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You are here: Home / z-Retired Categories / Site Maintenance / Open Thread

Open Thread

by John Cole|  May 8, 20084:01 pm| 64 Comments

This post is in: Site Maintenance

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I am currently phonebanking from Unity Pony HQ, so I thought I would throw up a thread.

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Previous Post: « Wil Wheaton Hates Her, Too
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Reader Interactions

64Comments

  1. 1.

    Krista

    May 8, 2008 at 4:02 pm

    Awesome. How’s the phonebanking going? Have you told anybody to fuck off and die yet?

  2. 2.

    John Cole

    May 8, 2008 at 4:13 pm

    No, but I have called two different people named Delbert, and my college room mate from 1992.

  3. 3.

    Dan

    May 8, 2008 at 4:13 pm

    Hi John. I’m a regular reader and irregular commenter; wanted to pass along some thoughts on the GOP in light of your comments on their current state. Hope you get the chance to have a look.

  4. 4.

    John S.

    May 8, 2008 at 4:15 pm

    No, but I have called two different people named Delbert

    Two?

    Jesus man, you really are in West Virginia…

  5. 5.

    Mary

    May 8, 2008 at 4:15 pm

    For shits and giggles, I searched this site for “magical unity pony” and found a few posts, including this one from my birthday earlier this year where John talked about how hope was pretty thin gruel and people were being too hard on the Clintons.

    And now he’s phone banking for the M.U.P. himself. I love how things change. (And John, I’m not accusing you of any hypocrisy or crap. Your dislike of Hillary and your fair-mindedness co-exist pretty well in that post.)

  6. 6.

    Zuzu

    May 8, 2008 at 4:17 pm

    Well, if anybody wants a break from cynicism and a little real-life inspiration, I recommend this movie:

    [email protected]

  7. 7.

    HumboldtBlue

    May 8, 2008 at 4:18 pm

    The next time you can link to a story about the “psycho ex-girlfriend” murdering her boyfriend and the children, or locking them in the basement for years of horrific sexual abuse, or beating the shit out of them for years on end while maintaining a public face of decorum and respect I’ll pay attention.

    Hilary Clinton may have overstayed her welcome, and you have been open and honest about your dislike, but I find the guys who use the “psycho ex-girlfriend” trope are usually the small-dicked punks who stayed under Momma’s skirts just a little too long and can’t figure out why women look at them and treat them, well, as small-dicked punks.

    Fuck, hammer the woman for her silly political games, hammer her for her silly misstatements and embellishments, but don’t insult us and her with this schoolyard bullshit.

  8. 8.

    Dreggas

    May 8, 2008 at 4:24 pm

    Hilary Clinton may have overstayed her welcome, and you have been open and honest about your dislike, but I find the guys who use the “psycho ex-girlfriend” trope are usually the small-dicked punks who stayed under Momma’s skirts just a little too long and can’t figure out why women look at them and treat them, well, as small-dicked punks.

    *checks* Hmmmm nope, not small dicked or punk (despite the mohawk) Next stupid generalization?

    Hell forget the ex-girlfriend, she’s turning into Mommy Dearest.

  9. 9.

    Dreggas

    May 8, 2008 at 4:25 pm

    Wow Small states matter now

  10. 10.

    John Cole

    May 8, 2008 at 4:25 pm

    The next time you can link to a story about the “psycho ex-girlfriend” murdering her boyfriend and the children, or locking them in the basement for years of horrific sexual abuse, or beating the shit out of them for years on end while maintaining a public face of decorum and respect I’ll pay attention.

    You might check and see who posted that and then read the VERY FIRST comment in that thread, especially if you need a laugh.

    You can apologize here in this thread. I won’t be going anywhere.

  11. 11.

    Ted

    May 8, 2008 at 4:26 pm

    HumboldtBlue Says:

    That was an angry, angry post. Bitter, even.

  12. 12.

