The Implosion of TalkLeft
By Charles Lemos on September 4, 2008 at 1:40 PM in Bloggers
Asset, Pronunciation (US): /ˈæsɛt/ (noun) 1. any item of economic value owned by an individual or corporation 2. a useful or valuable quality 3. advantage or resource
How bad are things at TalkLeft, Jeralyn Merritt’s once erudite and inclusive blog? In a word, bad. I have to wonder if Jeralyn knows what an asset she has, or better put, had in TalkLeft and that the value of that asset is not her just own posts until recently anyway and certainly not TChris’s posts which resemble Obama campaign talking points and offer little if any analysis but rather the commentary and insight of Armando LLorens who blogs as Big Tent Democrat or BTD for short plus the comments of a once large and diverse TL membership.
What made TalkLeft special was the diversity of opinion plus the civility and order of the conversation given Jeralyn’s well-thought out rules for discussion. Insults were non-existent, threads stay on topic and while BTD and Jeralyn set off the discussion, often the greatest value came from the comments. That’s certainly a big part of TalkLeft’s asset base — its membership.
The recent mental gymnastics of Jeralyn Merritt are indeed a wonder to behold. That she is a Democrat, I do not doubt and she has long been clear that she would support the Democratic ticket even though she was fairly ardent supporter of Senator Clinton. In this assertion, she has been nothing but consistent until Senator Joe Biden’s name started popping up as Senator Obama’s running mate. Jeralyn, a criminal defense attorney and a tireless advocate for reform of the criminal justice system, balked. After all, TalkLeft is a blog about the politics of crime that morphed into more, and she began a campaign against Senator Biden’s selection. She was none too thrilled when he was selected wondering if she could support the ticket.
Her indecision didn’t last long.
Within 24 hours came the first shot across the bow: “Time to Get On Board” in which she essentially stated that:
Voting is a personal matter. Regardless of how I end up voting or not voting, I encourage everyone, particularly Hillary Clinton supporters on this site, to get on board and focus on taking the White House back from eight years of abysmal Republican leadership.
But among the TL community many weren’t ready to “get on board” and many probably never will be and so there was some pushback. And that then led to Jeralyn’s decision to limit if not quell any criticism of the Democratic ticket. Valuable members of the community were no longer welcomed. Their opinion no longer valued. An asset destroyed. It’s her blog, she can destroy it if she wants to.
But the story doesn’t really end there. BTD’s convention coverage remained strong as ever, TChris’ weak as ever and Jeralyn descended into a page six columnist with posts on parties attended, drinks drunk and hors d’oeuvres munched posting pictures of Arianna Huffington of all people. If there’s one person that many in the TL community despise it’s Arianna Huffington. Many blame her for the vitriol that infected the progressive blogosphere with her hatred of all things Clinton.
Then came Sarah Palin’s selection and TalkLeft became simply bizarre. Governor Palin was compared to Thomas Eagleton who was forced to withdraw as McGovern’s running mate in 1972 over his pyschological shock therapy treatment. It was an unfortunate and unfair comparison. Harriet Myers might have been a better one. But the low point came when she decided to run a pool asking commenters to guess when Sarah Palin would be forced to drop out. From criminal attorney to Las Vegas bookie, the career path of Jeralyn Merritt.
That prompted the learned BTD to protest.
Speaking for Jeralyn only (4.97 / 34) (#62)
by Big Tent Democrat on Mon Sep 01, 2008 at 10:12:03 PM ESTI find this post utterly offensive.
Indeed, I disassociate myself from all of Jeralyn’s posting on Sarah
Palin.To which Jeralyn replies:
I know you disagree (5.00 / 2) (#109)
by Jeralyn on Mon Sep 01, 2008 at 10:24:52 PM ESTSometimes I disagree with you too. It’s good to have two perspectives.
Two and only two perspectives, I guess. It was offensive. That’s not a just a perspective, it is borne of moral principle. But for BTD the silliness and the draconian atomosphere may have become too much to handle:
A personal note –I am not comfortable with writing about this election right now. I am not comfortable with the behavior of some Democrats and Left blogs regarding Sarah Palin. Of course everyone is entitled to their own views on this and I respect that. But I am entitled to mine as well. I am going to take a break and see how I feel next week.
