Happy Blogoversary Delaware Liberal
Did you know that today is Delaware Liberal‘s 5th anniversary. The first post was written on November 8, 2005. Unsurprisingly, it was about a wishy-washy statement put out by Mike Castle.
With the news that we have used chemical weapons in Iraq, curiosity got the better of me and I went to Michael Castle’s site to see what he was saying about President Bush and the Iraq debacle he engineered. Imagine my surprise to find this wishy washy, word parsing from our faux moderate member of congress:
“Congressman Castle supported the Congressional Resolution to disarm Saddam Hussein and recently visited Iraq to get a first hand account on how reconstruction efforts are moving forward and to assess troop morale. Castle participated in a bipartisan delegation visit to Iraq and Kuwait and met with military officials, civilian administrators, and troops (including units from Delaware) to discuss the ongoing efforts in Iraq and determine how to proceed with the reconstruction and integration of a free a democratic Iraq.”
Who could have guessed that DL wouldn’t have Mike Castle to kick around anymore. It feels like we’re all grown up (though some people still think DL’s in the Terrible Twos).
Personally I’d like to thank Jason330 for starting this site and making it such a fun place to hang out – and for giving me a chance to write. Thank you to all our readers and commenters for making this site for the premier site for Delaware politics.
Tags: delaware liberal, Mike Castle
Mazel Tov!
Bring back donviti.
Gracias UI. It has been fun. The contributors and commenters make the blog what it is. Your passion, wit and bedrock sanity keep me afloat through the Bush years. Here is to a bright shining future where the Democratic Party values its voting base and makes our homemade journalism respectable.
And just think that now he should be banned. 😉 Congratulations all!
Happy Blogoversary. Where’s the bacon cake?
Mmmmmm….bacon cake
This is the vehicle that introduced me to Jason.
Effing bastard.
Going down memory lane, I believe the first (or the first that I can remember) argument that hairy belly and I had was over his rabid dislike of Frightland, a place I have never been, but man, did he HATE that place. It was just too easy to argue against him back then.
Wait, still is! 🙂
Still waiting for that Corona on your “deck,” punk.
You guys are all my rapid intellectual Prozac for the day. Thanks for all the goodwill and greater posts. I do miss Bulo’s music. Happy Anniversary!!!
I once told Liberalgeek, in person, that I didn’t care for the way the blog itself works/looks (I have a lot of experience on a php message board as a moderator). Bless him, he handled that pretty well. But I want to say that I post seldom but read it frequently and the landscape is starting to grow on me.
I’d like to apologize publicly!
Great job everyone! Happy Blogoversary!!
All Jason sarcasm aside (this is very hard to do), I’ve had the opportunity to personally meet all contributors on this site, minus two…or at least I think I haven’t met Rob or El S. I may have, but don’t know it, as I have heard they are sneaky b’s! Yes, MJ, I have met you, too, albeit briefly. Point is, I like the people here and that’s beyond the politics. Politically, I interact here more than any other site, because I seek constructive criticism of my views. My commenting usually comes when I am in agreement here or if I think something is off base and I can counter-argue. I’d say I comment on only 1 of every 10 threads I read here (except tonight, making up for lost time). Those other 9 times are taking in views that don’t totally mesh with mine and that’s perfectly fine; afterall, as I said on FB the other day: “If you’re afraid of criticism, you’re afraid of improvement.” Yeah, some things are just out-and-out criticism, but there is far more constructive arguments, giving good perspective here, than I can find on other local blogs simply seeking to out-shout or destroy.
Jason is still a bastard.
Happy birthday DL and congradts to Jason and all the writers here.
I would love to see a retrospective (with links) to what you consider the best 5 or 10 threads/topics ever… I’m a big fan of the local, but in no particular order from my transient memory:
Bush, Ineptus Maximus
Obama, Hopefully Changing in ’10
O’donnell ’06, O’Donnell ’08, O’DONNELL ’10… Stay tuned.