    Jay

    May 8, 2008 at 4:40 pm

    Since this is an open thread, I just wanted to say that “Boris Johnson” and “Elvis Elvisberg” are the two greatest names in recent memory.

  13. 13.

    wasabi gasp

    May 8, 2008 at 5:13 pm

    …but I find the guys who use the “psycho ex-girlfriend” trope are usually…

    So, if I’m getting you right, the offending word is girlfriend.

    Boyfriend would be a little weird. Something asexual like tinguisher wouldn’t make sense. First Lady would be super accurate, but low, we got clevage again. This ain’t so easy. How about we get real general like and go with human.
    .

  14. 14.

    Ninerdave

    May 8, 2008 at 5:17 pm

    Metaphor.

  15. 15.

    Zifnab

    May 8, 2008 at 5:19 pm

    I just wanted to say that “Boris Johnson” and “Elvis Elvisberg” are the two greatest names in recent memory.

    I was always a fan of Johnson Long and Max Powers.

  16. 16.

    Zuzu

    May 8, 2008 at 5:26 pm

    Hilary Clinton may have overstayed her welcome, and you have been open and honest about your dislike, but I find the guys who use the “psycho ex-girlfriend” trope are usually the small-dicked punks who stayed under Momma’s skirts just a little too long and can’t figure out why women look at them and treat them, well, as small-dicked punks.

    Well, I don’t have a dick. And I am a Momma. And I thought it was kinda funny.

  17. 17.

    Dreggas

    May 8, 2008 at 5:31 pm

    Best. Cartoon. Ever.

  18. 18.

    Doonhamer

    May 8, 2008 at 5:32 pm

    HumboldtBlue Says:

    The next time you can link to a story about the “psycho ex-girlfriend” murdering her boyfriend and the children, or locking them in the basement for years of horrific sexual abuse, or beating the shit out of them for years on end while maintaining a public face of decorum and respect I’ll pay attention.

    Hilary Clinton may have overstayed her welcome, and you have been open and honest about your dislike, but I find the guys who use the “psycho ex-girlfriend” trope are usually the small-dicked punks…

    That was the point where I lost interest in this post and stopped reading. It’s difficult to take seriously someone who equates a man’s character with the size of his penis.

  19. 19.

    Zuzu

    May 8, 2008 at 5:33 pm

    So, if I’m getting you right, the offending word is girlfriend.

    Boyfriend would be a little weird. Something asexual like tinguisher wouldn’t make sense. First Lady would be super accurate, but low, we got clevage again. This ain’t so easy. How about we get real general like and go with human.

    Plenty of jokes, movies, rants about ex-boyfriends out there. “Something About Mary”? Borderline psychotic ex, yes?

  20. 20.

    dslak

    May 8, 2008 at 5:33 pm

    We can laugh at psycho ex-girlfriends because the potential for physical violence is less than in the case of psycho ex-boyfriends. Is it pro- or anti-feminist to point out that female psycho exes are generally less of a physical threat?

  21. 21.

    les

    May 8, 2008 at 5:34 pm

    Well, John, you’re doing a good thing and all, but in the meantime that Sadly No! thread you visited hit >1000 comments. I think they got a better grade of troll on the job.

  22. 22.

    ThymeZone

    May 8, 2008 at 5:38 pm

    I find the guys who use the “psycho ex-girlfriend” trope

    Heh. Girl or boy friend, a psycho is a psycho. It happens.

  23. 23.

    Rick Taylor

    May 8, 2008 at 5:38 pm

    The campaigns consider a deal, awarding Hillary 10 net delegates for Michigan. She turns it down and sends Obama a self-righteous condescending letter. Heeelllooooooo? Super delegates? Anyone?

