Hello friends,
Well, things are heating up here at VisibleVote08, clearly - which we love. I am regularly impressed with the breadth and depth of most of our commenters’ knowledge and we appreciate you being here and sharing with us.
That said, please:
1. DO NOT double post comments, especially lengthy ones, attaching them to different blog posts. We will delete all duplications of comment posts (some of them, we know, are unintentional duplicates, and due to the vagaries of WordPress, which powers our site).
2. Please try your best to limit comments to 250 words. In a blog context, short comments are more powerful anyway.
3. Please DO NOT POST FULL TEXT of other articles. Just give us a quote or a summary and send us to the link.
4. And finally - please do try your best to attack the argument and not the person.
Do you have suggestions on how to make this dialogue even more productive and helpful? Please let us know, below.
And - we are always looking for video bloggers! Do consider auditioning by sending a video blog to us.
Warmly,
Jay Vanasco
editor, VisibleVote08
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Read my comment again; differences in opinion should not only be aired but celebrated, and I deplore any effort by some within the GLBT community to insist that we march in lockstep to a monolithic standard of political expression.
Also, while you correctly note that 19 percent of Obama supporters will not support Hillary in the GE (and 28 percent of Hillary supporters will not support Obama in the GE), another new poll released today states "Hillary Clinton is sporting the lowest personal ratings of the campaign. Moreover, her 37 percent positive rating is the lowest the NBC/WSJ poll has recorded since March 2001."
This same poll further states: "When asked if the three presidential candidates could be successful in uniting the country if they were elected president, 60 percent of all voters believed Obama could be successful at doing this, 58 percent of all voters said McCain could unite the country while only 46 percent of voters said the same about Clinton."
Hillary is a polarizing and divisive candidate with high negatives, low positives, and ranked last as the one best able to unite the country.
She cannot win the primary; she cannot win the general election; she should withdraw from the race now.
Pauline's posting on "Tonya Harding", is from a Barack's adviser talking points, from yesterday news conference with ABC News. That metaphor was a sound bite for the evening news last night.
This site does not offer anything fresh, that we are not getting from our normal daily news source or blogs. Other than Kate, she has just been added to one of my favorite blogs. That's the point the other comments are making.
I am a Barack supporter. But I am also a democrat first. I realize that Barack cannot win in November without Hillary Clinton's support and supporters. Recent(today) poll does not look good, 28% of Hillary Clinton's supporters would vote for John McCain over Barack. While only 19% of Barack's supporter would vote for McCain over Clinton. That's a dramatic margin.
As to HOGB (bitterqueer?), why is it sad that some has an opinion that doesn't match yours?
I would strongly disagree, to the point its laughable. Pauline Park is not in the same league as Maureen Dowd. In fact, not only is she not in the same league, she is not even in the same ball park!
In any case, I wholeheartedly agree with you that diversity -- including diversity of opinion -- must be of paramount value in the LGBT community and on blog sites such as this one that are meant to forefront LGBT perspectives.
Thank you for your kind words about my writing and more generally for your contributions to the discussion on this site.
Ms. Park is an articulate, thoughtful writer with a point of view, and yes, she packs a punch; however, isn't that the point of a good writer (i.e., Maureen Dowd)? The fact that people are responding to Ms. Park is evidence that she is on target.
Frankly, I thought the point of gay liberation was to celebrate diversity, and it's sad to see some people on this board criticize Ms. Park because she does not march in lock step with their monolithic standard for political expression.
I don't like most of what flows from the pen of James Withers; however, I recognize that he too -- like Ms. Park -- is an excellent writer with a point of view.
Celebrate the difference.
We're keeping WordPress - all of Logo's blogs are powered by it, not just VV08.
Also - VV08 is designed to be a blog of opinion, not of news. That's because we're affiliated with 365Gay, which DOES provide news (I'm features editor there as well). I know that this information is likely baffling now, but it will become clearer in the future.
Part of what makes VV08 different from other GLBT opinion blogs, I think, is that we are fairly tightly focused on the election, and we write our opinions from a GLBT perspective.
As the presidential election winds to a close, we'll be broadening the site to include the congressional elections, as well as other news topics.
We think it's important that GLBT people have a voice in more than just gay issues. And where the mainstream media might not want to hear a gay perspective on health care or the war, we DO want to hear about those things.
Hearing directly for the elected representative themselves on issues would be fantastic idea. Gives the GLBT community the insight needed to understand the political process, how to best address the legislation effecting our needs.
Honestly, Kate Clinton is the only reason I come to this site, weekly. Visible Vote 08 doesn't offer anything to the GLBT community that hundreds of other blogs offer. By changing the format to the about mentioned, would offer originality and productive information. Worthy of attendance.
Again, I agree with the Wyndam's comments, Ms. Park sucks the oxygen out of the blog. She comes across as rude, abrasive and arrogant to the readers. Nothing personal! Everyone has a blog today, I was excited when I heard about this one. But, I have been extremely disappointed by it's content or the lack of. Hearing directly from the professionals is a winning format.
Thanks for listening! Kate Clinton is a major hoot! I look forward to her vblogs!
1. Do away with Wordpress and get Haloscan. Allow your blog viewer's to express their rights to freedom of speech, in whatever manner they wish.
2. The web site contributors, should be more objective in their postings. Post the facts relating to GLBT issues without their personal opinions or view points. This is a blog about the Vote for 2008, for gay and lesbians. We are smart people! If the commentator's want to rant, let them get a personal blogs to achieve that goal. As they are not experts.
3. Give the facts on issues that directly concern GLBT issues only. Who cares about who is endorsing whom, what Hillary or Barack does not relating to issues effecting GLBT needs. We get that from CNN. What we do not get from CNN is GLBT concerns. I think, Visible Vote 08 has lost it's direction on this point.
4. Best thing about the site is video blogs from Kate Clinton and Grant.
5. There is a greater need in the GLBT community for information reporting based web site on FACTS, with out personal opinions, re voter and legislation issues. Expand to the House, Senate, Governor, Mayor, other elected offices in general. All this, with a taste of video blogs with political humor. Like: Kate's and Grant. You would vastly increase Visible Vote viewer base.
6. List GLBT elected official's in public office at current. Jennifer Vanasco point on Jim Neal is excellent. Enlisted commentaries and view points from the experts first hand.
7. In breaking your rule #4, the absolute worse thing about this site, Pauline Park. No offense, Ms Park is way over the top bitter, intolerable aggressive, and unforgivable negative. In both postings and comments. I do not mean this as a personal attack, my observation as a viewer.
Thanks for asking,
Dr. Jeffery Wyndam
@Jennifer: I was going to suggest Jim Neal, but didn't want to let my own biases get in the way.
I know a few people who are involved with his campaign, so I'll see about giving them an extra nudge in this direction.
The presidential race is sucking a lot of oxygen out of the room, but we ought to be deliberate in our focus on House and Senate races that'll (knock on wood) help expand Democratic majorities in November.