Castle, Castle, Castle
Carperosaurus, DINO-might.
Marcia, Marcia, Marcia
That VP guy from Scranton, Biden
Protackius Attentionus Lunaticus
The Right Honorable lord Copeland of Centerville
FOIA, Please show me yours.
Eminen Domain, proprietary wrapper.
Carney v. Markell
Coons v. Gordon-Freeberry
Brady v. Weldin-Stewart
Potter v. McDowell
Brady v. Walsh
Spivak v. Hartley-Nagel
Wharton v. Beau
What a long strange trip it’s been…
Congratulations Jason and all the DL family.
I couldn’t get through my day without you. Well, maybe I could, but it wouldn’t be nearly as much fun. You keep Delaware politicians on their toes and can be counted on call foul when it needs to be called. You make folks think about what is being done and why.
What a wonderful contribution you all make to life in tiny Delaware. Onward!
GREAT BLOG- great contributors!! -It is a bright spot of sanity in this (recently) very crazy world!!
Yes, happy birthday.
There is no doubt that DL is a major force in politics. I can’t stay away from despite being booted and being here almost from the start. wahhhhhh me…
So, thanks Delacrat but, I think the closest you are going to get to having me back is via Jason and I podcasting. I’m not wanted around here. I don’t fit the narrative they want…
Regardless, I’d love to be back and be a part of something that is and will continue to be a GREAT place to continue to impact Delaware politics.
Congrats all.
except Nemski…turncoat
Don’t worry DV; jason circa 2005 would be booted off DL 2010 too. It is human nature to get more conservative as you get older… especially for those who will be financially secure no matter who is in office, or how much D caves in to R.
Fortunately for all of us there was a pre-existing exemption for criticizing Carper, otherwise we’d all be purity trolls. But when Obama does Carper stuff, it’s not polite to bring it up.
It is a weak mind that believes that criticism is the cause of DV’s situation.
Agreed LG. Intolerance is more like it.
Yes, congratulations on half a decade of snark and astute political observation.
It is a weak mind that believes that criticism is the cause of DV’s situation.
That’s not what I said, but if the shoe fits wear it.
I do understand the timeline that shortly after DL began demonstrably picking up establishment readers, DV’s creative productions, which were really excellent, suddenly became a liability. It didn’t help that each one went further over the top and began to try too hard.
DV, you may believe what you want. We expect you to misunderstand.
It’s funny that even this thread is about DV.
As someone who’s been around since the beginning, I can say with all certainty that I have no friggin clue whatsoever why DV was dismissed. But simple logic would lead one to believe that DV did not fit into the future plans/direction of the site, since he did not leave on his own accord.
The imposed label of “a liability” had to be tossed around. A liability to what is the question…
DV and Jason had a Jagger/Richards thing going on for a brief moment in time. It wasn’t meant to last. But it is a big part of the blog history and it is still there, even if newcomers aren’t aware.
Then Geek came along with his stupid facts and hard work 🙂
Then Geek came along with his stupid facts and hard work
Apologies to the rest of the contributors… I don’t remember all your start dates but I know all of you have substantive posts that cemented the reputation of the site.
Don’t worry, DV. Nemski is busily out registering new republicans in his quest to revive the DE republican party.
first of all, congrats DL. I first stumbled onto this site at the begining of the 08 cycle primary fight when i had to Goolge “delaware super delegates” the first hit semt me to what became an epic +200 comment threadpocalypse pitting Hillary and Obama supporters against each other. FUN! Thanks for being the pillow i scream in to when frustration levels get too high.
also whever happened with DV happened.. if you like his writing (i do) he has his own blog. with blackjack. and hookers!
C) Everyone give a listen to some Gordon Lightfoot and remember the tragic tale of the Ella Fitzgerald.
I don’t remember exactly when I started but I do remember I got my first you suck comment that very first day.
🙂
I started here in June 2008, and immediately thereafter the site traffic skyrocketed. Coincidence? 😉
that’s coz you’re the BOMB deldem!!