An asset is a hard thing to build and a terrible thing to waste, much less willfully destroy. I want my BTD, that’s the perspective worth reading on TalkLeft plus those of the commenters. Let’s hope BTD starts his own blog. I don’t always agree with BTD, but I always learn from him. BTD is the principal asset at TalkLeft. If he ventures out, they will flock.
Face it, the GOP is so void of actual leadership that Palin had to be fast tracked.
It doesn’t mean she couldn’t develop into a first rate VP. If anything it may help reduce the role of that position.
Biden would probably get a lot done within the Senate, provided they keep the majority on the back of a candidate atop the ticket with such high negatives.
That isn’t to say the top of either ticket inspires that much confidence. One has nothing at all qualifying him for the office, the other is possessed with Napoleonic syndrome.
Again, Sen.Joe Biden has the kind of contacts to continue the ambitious VP role like Cheney does.
I’ve always seen Biden as a potential VP, but in this case, the top of the ticket is all that matters to me. I don’t relish the idea of either of these VP choices being suddenly made CIC, but then there are few I would like to see there. I’m comfortable with McCain, as I was in 2000.
Somehow I doubt that Obama and Axelrod will listen to much of what he has to say. I have a bad feeling that Axelrod will run things the way Rove did for Bush. I believe that Bush’s turning away from Afghanistan to rush to war with Iraq was Rove’s idea. A lot of Republican operatives believed that reelection depended on having success in a war, even if it is a puny war like Reagan had in Grenada. They attribute Carter’s loss to his not having a successful war. I think Rove told Bush to go after Sadam ASAP so that things would be settled by 2004. Remember they really did believe the cakewalk silliness and did not think Afghanistan would be quick.
Although I am not saying I think Axelrod will encourage Obama to start a war (Dems don’t believe that is what gets them reelected) I can see Axelrod getting Obama to make reelection his first priority so that everything he does will be geared to that. We will get more things like his FISA vote, excessively pro-market solutions, etc. That is why I am really unsure of what he will do as president. His speech hit the right notes - except for the assault rifle remark. How bad is it that he set his sights so low that he only wants to keep them out of the hands of criminals, something the Republicans believe in (or pretend to) instead of vowing to reinstate the ban? That is something that is supported by a strong majority, not to mention law enforcement. I love it when the “law and order” right opposes cops. It’s so much fun!
On the other hand McCain may not be that concerned about a second term, given his age and might be willing to just crack heads and clean up his party and the corruption they have brought to our government.
There was a very informative discussion about McCain and his background today on NPR’s Fresh Air. The guest was David Kirkpatrick who has written a series of articles in the NYTimes about McCain. I learned a lot and will read all his articles.
The audio is already up if you want to listen:
http://www.npr.org/templates/rundowns/rundown.php?prgId=13
Given Sen. Biden’s voting record, I would not like him in Cheney’s role.
Justin Raimondo wrote a good piece on Biden
Obama’s Cheney
http://antiwar.com/justin/?articleid=13378
Oh yeah, his latest piece is titled September Surprise. Word is that the attack on Iran is literally weeks away. True? Not True?
http://antiwar.com/justin/?articleid=13401
If they attack Iran the economy will shit down. They may allow Israel to, it will accomplish the same thing.
One naval mine can ruin an oil tanker’s whole day….
LOL! You really are a grade A idiot. The US Navy can secure the Strait of Hormuz with its eyes closed. Granted, oil prices might spike up temporarily, but the US economy would most certainly NOT “shut down”.
Now I understand why you support Obama. You probably watch Saturday morning cartoons too.
Then why did they lose the war game trying to do that?
Duras,
Mr. Murder is a long time supporter of NQ and also a colleague of Larry’s.
Still you sarcasm or I will personally request your banning.
You DO NOT mess with those who have given their lives to the security of our country and its citizens. And you WILL STFU unless you can lay out a comparable resume.
You ignorant twits truly gall me.
I think things have settled down. I agree that this is a place where the discussion is interesting and civil, thanks largely to Jeralyn. It did get weird for a few days. I hope it has stopped now.
It’s only “calming down” because Jeralyn probably can’t find anything new to trash Sarah Palin with.