    I have consistently said that the votes cast in Florida and Michigan in January should be counted. We cannot ignore the fact that the people in those states took the time to be a part of this process and to make their preferences known. When efforts were untaken [sic] by leaders in those states to hold revotes to ensure that they had a voice in selecting our nominee, I supported those efforts. In Michigan, I supported a legislative effort to hold a revote that the Democratic National Committee said was in complete compliance with the party’s rules. You did not support those efforts and your supporters in Michigan publically [sic] opposed them. In Florida a number of revote options were proposed. I am not aware of any that you supported. In 2000, the Republicans won an election by successfully opposing a fair counting of votes in Florida. As Democrats, we must reject any proposals that would do the same.

    Your commitment to the voters of these states must be clearly stated and your support for a fair and quick resolution must be clearly demonstrated.

    I am asking you to join me in working with representatives from Florida and Michigan and the Democratic National Committee to arrive at a solution that honors the votes of the millions of people who went to the polls in Florida and Michigan. It is not enough to simply seat their representatives at the convention in Denver. The people of these great states, like the people who have voted and are to vote in other states, must have a voice in selecting our party’s nominee.

  24. 24.

    Just Some Fuckhead

    May 8, 2008 at 5:41 pm

    I think they got a better grade of troll on the job.

    The invisible hand of the market is giving us all the middle finger.

  25. 25.

    wasabi gasp

    May 8, 2008 at 5:41 pm

    Plenty of jokes, movies, rants about ex-boyfriends out there. “Something About Mary”? Borderline psychotic ex, yes?

    Yes. I guess I’m a little predisposed to the notion that Hillary would make a terrible boyfriend.
    .

  26. 26.

    El Doh

    May 8, 2008 at 5:43 pm

    From the Very Serious People at Talk Left:

    So, even in Clitnon’s best case scenario, Obama only needs 228 of the remaining 550.5 delegates, or 41.4%, to win the nomination.

    Best Freudian Typo Evah[tm]. Oh, yeah… and BTD is, as we all know, an Obama supporter, so he’s obviously an evil woman-hating misogynist sexist chauvinist pig, and that was deliberate. Or something. And now someone else won’t vote for Obama!

    Yes, I am easily amused…

  27. 27.

    SamFromUtah

    May 8, 2008 at 5:44 pm

    I think they got a better grade of troll on the job.

    Not really. P.luk’s is one of the people helping push the comment count up.

  28. 28.

    Rick Taylor

    May 8, 2008 at 5:44 pm

    Metaphor.

    Eccch. i coudl do without some of the more tasteless jokes.

  29. 29.

    Dreggas

    May 8, 2008 at 5:46 pm

    Rick Taylor Says:

    The campaigns consider a deal, awarding Hillary 10 net delegates for Michigan. She turns it down and sends Obama a self-righteous condescending letter. Heeelllooooooo? Super delegates? Anyone?

    This is Bushian tactics 101. Say NO and then blame it on your opponents.

  30. 30.

    buzzrd

    May 8, 2008 at 5:46 pm

    If you haven’t seen Jeralyn Merritt’s performance on bloggingheads.tv, you simply have to see it to believe it. I have no axes to grind with Merritt nor BigTent and to start with I gave TalkLeft the benefit of the doubt and frequented that site as often as OpenLeft, a site that came online at approximately the same time.

    But the illogic behind that site’s slavish devotion to Hillary is amplified by Merritt herself in this bloggingheads video.

    Ann Althouse, who has found herself on the opposite side of logic at different times through her own career, appears as the very voice of sanity and reason in this video.

    I really have no other words with which to describe Merritt. Her performance and now persona defie description for me. The only thing I can add is that if I got in trouble with the law in Colorado, I’m pretty sure that she would be very last criminal attorney I would ever contemplate hiring. Give me the public defender over Merritt.

  31. 31.

    El Doh

    May 8, 2008 at 5:59 pm

    A whole lot of people I credited with far more sanity, not to say basic fairness, have proven to be pretty whacko during this campaign.

    Sadly, I can’t just limit that statement to the blogosphere.

  32. 32.