LOL
I feel like writing this as a full post, but for people who care, the real story is that Donviti had a great blog which showcased his interesting long form satire. I linked to him when doing around the horn a lot and it was always good writing. He was the third regular contributor and the writing was still good for a while, but as others were brought on he took it as a slight and started just baiting other contributors with really putting up much of anything like his older stuff. So I was like, “you know what, fuck off. This isn’t daycare.”. Well everyone else (rightly) said “hold on a second.”. And that was at a time when I had to get to other stuff so I was all “okay, but you’ll be letting him go pretty soon anyway.”.
Which is what happened.
BTW. I love the guy.
DV was fired apparently because his criticisms of the Democrats jeopardized the chance for DL writers to have cocktail weenies with the governor.
“baiting other contributors” = not engaging in Obama worship
That’s quite the imagination you have there, A1.
I have stayed away from this topic out of respect for everyone involved – and that includes DV. What happened wasn’t political. I plan on continuing to bite my tongue, but I will say this: Anonone has no idea what he’s talking about.
It was cast as “baiting” only because the other contributors chose silence instead of a thoughtful response to dv’s initial criticisms, which were well thought out and totally in line and on target. dv wasn’t the kind of guy to accept silence from people he liked and respected so the criticisms got more pointed and sour. Too bad nobody could figure out a way to respond other than shunning. Once a groupthink emerged it was “baiting” there was no way to return to the original criticisms and address them in a thoughtful bloggerly manner – it was now all about dv.
Apart from certain approved targets, DL along with other liberal blogs lacks an effective channel for criticism of Democrats. In a way that is part and parcel of the Democratic tradition of machine politics, so nothing new there.
pandora – we are all commenting based on our own observations from our own viewpoints, and we are all limited by our own individual gaps in knowledge. That is normal. The comment section is a mosaic of viewpoints which is a good way to assemble the truth.
That’s a given.
Good lord you are stupid anon. But I’m glad to see that dv has so many fans. Like I said I love the guy. When you guys read something that merits a wide distribution, I trust you to link to it here.
From DV: “The biggest problem I had back then and still have with DL is that I didn’t like not being able to say what I wanted b/c it could jeopardize access to someone for an interview or to information that was being pumped to us. How do you balance making sure Brian Selander talks to you to set up an interview and not write something that upset them to the point they will no longer speak to you?”
http://thewageslave.com/?p=1447
I know A1 can not believe anything that does not conform to the pre-recorded narrative that runs on a constant loop through his gerbil brain, but all of this……”Donviti had a great blog which showcased his interesting long form satire. I linked to him when doing around the horn a lot and it was always good writing. He was the third regular contributor and the writing was still good for a while, but as others were brought on he took it as a slight and started just baiting other contributors with really putting up much of anything like his older stuff. ”
…. happened prior to dv becoming the hero of Democratic outsiders.
Yes, I’m sure that’s why Donviti thinks he isn’t here anymore.
While there is a glimmer of truth to DVs comment there. He never wrote anything that wasn’t antagonism for the sake of antagonism- or in many cases, stupidity for the sake of stupidity.
The iPod ear buds in the nose post is not a well reasoned argument in favor of taking on Democratic Pharisees.
Look, I enjoyed the dv era, but even so I can’t fault DL for wanting to grow up.
DL along with other liberal blogs lacks an effective channel for criticism of Democrats. – “Good lord you are stupid anon”
Democrats are about to pass the Bush tax cuts this month. Let me get out of this comment window and check the top post… brb
*whew* thanks to UI you just made it. .. oh wait, no, that post is only about the catfood commission. I guess the next post will be about Obama, Biden, Carney and Coons’s stated wilingess to pass the Bush tax cuts all over again. Not that commenters should tell anybody what to post, but there are some elephants in the room.
Well put LG.
Delaware Liberal is to Barack Obama and the Dems what Celia Cohen was to Mike Castle. DV didn’t fit the meme.