Jeralyn’s tirade was so intense that she will never recover the respect she lost. She’s banning people who are trying to calm her down and make her look at what she’s doing. That CNN Grill must have been serving some really strong stuff.
She took those coveted blogger credentials and never posted a word about the convention, just the amenities…CNN Grill and Arianna Huffington’s Oasis spa. She went to the convention for the freebies. Bloggers who would have shared real information and descriptions of the energy of the delegates, etc. were denied the credentials she squandered!
I’d read between the lines, give her a little credit.
Maybe she didn’t find anything worth reporting.
I’m just saying…
The kool-aid is wearing off.
She reported she stayed in the CNN Grill from 3:00-8:00 PM one day. What part of the convention was there? She didn’t even bring her laptop that day.
You’re too generous, Mr. Natural. She posted photos of Arianna Huffington (more than one), the spa, her friends, Frank Sinatra’s ex-wife, Teresa Heinz Kerry (that was so blurry, it actually could have been anyone), and Dee Dee Myers. She said she wouldn’t go in the blogger tent with all the other bloggers because it was too hot.
Like the arm twisting and aborted, sham roll call.
We watched the RNC’s roll call and I almost cried. They’re doing it all right this year (the RNC) and the DNC’s just looking like a freaky collection of bobble-headed fools.
Great. So proud of my almost three decades of Democratic Party membership, and voting.
The roll call is the will of the people. The dumbass DNC screwed that up royally. What’s the point of a convention without showcasing the people’s true feelings about the candidates? It’s cathartic and it’s healing for both winners and losers. The DNC acted like a criminal organization, and history will not judge kindly.
Well, I guess so, after numerous people asked to have their accounts deleted, others were outright banned and a slew of others just aren’t there anymore, disgusted with the tabloid posts that are justified with “if the MSM reports on it, so do I.” Hey, if it’s good enough for John Edwards, it must be good enough for Palin, right?
From civil discourse to echo chamber in less than a week. Sad.
Yes, very sad.
Hope BTD gets his own blog where various opinions can be published and discussed.
Those who disappeared founded their own place and started a discussion group where they can say whatever they want.
see my request and email address downthread.
Yes. I’ve been going to Talkleft for months. I thought it was a haven in a sea of anti-Hillary blogs, even though BTD insisted he was for Obama. I was always able to say what I think, even though I will not vote for Obama and didn’t hesitate to say why.
But a few days ago, someone took offense at one of my comments and flagged it and she deleted it. I replied to his remaining comment that, I could be banned, but that I tried to source my material and stick to the facts and that banning what I said about Obama wasn’t going to make it untrue.
I came back later and every post I’d ever written was scrubbed.
You are right that BTD was the main reason for going there, along with Jeralyn’s really good method of keeping things on track and not allowing insults and profanity. I came to really appreciate that. But she now seems to have gone off the deep end and will not allow free speech, if anyone disagrees with her. Watching people on formerly compatible people turn into Obots is really weird. Is there something in the water?
I meant “formerly compatible blogs”. Ooops.
It’s not possible to comment on Talkleft anymore, so what’s the point? I couldn’t believe Jeralyn came back from the Dem Convention and told all posters they had to tow the line–is that like the Comintern? Neither BTD or Jeralyn wanted Obama in the first place. This is evidence of what a divider and a disaster Barack Obama is.
I believe it’s better to have a Democratic Congress and a Republican president. McCain/Palin seem to me to be people who will not push their private views on Americans and will stand up to corporations and lobbyists.
Yes, Palin is quite different from Obama whose political career was FUNDED by Washington lobbyists until Jan. 07.
I totally agree with you. A Democratic Congress and a Republican president works for me until whenever the Democrats come up with a qualified presidential nominee.
That isn’t true, BTD supported ob all along. He said he thought the media backed candidate would be the best and strongest one to chose. BTD was always very fair with his criticism of ob and was not part of the tingling leg faction but did support him. Jeralyn backed Hill.
The site had accurate and intelligent comments - mostly due to a censure of any thing less than PC though it was not a place to vent feelings or say what you felt emotionally. “Obot” words were banned.
BTD’s support of ob never struck me as particularly strong and his reasoning of ob having the media backing was entirely a non-reason. I wouldn’t support a bad candidate just because the media did and visa versa with a great candidate the media hated.