    SamFromUtah

    May 8, 2008 at 6:03 pm

    A whole lot of people I credited with far more sanity, not to say basic fairness, have proven to be pretty whacko during this campaign.

    Agreed. I think it’s a sign of just how deeply the Rovian Rot has sunk in the American political scene.

  33. 33.

    Bot LaBeer

    May 8, 2008 at 6:10 pm

    Proposal to update the lexicon:

    Swingnuts (n.) Currently registered Democrats who boldly proclaim that unless their candidate is the nominee, they will vote Republican in the General Election.

  34. 34.

    SamFromUtah

    May 8, 2008 at 6:15 pm

    Swingnuts – genius! Much better even than Yoosta-Bees.

  35. 35.

    Dreggas

    May 8, 2008 at 6:23 pm

    Bot LaBeer Says:

    Proposal to update the lexicon:

    Swingnuts (n.) Currently registered Democrats who boldly proclaim that unless their candidate is the nominee, they will vote Republican in the General Election.

    they’re known for tea-bagging, dipping in one side then the other.

  36. 36.

    AkaDad

    May 8, 2008 at 6:23 pm

    First Wil Wheaton, and now John Cusack.

  37. 37.

    Zuzu

    May 8, 2008 at 6:24 pm

    Ann Althouse ….appears as the very voice of sanity and reason in this video.

    Which is really saying somethin’.

    I really have no other words with which to describe Merritt. Her performance and now persona defie description for me.

    Her teeth are blindingly white.

  38. 38.

    UnkyT

    May 8, 2008 at 6:31 pm

    I was always a fan of Johnson Long and Max Powers.

    My little brother’s name is John Long, so Johnson Long has come up many a time in his life. His name is also amusing on lists ordered by last name, where of course he is listed as Long John. Richard or Peter Long are also good. I’ve got a million of them having grown up with the last name, and also having to name my own kids (my wife was not amused by my list of names for our first born).

  39. 39.

    w vincentz

    May 8, 2008 at 6:31 pm

    Looks like the “Terror of Tuzla” has a new moniker…
    Over at BuzzFlash they’re calling her the “Ghost of Wallace” due to her recent “hard working WHITES” words.
    I expect to see her show up at a WV campaign rally sportin’ a white pant suit, and of course, the standard white hood.
    You GO Hill! GO! GO!
    Is it unconstitutional to burn a cross on the White House lawn?
    And, why do they continue to call it the “White House”?
    Will it be painted with a different hue after Barack’s victory?
    Is that REALLY what she’s so worried about…a Mauve House?
    Enlighten me…who does Sen Byrd support?

  40. 40.

    dwightkschrute

    May 8, 2008 at 6:34 pm

    It’s apparent the Obama campaign is in its last throes, if you will. Clearly with West Virgina and Kentucky the Clinton campaign is turning the corner.

  41. 41.

    Zuzu

    May 8, 2008 at 6:36 pm

    Althouse might be the voice of sanity in that bloggingheads video, but she sure displays her typically nonsensical thinking when she “hummmms” over the “inuendo” in Merrit’s comment at 5:25 that holding back the Gary ballot count “put a black eye on it.”

    Bloggingheads

  42. 42.

    Cain

    May 8, 2008 at 6:40 pm

    they’re known for tea-bagging, dipping in one side then the other.

    That’s not what I understood tea-bagging to mean. What I understood it to mean would make Dubya blush since he’s done it with Cheney.

    cain

  43. 43.

    Ted

    May 8, 2008 at 6:46 pm

    If you haven’t seen Jeralyn Merritt’s performance on bloggingheads.tv, you simply have to see it to believe it.

    Funny stuff. The look on Althouse’s face through much of it is priceless.

  44. 44.

    Rick Taylor

    May 8, 2008 at 6:48 pm

    Youtube of HIllary Clinton; “if we had the rules the republicans have, I’d already be the nominee.”