So the HuffPo article has been walked back already. Plus, I can’t post everything since posting what anons or A1 want doesn’t pay my bills.
Plus, I can’t post everything since posting what anons or A1 want doesn’t pay my bills.
Understood. So why the pained reaction when commenters carry the load of discussing those topics?
I just go over to Anonone’s blog to read all of the anti-Obama posts… wait… that’s not right…
I guess this confirms the fact most divorces aren’t amicable. And us kids suffer. Now I have to visit 2 sites if I want to see DV, unless he gets that summer visitation via bar-b-q. And it’s a great visit. I love you too DV–but my primary residence is DL. They’re home more to raise me.
Where was the HuffPo article walked back?
What HuffPo article? I don’t read HuffPo.
I am using primary sources (usually their own words) to figure out where Obama, Biden, Coons, and Carney stand on the Bush tax cuts.
How I hoped for DV to be the poster that A1 dreams he was. How I tried to help and coach him. How I protected and defended him when all I would get in return was shat upon. Knowing the actual truth, it cracks me up to read A1s comments in this thread.
Seriously, I am wetting my pants right now.
jason, one of your DV replacements is seriously trying to figure out how to revive the DE GOP. Congratulations on how far Delaware “Liberal” has come in 5 years!
White House denies giving in on Bush tax cuts
I don’t get credit for it, but I was the first to report that John Carney said he wanted to extend tax cuts for the rich temporarily, in my liveblogging from the JCC forum.
So why the pained reaction when commenters carry the load of discussing those topics?
I generally don’t participate in the circular firing squad.
A1, having cocktail weenies with the governor is important. I am being serious here. Some folks at DL are trying to actually have an impact on politics. If you want to have an impact, at some point you have to make the conversion from being a literary/bombthrowing site, to an actual go-to resource for the players. Like everything else in life, the trick is not to lose your soul.
When you criticize one party relentlessly for doing bad things but then go totally silent when your party does the exact same bad things just so you can have access, you can consider your soul lost.
It is only a circular firing squad when you raise the importance of the political interests of the Democratic party over and above the freedom and well-being of the people living in U.S. and the world.
A1: Once upon a time “liberal Republican” was not an oxymoron. If you want to keep the radical right wing at bay, the first line of defense would be moderate Republicans.
If politics was about rooting for your team, the two sides would wear different uniforms, wouldn’t they?
check out this story – I wonder if the idiots over at DP get it yet???
http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20101111/NEWS02/11110347
If there’s one thing I refuse to tolerate from anyone, it’s the complaint, “You shouldn’t talk about what you’re talking about. You should talk about what I want to talk about.”
I have no problem with you posting criticisms of Obama or Democrats. I have a major problem with the criticism of the DL contributors for not writing about it. Do it yourself or don’t, but when you tell someone to write about what you demand, the proper response is “Go fuck yourself.”
LiberalGeek’s subtle hint should be reinforced: Start your own blog.
I don’t get credit for it, but I was the first to report that John Carney said he wanted to extend tax cuts for the rich temporarily, in my liveblogging from the JCC forum.
Thanks UI… I know I heard it somewhere, maybe it was from you. Did you find it notable enough to write anything else about it? Personally I held back pretty much from making a stink about it, because after all we were trying to win an election. I guess I lost a little piece of my soul by holding back.
The HuffPo article claimed that Obama was planning to extend the tax cuts on the rich permanently and had therefore “folded.” There was apparently no factual basis for the “permanent extension” claim (other than a well-founded bad feeling about it).
However, remember Candidate Obama ran on a promise to let the tax cuts for the rich expire on schedule. Obama has now said plenty about being willing to extend them temporarily. So yes, Obama has folded on tax cuts for the rich.
I don’t plan on making a career of telling DL what to post – I agree it is inappropriate and I am not comfortable doing it, so I’ll drop it. Just saying though, when you don’t talk about the big stuff, the omission becomes a topic in itself.