The two odd things that struck me about the site were the irony of it all. BTD’s very name was clearly ironic after the “memo to base - stay home” and RBC meeting debacle. The other was Jeralyn’s long time ranting on how truly awful Biden is.
But they are good people whom I admire and both times I just winced in pain for them and knew they had to find their support for ob/biden and the new tiny little tent DNC a hard jagged pill to swallow.
BTD and Jeralyn had some excellent research and they took the high road most of the time.
That said, when they drank the kool-ade I stopped posting there. I do go back now and then and glance at some of the threads, and I agree with you about Chris. He wasn’t on the main board when I read the site daily and the little I have read of his is not worth reading or interesting - it would only lead to BUT BUT BUT posts.
Sadly, they occasionally knocked this site and others and over time they did seem to lose touch with the truth or maybe more likely they became dedicated to pushing an agenda they didn’t believe deep down. How could they believe it —- they are the ones who made it clear they were against so many of the very things ob and the obots represent.
BTD and Jeralyn back then struck me as sincere and honest, and I truly believe it must be hard to give that up and join the parade of fools insulting Palin and supporting Biden.
NQ had unwavering support for Hillary and has been ground zero for exposing and vetting ob. NQ has also been in the moment for each and every turn of events - such as at the very birth of PUMA. And it does it with humor and comfort through the darkness.
TL doesn’t hold a candle to the passion of this site because TL chose to stifle people from expression.
NQ ROCKS!
My 2 cents. No offense to TL. They can’t support McCain - they would have to change their name to TR!
Actually, BTD was always a tepid Obama supporter because he felt Obama is the “media darling”.
Nice to see I’m not the only one saddened by TL’s demise. I went from poster to lurker after the DNC changed the rules to make Obama win. I miss some of the folks on TL, though it seems that most of the good ones have been banned now, anyway.
Jeralyn started to lose me a while back, but the Palen stuff was the last straw. The allegedly drugged baby comment just made me snap and I almost posted, but what’s the point when it’ll be deleted anyway? The attacks on Palen are about class, plain and simple. No one can destroy a woman like another woman. It’s bad enough when republicans do it, but to see dems go rabid is absolutely heartbreaking.
That’s why I’m Green Party all the way now–McKinney/Clemente 08!
Last night Jeralyn Merritt put up a post that the National Enquirer was saying they had the story on Palin’s affair with her husband’s friend. In the comment section of that ugly, unsubstantiated post, Jeralyn Merritt responded to a comment that the baby was so good through the entire event with her belief the baby was probably drugged to keep it quiet. She has since cleaned that entire thread of comments (from 200 down now to 58), but many copied those comments for posting elsewhere.
Jeralyn Merritt spent years establishing TalkLeft as a place of reasoned, intelligent discussion on topics. She has turned it into a rag in less than a week. That’s a lot of time, effort and money invested to just throw it away in her state of furied, hyperventillating, jealous trashing of Sarah Palin.
I think we’re heading for a catharsis.
Obama’s Mount Everest of bullshit is ready to collapse. That will be too bad for all those kool-aid kids stranded on the slopes, tied together by mutually reinforcing delusions.
That’s hust a feeling I got reading TalkLeft. There’s desperation in the air. Palin brought it out, somehow, I don’t know how.
It’s hard to refute authenticity.
Good point…
Anglachel had a really good post on why. The Democrats were treating Hillary voters like they had no place else to go, not even throwing them the crumb of letting Hill be VP. When McCain chose Palin,they immediately saw the threat. By vicously abusing Hillary and the most faithful members of their base -their behavior might actually cause them to lose. And, of course, it’s too late now to make amends.
Interestingly, they just switched to demonizing misogyny thrown at Palin,including taking the line that she shouldn’t be allowed to be VP cause she should be home taking care of her children. Guess our “progressive” party doesn’t have a concept of irony.
Absolutely!
And the irony is soooo hilarious!
The “progressive Democrats” thought that Hillary supporters were done. That after that over-the-top SHAM of a “democratic” convention, we would either cry our eyes out and stay home on Election Day or “get over it” and vote for Obama.
Democrats got the shock of their lives last Friday.
McCain COMPLETELY blindsided them with Sarah Palin.
