Ryan Jerz :: Reno Blogger

Fun, conversations, and occasional journalism from Reno, Nevada


Misc: Party loyalty has got to go

I wrote the following post today while ranting in my own head about a conversation I had earlier in the day. It’s definitely not as well written as I’d like it to be. It’s more of a stream of consciousness thing with a little bit of touch-up. Respond as you will, and say what’s on your mind. But come strong. No weak flames will be tolerated.

I talked to a friend today who’s on the inside. We discussed the players in this year’s election and what he knows about them and how he feels about them. It’s very interesting to be able to sit and chat with someone who really knows the game (I called it a game) and knows things that never get published. It’s also very interesting to know a few things that don’t get publised and why that is. But that’s not why I’m here today.

I asked him a few questions about the local blogs that have started covering the political scene. Mainly I wanted to know what he reads and what he knows about who’s behind a lot of the stuff. I wasn’t trying to figure out who the anonymous bloggers are or anything like that, but he did remark that he thinks one of them is also who I think it is (not who you think, so save it). We got into the discussion over what would be the best approach for a blog to take in positioning itself as a solid, fair outpost for statewide information. That’s when I went off. I wasn’t against what he said – in fact, we are on the same page almost entirely. I just started getting all into it and empassioned with my speechifying. See, I’m sick of blind loyalty to parties. But that’s all I seem to be able to find in the statewide blogs.

The biggest blogs in the north and the south, respectively, have a very obvious bent to their coverage of seemingly every political issue. The Gleaner’s Hugh Jackson and Reno and its Discontent’s Myrna the Minx have never met a Republican, or Republican policy, they liked (hyperbole on purpose, but seriously, you know it). On the flipside, Battle Born Opinion News’ editors seem to think that anyone left of the crazy, gay-hating Hansens is a flaming freaking liberal out to spend every dime you’ve ever made on your own back. All of it, of course, is ridiculous. What you get is the creation of that echo chamber effect where all you do is write for your audience and get reinforced in the comments. Occasionally there are disagreements, but mostly just over the degree of one commenter’s immersion in the party rhetoric.

But for some reason, it works. They all have readers, they all sell ads, and they all seem to write like they enjoy it.

At what point does someone fill the void in the middle – or if not the middle, at least bring the conversation to a place where both sides are welcome to participate? Is the proper way to go about it to be in the middle, or is it to have several writers, from hardline conservative to socialist, post on their own topics and invite conversation from there? I don’t know the answer. I do know that I’m sick of all the biggest and best that the state has to offer being schills for candidates and their respective parties. It’s tiresome. I’ve moved beyond that loyalty, even after pledging to myself at one point that I never would. Is that a sign of maturity, or stupidity? That’s an honest question.

I used to think that you voted with the party that overall represented your interests. Picking your best candidate was naive. Now I’m just ready to blow both parties up and start fresh. So I’m concerned with voting my conscience and moving on from there. And we start that on the state level. We’re still a small enough place that it’s possible.

How does a blog fit in? Is it impossible to have a blog that’s political and honestly fair? Or are all blogs going to eventually be pigeonholed into the right or left leaning categories? I’m not talking about newspaper blogs. They’re not allowed to have opinions, and they’re stopped from reporting on things that would really rile up the players. They have to stick to being reporters and making sure all the advertisers are not pissed off every time they write. Can anyone be the voice that pisses off all the players at once and still survive? We have to remember that access is important. I don’t know. Maybe it’s just a dream from a really frustrated person who gets sick of seeing the same claptrap day in and day out from people that should be breaking new ground. Oh well.


tags: nevada politics blogging journalism democracy local
posted by Ryan Jerz on 09/08/2006

Comments

The Anon Guy, Sep 9, 07:53 PM #:

I know this topic tends to piss you off a lot, but I think the answer of if a political blog can make it going down the straight and narrow is “probably not”.

The people in the middle (who are interested in politics, not the majority that barely care) get their news and political stories from the newspapers and television. By their very nature these forms of media tend to at least try and be impartial. But as Fred Brown said “impartiality is not considered interesting”.