  45. 45.

    Ted

    May 8, 2008 at 6:48 pm

    Swingnuts (n.)

    So it shall be done. Swingnuts.

  46. 46.

    Ted

    May 8, 2008 at 6:49 pm

    Youtube of HIllary Clinton; “if we had the rules the republicans have, I’d already be the nominee.”

    If wishes were horses…

  47. 47.

    Cain

    May 8, 2008 at 6:56 pm

    Do we have to use “swingnuts”??? I’m eating here! Really it reminds me of tea-bagging.

    cain

  48. 48.

    John Cole

    May 8, 2008 at 6:57 pm

    Jeralynn Merritt is not a racist, and I am not gonna sit by and let people claim she is. She has lost her god damned mind in this election, but she is still a good person and not racist.

  49. 49.

    J. Michael Neal

    May 8, 2008 at 7:06 pm

    It’s apparent the Obama campaign is in its last throes, if you will. Clearly with West Virgina and Kentucky the Clinton campaign is turning the corner.

    Back when I was a security guard, lo those many years ago, I had a corner like that. The wind got funneled in such a way that, when you turned that corner, you were often brought to a dead stop by the wall of air. Really fun on those nights when it was twenty below.

  50. 50.

    Zuzu

    May 8, 2008 at 7:26 pm

    Jeralynn Merritt is not a racist, and I am not gonna sit by and let people claim she is. She has lost her god damned mind in this election, but she is still a good person and not racist.

    I agree, and was stunned to see Althouse take her comments in the direction she did. Although to me it’s typical of Althouse’s lameness, along the lines of “Let’s take a closer look at those breasts.”

    I assume no one would take Althouse’s hints seriously, but on the other hand ….

  51. 51.

    Bot LaBeer

    May 8, 2008 at 7:27 pm

    I started reading Talk Left a few years back when it still was predominantly a political-leaning law blog. I rarely go over there anymore because it’s become a complete mess. Maybe someday they’ll get back to what they do best and get away from being just another source of surrogacy.

    John’s right – Jeralyn is a decent person who’s just lost her mind/perspective/whatever.

  52. 52.

    leinie

    May 8, 2008 at 7:31 pm

    From US News, via Mithras, isn’t this interesting?

    Thanks to a little-known provision in 2002’s McCain-Feingold campaign-finance reform bill, a campaign must repay the loan to a candidate before Election Day. In this case, that’s the nominating convention. After the election has passed, a bankrupt campaign is limited to gathering just $250,000 from contributors, which means that modest sum is all it can give back to a candidate. In short, Clinton stands to lose $11,150,000. “If she wants to be repaid, she’d have to move on that between now and the national convention,” says former Federal Election Commission chairman Michael Toner. “Otherwise, it just becomes another contribution.”

    She’ll be out the $11 million, and still owe that fuck Penn his $4.5 million.

  53. 53.

    nightjar

    May 8, 2008 at 7:41 pm

    John Cole Says:

    Jeralynn Merritt is not a racist, and I am not gonna sit by and let people claim she is. She has lost her god damned mind in this election, but she is still a good person and not racist.

    Agreed, her blog was the first one I got the nerve to comment on several years ago– about the death penalty. When I’ve recently gone over there to butt heads with some of the commentors, she’s never deleted my comments. BTD, or Armando on the other hand, is something else altogether different.

  54. 54.

    Zuzu

    May 8, 2008 at 8:00 pm

    a campaign must repay the loan to a candidate before Election Day. In this case, that’s the nominating convention.

    Why is that?

  55. 55.

    scrutinizer

    May 8, 2008 at 8:04 pm

    I used to enjoy reading TL too. I stopped after Armando started taking over the front page over there. I still don’t get why Jeralynn gave him somewhere to roost after he got kicked off the GOS. The guy can write some decent articles, but he’s a fucking animal in comments.

  56. 56.