Now the Dems are about to experience a SERIOUS backlash in the general election. Not because ALL mistreated & discarded Hillary supporters will suddenly flock to McCain/Palin - they won’t. But there WILL be more than enough reenergized Hillary supporters who were definitely considering sitting out the election now going to the polls. Enough to shut Obama OUT of the White House.
Its interesting to me how bugged the leftists are over Palin. What’s the deal? She’s a REPUBICAN. They keep critiquing her on her non-liberal views, like she should have Democratic views or something. It only shows how worried they all are that Democratic women will vote for Palin after the stupid Dems were too hateful and shallow to run Clinton.
really
I think it partly come from the fact that they convinced themselves that her pick was solely to attract Hillary supporters. which was always idiotic. that fact was eventually admitted my even Tweety following the speech last night.
The frothing Obots are stupidly worried that Democratic women will vote for McCain/Palin. Some will, of course.
But McCain actually chose Palin so he could unify his party. Snagging a few PUMAs will be icing–a “nice to have,” though not the point.
Anybody who watched how Sarah Palin was received last night by Republicans on the convention floor saw that McCain’s pick was brilliant. On some level, the Obots have understood that as well, from the time Palin’s selection was announced. That spells doom for Obama, and deep down they know it. Hence the panic.
Also, if McCain is elected and serving only one term, there will be only one Democrat who can take on Vice President Sarah Palin in the campaign of 2012. That Democrat is Hillary Clinton. No wonder the woman-hating blogger boyz are consumed with fear and loathing.
wow
its like old home week here today.
I think the problem with TL lately is not that different from the problem more widely with left blogistan.
panic and desperation. they are absolutely atwitter that what we have been telling them for a year could be, you know, true.
Hi Capt. Howdy
I always enjoyed your zingers on TL. You were so often right on and one of the first to say the DNC was totally crooked and “tough love” was the way to go. And you’re turning out right, all right.
Palomino,
No wonder the woman-hating blogger boyz are consumed with fear and loathing.
Ain’t it the truth? How sweet it is…
As for TalkLeft, I lurked for months but never posted. I’ve been observing the events of the last week with my mouth hanging open.
It occurs to me, however, that Jeralyn may simply be another Taylor Marsh or Rachel Maddow, i.e. she’s more interested in her career as a pundit and therefore in sucking up to The One, than she is in any kind of real political analysis/commentary.
That, or Axelrove has the TalkLeft Kid tied up in a basement somewhere…
Thanks. We will all wait for Hillary to be back in 2012 and defeat McCain/Palin.
HILLARY, ALWAYS!!!
HILLARY 2012!!!
Yes. My friends send me leftblog talking points like, “What if McCain DIED? Palin would become President.” On one blog –maybe it was here -or the Confluence, I can’t remember, someone said “What if Biden DIED? Obama would be President!”
LOL
Well, that’s truly sad. Sad and ignorant. Infants born with DS are known to sleep overly long hours and Governor Palin’s baby is perhaps a case in point.
While not agreeing with Palin’s politics, I find the trashing of her character by liberal blogs abhorrent. It seems they are picking up where they left off with Hillary.
Charles, I agree with you, it is past time for BTD to establish his own blog. I peruse Talk Left a couple of times every week and after “the drop-out pool”
was posted, I knew she was following the marching orders of the get-on-board crowd.
The drum-beat for Sarah Palin’s early demise is eerily reminiscent of another such attack on a female candidate of recent memory. Same shit, different day.
Perhaps they are sending a message that it’s best this nation wait yet ANOTHER 25 YEARS for political equality…
I think it’s just a phase for TalkLeft. With new candidates (an African American and a woman) we are in uncharted territory. It’s just like not being able to say out loud Obama was arrogant because that’s synonymous with uppity - people are figuring out what’s fair and what isn’t.
This is a temporary foray and she is an important voice on the left for criminal justice issues.
BTD should have approached Jeralyn privately first. He’s a good guy but can grandstand especially when he disagrees.
It just shows how difficult it is to be your own reporter, editor, and publisher. You handle ad prices and traffic as well as content and editorial decisions, and you have to remember to be fair. If you stray from the CW too much, your traffic takes a hit, your ad prices go down.
Uncharted territory: like the McCain-Palin embrace last night.
