A Big Pissing Contest
Mike Matthews on the DE Blogosphere:
Anyone who is a blogger, fan, or follower of the DE Blogosphere who HASN’T realized that this all really is just one big pissing contest needs to step back, take a deep breath, and down a few valium.
Oh, I don’t know about that. For that assumes this is just all one big game. It may be to some. But not to me and I am sure not to others. Sure, we like to mock our adversaries, by that I mean conservatives and Republicans, and by extension, their local representatives (i.e. DP and other right leaning blogs). Sure we like to joke and employ sarcasm and hyperbole on occasion. But behind all that is a passion for and an advocacy of certain political beliefs and a vision for Delaware and America. I am sure our competition on the right will say the same thing. So yes, we like to have fun, and yes tempers can flare, and accusations can fly, and sometimes our antics resemble an entertaining Three Stooges episode like Kilroy says, but that doesn’t mean it is a meaningless pissing contest.
Now Mike is a cynical dude. He will tell you that himself. And he is annoyingly independent, with no real ideology liberal or conservative that I can tell. Sure, he has opinions and beliefs, but in the end, I think anyway, his cynicism governs all. So maybe that is why he thinks this is all just a big pissing contest lacking any real purpose.
That was spot on re: Mike. He might quibble with the wording, but could not duspute the substance.
As for the big picture, in the political ecology bloggers are just about as powerless as you can get so it is not surprising that a great many posts mock, rip on, berate, and rhetorically teabag idiot republicans and useless ineefective democrats.
That powerlessness is changing though and to a large degree – we have the spaz attacks and hissy fits to thank for it.
“Sure we like to joke and employ sarcasm and hyperbole on occasion. But behind all that is a passion for and an advocacy of certain political beliefs and a vision for Delaware and America.”
Wonderful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Mike is saying we should not take blogging and ourselves too seriously.
Given how ineffective we are, I tend to agree.
As much as I’d like to rag on the guy for promoting controversy no matter who gets hurt, I do appreciate his liveblogging from Dover. It’s easy to paint him with a broad brush, and he’s certainly an egomaniac, but I have to think there’s something a little more behind his cynical front. He strikes me as a man confused, unable to choose between friends on both sides of the aisle. Claiming that it’s all just a game absolves him of making the wrong choice – but he shares some of the same desire we all have to make a difference. He’s just lacks a clear vision.
Oh, I am not criticizing Mike at all. We just approach this thing from different perspectives. And his liveblogging is both informative and entertaining, no small feat.
Oh, I agree that we shouldn’t take ourselves too seriously but DD is right that there are people with real passion and energy behind the pseudonyms.
“…promoting controversy no matter who gets hurt”… and he’s certainly an egomaniac, …confused, unable to choose…”??
You just unwittingly described the daily menu here at DL. Because he doesn’t fit the mold of your narrowly defined ideologies… he’s the one who’s confused? Granted, he can be a tool (can’t we all), but strikes me as someone who refuses to get in lockstep until he’s explored all options.
Independent thinkers scare the shit out of you, don’t they?
I think blogging can have an impact as a place to generate interest in issues or campaigns and offer a discussion place for people who can not regularly attend legislative hall and other venues where issues are discussed.
Impacting public policy can take time (restoring voting rights for ex-felons and the SEED scholarship legislation each took over 10 years of legislative action and activist lobbying to become public policy) and some blogs seem to be all about immediacy which has its place, but may have limitations in a process that can take months or years to unfold .
The issue of whether blogging is a public policy discussion or entertainment will also impact whether it can impact public policy. If blogging goes too far in the direction of entertainment , I think it will limit its effectiveness to create meaningful change .
Mike is lacking any moral compass. In his own words, he doesn’t care what anybody writes as long as it gets people talking. Hence, he brings the very vapid Dominique, the bigoted religious nut Leo, and the yet-to-grow-up Mat.
His blog is funniest when it is just him, whether he is pining for Christine or live blogging a hearing.
Look there is only one thing worst than trying to piss up a rope and that is getting into a pissing contest with a skunk.
Notice I am not picking sides here
There’s not much about DL that falls in the category of being unable to choose. Especially since “choosing” and defending those choices is apparently DL’s problem amongst those accustomed to not being challenged much. And there’ s not much about Matthews that counts as an “independent” thinker — especially since he is pretty good at taking on whatever coloration his friends have that day.
If blogging goes too far in the direction of entertainment , I think it will limit its effectiveness to create meaningful change .
This may be the smartest thing said on the topic of blog “effectiveness”. Thanks, John.
It all comes down to content. If the content is good, blogging is good. If the content is a sucky pissing match – bloging is a sucky pissing match.
jason330 // Apr 11, 2009 at 9:27 pm
“It all comes down to content. If the content is good, blogging is good. If the content is a sucky pissing match – bloging is a sucky pissing match.”
Good call! Each post represents a new blank canvas and there are days I am sure even you throw up off the wall stuff because nothing really creative came to mind.