    Rick Taylor

    May 8, 2008 at 8:06 pm

    Agreed, her blog was the first one I got the nerve to comment on several years ago—about the death penalty. When I’ve recently gone over there to butt heads with some of the commentors, she’s never deleted my comments. BTD, or Armando on the other hand, is something else altogether different.

    I’ve seen Jeralynn ban people for posting too many comments, “chattering” as they call it. A new poster posted 16 comments on a thread, and that was it; banned for today, when you come back your limited to 10. This was the post that got him banned:

    Your condescendence is remarkable. each one of your comments is filled with condescension…no one is suggesting counting the number of states for the presidential nomination but the popular vote is equally as ridiculous as a measure, especially when you suggest counting a primary where Obama’s name wasn’t even on the ballot.
    the super delegate count actually didn’t come “from my posterior” but from a credible site which includes the latest count

    http://www.politico.com/superdelegates/

    So that’s what gets you banned at Talk Left by Jeralynn, posting too much, and responding to an accusation of pulling something out of your posterior with a web link.

  57. 57.

    Breschau

    May 8, 2008 at 8:13 pm

    Jeralynn Merritt is not a racist, and I am not gonna sit by and let people claim she is. She has lost her god damned mind in this election, but she is still a good person and not racist.

    Okay, that’s fine with me. She’s not a racist. Settled, done.

    But, she is posting things that seem to be demonstrably false, or at the least incredibly misleading. In fact, I’d go so far as to say she’s being very “RedState-esque”.

    I see two options:

    1) She’s had a nervous breakdown, which has caused her to “lose her god damned mind”. In which case, I think we should be calling for her to get the medical attention she obviously needs.

    2) She is deliberately posting falsehoods, rumors, and Rovian bullshit to the website, for the expressed purpose of… umm, what again? Making sure the Democratic nominee (guaranteed to be Obama now) does not win?

    If #1 is true, someone with more pull than me (read: John) needs to go to TalkLeft and ask her to seek help.

    If #2 is true, she’s a traitor to her party and her country. Is that actually better than “racist”?

  58. 58.

    leinie

    May 8, 2008 at 8:42 pm

    Zuzu Says:

    a campaign must repay the loan to a candidate before Election Day. In this case, that’s the nominating convention.

    Why is that?

    I think it’s cuz Primary funds are separate from general election fund, and the “election” for the primary is being selected the nominee at the convention.

  59. 59.

    Shygetz

    May 8, 2008 at 9:03 pm

    I think people who are calling Hillary and her campaign spokespeople racist are missing the point. They are NOT demonstrably racist, anymore than Hitler was a devoted Catholic; they are opportunists. Right now they think racist comments offer them the best opportunity to win. If the tables were turned and Clinton was enjoying disproportionate black support that was her only argument for victory, she would be arguing that the black constituency is one of the most reliable and important constituencies in America, and they have been ignored for too long; ditto homosexuals, atheists, etc. Hell, if her core constituency was public urinators, we would be hearing about how people who insist on using toilets are elitist.

    Hang ’em for being amoral, but don’t think for a moment that this convicts Hillary of being racist. The truth is, I have no idea what she really thinks about racism or anything else, and that bothers me even more than if I knew she was a racist. The only thing that convinces me to support Hillary over McCain (on the off chance that Obama suffers a stroke while molesting a choir boy) is that I tend to agree with the people she panders to more than I agree with the people McCain panders to; left to their own devices, I have no inkling how either of them would govern.

  60. 60.

    Zuzu

    May 8, 2008 at 9:11 pm

    Zuzu Says:

    a campaign must repay the loan to a candidate before Election Day. In this case, that’s the nominating convention.

    Why is that?

    I think it’s cuz Primary funds are separate from general election fund, and the “election” for the primary is being selected the nominee at the convention.

    Sounds right.