Obamabots: did you see her pull away from him?
sheeeesh
Yeah, I haven’t checked, but I stated in my post that I believed she would delete it. Just can’t believe that Jeralyn has completely lost all sense of Democratic ideals. The same as the the orange site without the cuss words.
Yes, Grape.
And then, the final straw for me, was calling Sarah Palin a HICK.
I was speechless.
It was the very moment I realized Jeralynn was truly having an internal meltdown, struggling with new-and-improved Jeralynn who hung out with Arianna-dahling and got free massages, yakking it up at the bar, but posting little substantial info about the convention—–and the old Jeralynn who had been a struggling single mother herself, champion of the little guy in the criminal justice system, against police abuse with tasers, grounded.
Celebrity, like power, corrupts. We-must-be-like-Arianna-now. YUK.
Not to mention that I miss the Democratic Party that used to STAND FOR those little people in the small towns and never, never, never would have dreamed of calling any of them, “hicks.”
I’m from a small town. I have 2 graduate degrees–although I’m no lawyer, as she is—and now live in a big city, doing quite well. But I carry those small town values with me every day, and proudly.
Those small towns, whether you like Sarah Palin or her politics, are the true backbone of America, and most of their people are the salt of the earth.
Not cool or snappy like Arianna Huffington, but salt of the earth.
I am DONE letting snobs like Jeralynn or Arianna or Donna Brazille or Keith Olbermann tell me I’m somehow “less” than they are. Unwashed, under-informed, just shut up and get in line.
And I represent HUNDREDS of Americans who found Sarah Palin compelling, while she threw in Jeralynn’s face, figuratively speaking, the fact that she doesn’t give a sh*t what snobs like Jeralynn and Arianna think of her.
I DO miss BTD. A fair and decent human being, thoughtful, rational, respectful (mostly).
I’m glad to see a number of TL’s posters here. I read many a thread where some sneered at this website as being “less than,”
without ever dreaming that they, too, would become “less than” and banned.
Welcome aboard!
The Kossification of many of the great left blogs has been a sad thing to witness.
I sometimes feel I am in a remake of Invasion of the Body Snatchers.
The first thing to go was their sense of humor.
They never had one. That was what struck me way back in January. When little stupid things would happen and the news would comment on them - such as Hillary momentarily confused by a coffee machine in a convenience store - they blew it so out of proportion as PROOF SHE IS INCOMPETENT in hundred of posts. Many Clinton supporters tried to inject humor, to add a little levity - the obots responded with insults such as “that stupid bitch is a retard” and “she is an old ignorant hag who is out of touch.”
Nothing was too small an item for their hatred.
Exactly. When one knows deep down that there is something wrong with the party and the ticket, and support it despite their principles, they disconnect and yield to the elements around them. One can not think rationally about a subject or person that you are in denial about.
Exactly!
Yesterday Jeralyn said Palin was just a media creation.
When I responded with “and Obama isn’t”?? - she went postal on me.
Josey J,
I saw that. She also went postal on Goldberry/Riverdaughter, threatening to ban her IIRC.
I’ve only been lurking TalkLeft for 6 mos. or so, but I understand it’s been around since 2002/2003, and only went outright political fairly recently…?
Seems to me the best thing Jeralyn could do now is to return to the earlier format, giving up the political* topics for her true and orginal interest and expertise.
* Since everything is politics, I guess I should add a qualifier: she should give up electoral politics.
I saw that!
h/t to boston boomer at confluence:
…You’re here because you know something. What you know you can’t explain, but you feel it. You’ve felt it your entire life. There’s something wrong with the world. You don’t know what it is, but it’s there, like a splinter in your mind, driving you mad….The Matrix is everywhere. It is all around us, even now in this very room. You can see it when you look out your window, or when you turn on your television. You can feel it when you go to work, when you go to church, when you pay your taxes. It is the world that has been pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truth.
Jeralyn = Stupid White Person
I’m sorry to see this happen.
I stopped visiting Talk Left when, after the Obama coup, Jeralyn indicated that anything other than positive words about the Democratic Party and the presumptive winner were off the table.
While I’m sure many people stayed to argue, I didn’t because what’s the point when you’re told that your point of view is not welcome there.