I guess if I really need to read DL criticizing the Bush tax cuts, I can always go to the DL archives when Bush and Castle were in office.
Geezer, over here it is mostly about rooting for the “D” team, regardless of their performance on the field.
And it isn’t so much about Rs and Ds or even “Conservatives” and “Liberals.” It is about our democracy and freedom being stolen from us by politicians bribed with campaign contributions.
When our freedom and liberties are being stolen from us, it doesn’t much matter to me the political party affiliation of the politicians that are doing it.
Finally, I have never told “someone to write about what [I] demand.” I do comment on the editorial content and omissions of the contributors and how that has changed over the years. You think that should be sacrosanct, but I don’t.
I do comment on the editorial content and omissions of the contributors and how that has changed over the years.
Actually, my writing style and editorial content has pretty much remained the same. I write about what interests me and what I feel comfortable. Which probably explains my lack of posts on economics and war. I never focused on those issues, because I’m not an expert.
And you do more than comment, A1. You accuse – which immediately shuts down debate. You never ask a question that isn’t leading. You never attempt to understand where anyone who doesn’t 100% agree with you is coming from. Basically, your approach sucks. It also doesn’t foster a discussion, but you’re not looking for a discussion. You’re looking for our self-flagellation and our complete submission to your views. It’s all about winning.
Just saying though, when you don’t talk about the big stuff, the omission becomes a topic in itself.
It shouldn’t be. It isn’t as though there aren’t plenty of other spaces talking about the big stuff, too. It is only a topic because you want to be in the business of deciding what gets covered here. And you already know how to deal with that issue.
What is interesting here is that we have a bunch of the usual complaintants, with the usual complaints and their entire framework for those complaints is centered around what *they* want. There are writers here and speaking for this writer, working on setting up the kind of discussions that interest me — largely around policy and governing is pretty much an exercise in frustration. I can put up a detailed discussion, richly linked to data, and the only thing that the usual complaintants will ever do is respond on some version of Barack Obama is not Magic Negro enough for them. There is no engagement with the data or other analysis — just the knee jerk litany of complaints.
There isn’t much *point* in trying to engage on the big stuff with people whose POV is belligerently ignorant of the real business and real choices of governing. And who — frankly — aren’t interested in actually wrestling with the big stuff. All you want is a venue to make it plain to the world how very much you resent the fact that you don’t get everything you want. So resent away. And know that part of the reason why there isn’t much about the big stuff is that we all get that fundamentally you really aren’t all that interested in it. So there is little point in making the effort to discuss it here.
“when you don’t talk about the big stuff, the omission becomes a topic in itself.”
I agree — but on another blog. It’s just too inside baseball otherwise. There’s an open thread every day, and I like seeing the links A1 and delacrat and others post there, even when I don’t agree. It’s that next step that’s the problematic one, because we end up with entire threads devoted to arguing about what DL should be posting about.
When I worked at a newspaper, I had no patience for people who would call up and say, “You didn’t cover…” — well, fill in the blank, but it was usually “my child’s swim meet” or something like that. They were looking not for information but affirmation — it wasn’t important unless they saw it in the newspaper. My response was always, “You already know what happened there, right? What makes you think anyone else who wants to know doesn’t already know it?”
There are scores of left-wing blogs filled with criticisms of the administration and Democrats. I have no doubt that A1 and delacrat and others read them every day. By all means post the links for those who might have missed them. Leave out the ad hominem criticisms, because they subtract from the discussion rather than add to it.
Leave out the ad hominem criticisms, because they subtract from the discussion rather than add to it.
With all due respect, the ad hominems in this thread at least are mostly from contributors, not commenters. At least that’s my impression, I’m not meta enough to do an actual count.
“With all due respect, the ad hominems in this thread at least are mostly from contributors, not commenters.”
But they come after an attack. Look how much of this thread has been wasted in “discussion” of whether DL fails to criticize Obama enough. Exactly how does this accomplish anything beyond you lefties getting this off your chest? What’s the point of arguing with liberals over whether Obama is liberal enough?