    I think this must be the actual provision of the act:

    ‘‘(j) LIMITATION ON REPAYMENT OF PERSONAL LOANS.—Any candidate who incurs personal loans made after the effective date of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 in connection with the candidate’s campaign for election shall not repay (directly or indirectly), to the extent such loans exceed $250,000, such loans from any contributions made to such candidate or any authorized committee of such candidate after the date of such election.’’

    Pub. law 107-155

    And the Federal Election Campaign Act, which McCain-Feingold amended, defines “election” this way:

    When used in this Act:

    (1) The term “election” means—
    (A) a general, special, primary, or runoff election;
    (B) a convention or caucus of a political party which has authority to nominate a candidate;
    (C) a primary election held for the selection of delegates to a national nominating convention of a political party; and
    (D) a primary election held for the expression of a preference for the nomination of individuals for election to the office of President.

    US Code

  61. 61.

    KRK

    May 8, 2008 at 10:48 pm

    On the debate whether HRC or Jeralynn Merritt or anyone else are really racists in their heart-of-hearts, I think this comment I stole from Michelle at The Field gets to heart of the matter:

    There is for me no core distinction between doing racism and “being” racist. I mean, maybe at the basic tactical level of trying to fight these actions it is useful to make the finer distinctions of why for tactical purposes in particular circumstances. But as far as general discussions, which is what we were having: IMO racist is as racist DOES.

    ***

    IMO an understanding of racism that is about “what white people really feel/believe inside” perpetuates racism/white supremacy — because it severely overvalues the inner subjectivity of white people and erases or at least strongly devalues the reality of what our actions DO in the world and the effect of our actions on people of color.

    Along with white privilege and white obliviousness more generally, this overvaluing of the white inner subjective reality — and related devaluing of white action and the subjectivity and experiences of people of color — may be part of why many white bloggers and commentators are just now starting to get on the bandwagon to see “hey they are racist” when for example African-American bloggers have known it for some time now.

  62. 62.

    El Doh

    May 8, 2008 at 11:49 pm

    So that’s what gets you banned at Talk Left by Jeralynn, posting too much, and responding to an accusation of pulling something out of your posterior with a web link.

    Yeah, I’ve seen a couple of people banned from there for posting too many comments — and at least one was limited to 5/day upon return(!)

    That’s surreal, to me. For one thing, surely more comments/traffic/etc. are a *good* thing for a blog? We’re talking about people who were civil and presenting their positions and views here, not just the crap hurling kids.

    For another, the people I saw banned for “too-many-comments” all had one thing in common — their views disagreed with Ms. Merritt’s own. Correlation is not causation, of course, but I’m fairly sure I’ve seen anti-Obama (note, their position was anti-Obama rather than pro-Clinton) posters post a lot of comments in a day without anything apparently being said. Perhaps she just didn’t see it — she has in some public messages said she doesn’t read every comment.

    Still, I find it a rather peculiar policy and the enforcement would at least appear rather selective.

  63. 63.

    Rick Taylor

    May 9, 2008 at 12:42 am

    That’s surreal, to me. For one thing, surely more comments/traffic/etc. are a good thing for a blog? We’re talking about people who were civil and presenting their positions and views here, not just the crap hurling kids.

    There was one guy banned for chattering, 1jpb, really smart, seemed to know a lot about health insurance, sometimes a little snide but definitely civil. He once declared he was loyal to Talk Left because he was challenged there and didn’t like preaching to the choir. He’s been consistently troll rated for substantial posts. Jeralyn (not BTD) banned him and limited his posts for chattering. Normally he’d be the sort of poster you’d think a blog would love to have.

  64. 64.

    nightjar

    May 9, 2008 at 6:54 am

    So that’s what gets you banned at Talk Left by Jeralynn, posting too much, and responding to an accusation of pulling something out of your posterior with a web link.

    Yea, I did notice the “chattering” silliness. The relatively few comments I’ve made over there were certainly stronger than your example. I don’t know why she didn’t ban me.

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