Yea it gets to be a pissing match but one must remember if you’re pissing on other expect to be pissed on. Dam I don’t mind becasue I don’t give a shit and just laugh most of the time. It’s great bing stupid because you can’t get kicked and futher down the social scale. LOL
DL is a bit comlex because of the multi personalities involve not saying you all suffer from multi-personality Disorder. I only know Pandroa in real life, lol and she don’t take any shit not even from the former Red Clay Goldfather! I still look towards Jason as the center of DL and honestly he’s been pretty straight with me from day one! He is master at baiting people out and is very calculated.
As far as Matthews doing his thing live at legislative hall and board meetings, I think it great that one of us or a few is out and about. Matthews will be at the Red Clay School Board Fourm on the 20th. Don’t knock his style for it bring blogging more consistently to the next level! It Benefits all of us.
I do detect some negativity towards Matthews because of his association with Buriss during the DTR run. So Matthews is guilty by association because of the long riff with Dl and DP! Here ares two blogs at each end of the left and right extreme. Matthews ended up in the crosshairs.
Matthews is more broad in the sense of ideology in comparison to DL who is quite defined in mission and philosophy. But then again what the fuck do I know. Just a straight up opinion and not trying to piss on anyone!
Kilroy,
I’m not trying to put words in people’s mouths, but I don’t think DTR as anything to do with it.
George Bush ran a very polarizing campaign and White House for 8 years. He forced everyone into armed camps. There is a great deal of mistrust of people who “played it down the middle” because the choices, even today, are so starkly black and white.
“Non-partisan” seems like a cop out in the current political climate. Mike has his reasons, but even I think his “they all suck” routine is threadbare BS in light of the Bush years.
jason330
“I’m not trying to put words in people’s mouths, but I don’t think DTR as anything to do with it.”
It just seems like there was a turning point where the friendly swipes at each other became not so friendly and DL’s teeth does drip with blood. You guys are like paranoid piranha just traveling through the pool nipping at everything moving. You do remember those DTR promo ads where DWA buries the Ax with Burris? Could be some of that deep- seeded resentment, one minute he’s Burris’s enemy and than his best new friend playing into the picture? At one time you and Matthews were a tag-team hammering away at Burris. Could be some abandonment issues going on under the surface.
““Non-partisan” seems like a cop out in the current political climate. Mike has his reasons, but even I think his “they all suck” routine is threadbare BS in light of the Bush years.”
The reasons are obvious as he is in transition of trying to redefine who he is and where he is going, it’s obvious when he did go to DTR it took some focus off of whom DWA was and who Mike Matthews is! There’s your buzz word, Bush! DWA was all over Bush with no mercy and was your partner in crime! But dude there is life after Bush and indeed the life after is impacted by Bush’s fallout like if he were a nuclear bomb. We’re all still burning and suffering. You’ll have to admit, the constant bashing of Bush and Castle can become just as routine. DWA doesn’t have a big crew picking up the slack and the only reason many of us indentify DL and Jason is because of loyalty and respect for Jason. You have many players over there and surely an insult to one of them shouldn’t be an insult to Jason. If so you’ve become like the Bush administration. As far as the “Cop” aspect wouldn’t you love to have the time to be out and about being in the middle of the action? I think if you put yourself in that position you’ll have to be a bit non-partisan and subdued.
Dam, it wasn’t that long ago I was trashing the shit out of Denn, Gilligan and even Manolakos and to forget my old pal Sokola. Some of it was politically driven and some base on the issues. But I am trying to put politics aside because the issues are more important and I’ve been getting some respect for those efforts. It is a bit humbling that those you disrespected and trash speak highly of you. If our contributions to politics are all rhetoric and no substance then we’re irrelevant. Could be Matthews is getting to enjoy being involved in the issues and the color of the player’s party isn’t as important. Bush’s is gone and his damaging polices are being untied. So do you talk about the good old days or do you engross the now? Do you speculate about the GOP demise or do you engross the now! Maybe Matthews is engrossing the now where life is!
Again, just my straight up opinion.
Kilroy,
I’m going to respond to this at length in a post.
Looks like Kilroy nails it.
“I’m going to respond to this at length in a post.”
It would appear that Jason has a new *project*. Perhaps Burris will get a little break.
jason330
Kilroy,
“I’m going to respond to this at length in a post.”
Yikes! do I need to get in my bunker? LOl 🙂
Try to keep it at a fifth grade reading level so I can comprehend, LOL 🙂
To all the DL clan have a nice hoilday!
Matthews should be fine come Monday because Easter is a Weight Watchers holiday and members get the day off eating real food.
Kilroy,
Unless WW has changed a lot since I did it, there is no food holiday. They simply give you coping mechanisms. All the food you eat on WW is “real” food, it’s usually just a lot less of it.
miscreant & Kilroy,
Don’t worry. I just want to fix the timeline and add my take on when and why our blog discourse went into the shitter.
For some reason, this post is still getting tons of hits everyday. And one of the more recent popular search items leading people to DL is “pissing contest.”
I sense people are coming here expecting something other than talk about the DE Blogosphere.