So it is the people who think Brian Williams is a shill for capitalist greed or Katie is a knee-jerk liberal undermining the American Way who tend to go out and start their political blogs. Because, in their eyes, the dreaded MSM isn’t telling their version of what they believe to be the truth. So you tend to have extremely polarized political blogs.

Most people I know who aren’t stridently political in one way don’t even know about political blogs. And it could be a case of the chicken or the egg: do more moderate types not read blogs because there are few moderate blogs, or are there few moderate blogs because moderates don’t bother reading political blogs. I don’t know.

It could also be as simple as passion. I may be wrong, but it is pretty rare to find someone who is passionately “independent” about politics. I’m not saying there aren’t any, but people who get worked up tend to gravitate toward the more extreme. Hence most activists and third-party members tend to be on the outer fringes of the average voter.

I think the idea of a “Huffington Post”-type blog with writers from the different political spectrums would probably just segregate along party lines anyway, with the left and the right attacking each other while the middle guy isn’t read.

Picking the best candidate would seem to be the ideal, but then you are faced with the bigger picture sometimes. Take for instances AD-24. You are a Republican, but like Bobzien. You think he is a better candidate than the GOP incumbent Holcomb. And, in the world of GOP assemblymen (and women), Holcomb isn’t exactly considered a dynamo (his ‘04 victory was consider a shocker).

But, you also have another dynamic going. If Holcomb loses that seat and the GOP doesn’t pick up one in its place, the Assembly will become veto-proof for the Democrats (making it difficult for the GOP to pass or override certain legislation). So now you have the conundrum of weighing your choice for who think is best in your district versus the overall picture of who you think can best govern.

Ryan Jerz, Sep 9, 10:05 PM #:

Unfortunately, I think you’re right. That’s why I asked. It really pisses me off that all these people are out there giving a free pass to some people and blowing others away. The absolute loyalty to parties makes otherwise smart people say some pretty stupid things. There’s no question I have my favorites, but every time I sit down to write something I think about if I’m being fair. I wish everyone did that. That’s all.

I also see the dynamic you're talking about with parties losing seats. That's really a part of the problem. Once candidates get in there, they rarely have the stones to vote for their conscience if their party is doing the wrong thing. I know that's just part of how it works. This was really just a venting of idealism. It'll never happen how I want it to, but somebody has to be in there trying to keep the rampant ideologues in check.

myrna the minx, Sep 10, 01:00 AM #:

One thing Ive noticed about your blog—you are fond of setting up false dichotomies so you can set yourself up in the middle as the voice. A nice trick but, well, not exactly accurate. And you also use it in an adversarial way to call people out publically. When I want to address an issue with you, I do it in response to you your comments on my site or in comments on your site. I dont make accusations on my blog about you for everyone to read. Something to think about.

Anyway, I didn’t even address the things you said about me and my blog—not worth it. I write what I write what I write regardless of who buys an ad. We’ve discussed this off blog. However, to take the point that not having a party affiliation is somehow more virtuous than having one is completely illogical. Its just your choice because your ideology and priorities dont match up well with a single party. I am different however—my ideology and priorities are largely shared by a political party, but that doesn’t that they werent mine to begin with. I have criticized democratic candidates in the past and will continue to do so, but I tend to blog about people or candidates I dont agree with—that’s nothing different that what you do most of the time. Blind party affiliation is as much a problem for me as it is for you.

And I’s like to remind you that I post about many other things besides politics so while my blog is often political, it is not a strictly political blog. It offers more to more people than that.

Ryan Jerz, Sep 10, 01:27 AM #:

What’s the accusation I made, exactly? By saying you sell ads I was not implying that you whore yourself out for them. I’ve seen how they work. I’ve gotten some of the same ads myself. The only accusation I made about any of the mentioned sites is that they are partisan hacks. I can be too, but it bothers me and I’ve tried to stop it. I stopped responding to your comments because I’m just tired of it all. You say something that I see as a contradiction, I respond, then you shame me in some way. I’m done with it.

I know I’m not the middle voice. But I’m trying to be. My instincts sometimes get in the way. Does that bother you? Or do you care if there is middle voice? That’s what this post was about. If you’d like to discuss that, then let’s do so. But stop acting like what I said was a personal attack. It was honest, as I see it. As long as my name is on the site, I plan on telling it how I see it.

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