Part of publishing anything is guiding the discussion where you want it to go — some things you cover and talk about, some things you don’t. If you can’t accept that, go somewhere else. Frankly, I’d censor anything you post that criticizes contributors for their positions rather than Obama for his. But who has the time? Which is why I’d probably just ban you instead. Free speech? Sure. You can say anything you like — just not in my publication. Start your own.
If delcrat and a1 started their own blog dedicated to unmasking the Obomba Police nazi Rothchild State, id read it. anyone else?
pandora, it is about winning because right now we, liberals and progressives, are losing big time, despite the sweat and money that we put into getting big Democratic majorities and a Democratic President elected.
So I am trying to win. What are you trying to do?
Just because I don’t politely regurgitate opinions I don’t agree with doesn’t mean I don’t understand them. I understand why the government wants to torture people. I understand why politicians want to silence their opposition. I understand why Presidents lie. I understand why corporations want to control the government. I understand that endless war benefits the already powerful.
I understand all of that and more. And I understand that those proclivities of government are not limited to republicans and republican presidents only. Preservation of democracy, peace, and civil liberites are important issues to me that transcend political affiliation, which is why I write about them.
I am not looking for “self-flagellation and your complete submission to my views” or any such nonsense. I am pointing out that Delaware Liberal has a clear editorial double-standard in the way it treats Obama versus the way they treated Bush when they do the exact same things. I understand why you do that, but I disagree with that double-standard strongly. You love to push back and try to make this about me and my writing style, but nobody at DL had any problems with it when I was criticizing Bush in the same way for the same things.
So, you all may not like that I point out the double-standard, but there it is. I hope that you can try to understand that.
Really, Geezer? You think contributor’s positions should be immune from criticism by commentators? Wow. Just wow.
Wonderful, you’ve made your point … over and over and over again. And because you always take that extra step of criticizing DL, the takeaway isn’t about Obama, it’s about DL. Your self-righteousness gets in the way of your effectiveness.
Just make your point and leave DL out of it. Because it appears your real problem isn’t with Obama but with DL.
A1: Your aren’t criticizing their positions. You’re criticizing them. If you can’t understand that, then wow, just wow yourself.
I never said they should be immune from your constant carping and cries of hypocrisy. Nobody is stopping you from making them. But if it were my blog I’d stop you from making them here. A publisher has no obligation to host ad hominem criticism in his own publication. Freedom of the press means you’re free to start your own.
One reason why I love writing here is precisely b/c I get the chance to call out officials from either party when I believe they are either derelict in their duties, are making a mockery of the term ‘public service’, and/or are using their public position to benefit themselves at the expense of those who put them in office.
I also get the chance to highlight those who I believe are truly superior public servants, regardless of party.
I am a progressive and a liberal so, of course, I gravitate towards those who share my philosophy.
However, DV, anonone, et al, I’ve never ‘rooted for the laundry’ (i. e. the ‘Democratic team’), and I haven’t hesitated to highlight corruption and/or incompetence when I’ve seen it. I guess you’re not reading me to come to some conclusion about us wanting to be ‘insiders’.
And, most importantly, I’ve NEVER been told what I can or can’t write. Yes, I’ve been castigated by both contributors and readers alike for many of my articles. But, you know what, that’s what makes for a lively blog.
I guess this is my way of thanking Jason for bringing me on board and giving me a chance to write exactly what I wanted to write. I can never thank him or the DL family enough for helping me during a pretty tough time there.
for the record the Earbud’s up my nose post…as well as a few of the really really bad ones I was stoned.
Thanks for clearing that up.
No worries dude.
Happy Birthday, DL! The people on this site were a major boost to our campaign for state legislator. Whenever things got dark, someone on the site would write something gracious and get us motivated once again. In addition, you all provided a great deal of advice, which was sorely needed from time to time.
Jason, this is a great blog.
Jim