Centerfield

At least one blogger is trying to get the discussion back to important topics.

I have a humble request for George W. Bush and John Kerry. Just a small thing, really, if it's not too much trouble.

Shut the hell up about Vietnam, the National Guard, Swift Boat Vets, the Department of Friggin' Wellness, and all the rest of your stupid bullshit and tell me what you think about Iran. (If you can find the time.)

Thanks.

I think that it's the candidates and campaigns that have gone off-topic....

Does blogging shed more heat than light? Yep! But it still sheds plenty of light.

In regards to the blogosphere, I think it tends to be represented by the people who care about this crap, meaning right wing or left wing partisans.

In regards to Centefied. I think we have been talking about it a lot, maybe too much, but we do a good job of balancing out our posts with things that actually matter.

Oh, and what Tully said...

Yeah, still more heat than light. But at least we believe in the possibility of light, and that's something.

Generally, I find a higher quality of discussion here than in other places. I used to like Simon and Totten, and still do, but there are some serious troll problems there. Often I don't bother commenting there because it seems pointless. When I surf elsewhere, I occasionally try to invite posters who seem practiced at viewing both sides to come by and check us out.

I suspect the 'blogosphere' will continue to evolve -- probably in directions that we have not yet considered.

More heat than light? I think the same criticism could be applied to the he-said, she-said media: all they do is pass along the heat from each side, but seldom do they shine any light upon the fray.

What erasmus said. Oh yeah, and what Tully said too.

I get too frustrated trying to trackback this blog....so....

http://preemptivekarma.com/2004/09/its-mud-wrestling-stupid.html

I'm not sure this election has *ever* been on topic. The men running seem very out-of-touch with the voters and with the fact that the voters want to hear about the issues that matter. I think this is hurting Kerry far more than Bush, however. People are still saying they don't know where he stands, and it's just a few short days before the election! In fact, my uncle told me last week that it's not so much that he wants Bush, but that he just, "doesn't know where *Cheney* stands, so he'll vote for Bush." He referred to Kerry as Cheney several times because he can't even recall Kerry's name! Kerry is being so drowned out by how off-topic this election is, that people like my uncle don't even know his *name*! This sort of thing can't be good for the challenger.

Kerry sort of asked for these diversions when he made his service in Vietnam the centerpiece of his campaign. Note he hardly ever mentions his record in the Senate.

Bush only mentions his long ago past when forced to.

It seems that the media is driving the backward looking campaign.

Some days it's like trying to decide which is the least boring re-run....

It's not the past Vietnam War -- it's the current Moral Superiority War; but the V. War illuminates the question.

What was the more moral policy for the USA in 1971?
a) Stay, fight, "nation-build", kill, die, kill innocents; or
b) leave, Peace, and accept genocide.

Fighting evil or Peace and genocide.

Which is morally superior? The anti-War folk deny the "and genocide" part of their choice -- but reality shows.