Jerylyn talks down to the commenters, as if they are little children and she is the judge/jury/executioner.
Talkleft gets way too much credit. They don’t deserve it. During the primaries, they took advantage of the fact that certain people needed a niche. They were a default place, not necessarily a quality place.
The moderation was often welcome, granted, but sometimes arbitrary to the point of outrage.
Jeralyn sometimes had a decent post, intermixed with her talk of Ipods and other latest shallow yuppy trends. I’d also like to draw attention to the fact that the only convention coverage she gave was of the local bar and grill. Next campaign her press credentials should be given to someone who actually wants to cover the convention. TChris was koolaid drinker to the point of caricature. BTD had some good posts however, his penchant to harass some of his commenters negated to a great extent, the contribution he made.
Now the site is gone and should be forgotten. People have to move on and create or find other places to go. Other places exist, just as the defunct TalkLeft existed. Spend your time finding those places rather than writing post mortems on what you lost. In reality, what you lost didn’t exist at all.
A large contingency of former TL commenters managed to find each other and create a secured discussion group. It is fun, respectful, and there is no need to set rules because we are all grown ups.
can you direct me?
I assume you recognize me. I somehow missed those directions.
Where is it?
We’ve been trying to find contact info on you.
email me: jacksgramma105(at)gmail(dot)com
if you dont want to post it publicly you can send it to my junk address:
red_vlx@hotmail.com
thanks
Invitation was just sent to you
Check your junk mail folder if it’s not in the inbox.
thank you
I want to go there. Is there some way to find them?
Yes, just a couple of comments above yours tells you how.
Hi GrapeApe,
I emailed you at the address above, but not sure you got it. i didn’t hear back. Please let me know. I did it before I came home from work and maybe I haven’t given you enough time to reply.
JM’s paragraph the other day (about the “rulez”)
was particulary insutling …
I’ve dropped by TalkLeft several times in the past week. It feels different, but I think it may survive Obama.
I don’t know how many people walked away, but there remain some strong objectors to the Obama fairy tale.
Polite objectors.
Gotta be polite.
This is indeed sad. TalkLeft had been a place of intelligent discussion of the issues, with very little tolerance for trolls. That it has declined into polls about Sarah Palin, and equating her to Eagleton, is most unfortunate.
I, too, did not always agree with BTD, but I appreciated that he tackled a lot of important issues. Very telling that he is taking a break now…
I dont always agree with him but his integrity is unquestionable. his lack of hypocrisy and zero tolerace for bullshit made him an island of sanity in an insane blogosphere.
Very true.
I agree, I still could not understand why he supported Obama though…
he honestly believed he had the best chance to win until late in the primaries.
BTD was greatest in analyzing polling data. He really has a nose for demographics and hte stastics.
He also is—-dum de dum—a guy. I found it terribly lame of BTD to say that Hillary lost him over the AUMF vote, when over and over he would actually rationally describe how she was better that O, or O wasn’t so good in his own right. He has the capacity to analyze that vote as her best move at the time, in view of her speech (and since then she was proven right about Russia), and compare that to a non-Senator’s vote–Pfft. It’s reaching to the guy.
I know. It seemed such a stupid reason. Why would anyone vote for someone simply on the basis that that was the Media candidate. I would take the opposite tack.
But also, he never really seemed to BE an Obama supporter. He always stood up for Hillary and was critical of the O campaign. Sometimes I felt he just liked to think of himself as an iconoclast. But that was okay. He had interesting posts and he could see through the hypocrisy of the Obamaphiles.
Agree and he really discussed the abhorrent sexism and took it to the bloggers and their inane horrendous posts.
as a frequent commenter there I am saddened by what has happened. I can only hope things get back to normal.
and most of all I hope BTD continues blogging. somewhere if not there.
if its somewhere else many in that community you mention will follow him. most of the good ones are either gone already or afraid to comment.
….or TL commenters have been banned with no warning and all comments deleted.
There will be absolutely NO questioning of THE ONE.
I just had some comments deleted for suggesting there was filth coming from the left directed at Palin.
WTF
Suggesting?? - there’s PLENTY of evidence.
WTF is correct!
Exactly what happened to me, Josey.
One short email, calling me a racist, and then blocked and banned.
All that, for posting an exact quote–in quo