far beyond frat boy prank.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
April 5th, 2007 at 5:27 pm
Don’t really appreciate being lumped in there with RAB Jill. I can certainly understand that BSB has posts you aren’t interested in at times - or even find disdainful. However, I prefer to think that we use humor to make a point at times (sure, we shoot ourselves in the foot a lot too).
I don’t level generalized criticisms at your site - I’d appreciate the same courtesy back. I’m pretty sure Eric feels the same way.
April 5th, 2007 at 6:38 pm
Frat boy eh? Thanks for that. Maybe we don’t all view blogging as a writer’s workshop or Wednesday Night Knitting Club. I like to have fun. I like to bang on wingnuts. I recognize all styles create the ’sphere and appreciate them all. I’ve never once mentioned being bored senseless by any of your posts. I just smile and click on my merry way.
Wendell: You don’t agree with Matt. You see the logic. You don’t know what’s appropriate. Christ man. Tell us how you really feel. This capitulation and nicey nice drives me nuts. But I never had much tolerance for a moderate these days. Plus a I run a frat boy blog…
April 5th, 2007 at 6:47 pm
Eric:
I agreed with Matt before I was against him - it worked for Kerry, why can’t it work for me?
April 5th, 2007 at 7:32 pm
Come on - you know how messed up by sense of humor is. Obviously I’m missing it on some of your posts. Frankly, I know I’m hypersensitive about meanness in blog posts compared to most folks. So when I say “frat boy” I mean gratuitous meanness, which, to me, doesn’t take much. But, as I’ve noted to a couple of others, when I have the time, I hope to write more about just where, for me, that comes from. I’d hate to bore you with the story in this comment.
April 5th, 2007 at 9:42 pm
Jill, what, I’m not mean enough for you darling?
April 5th, 2007 at 10:44 pm
I’ll get you my pretty. Just worn out.
April 6th, 2007 at 7:41 am
Damnit Wendell. You made me laugh! Points.
Have to say I don’t generally like going after a person’s kids at all, but the Santorum “Little House on the Prairie and the Chamber of Secrets” photo was damned funny…
April 6th, 2007 at 9:38 am