Blogroll

It's time to update the blogroll again! 

Please nominate any new blogs in the comment section, or disagree with any ratings there.

Platinum Blogs (Links on Right)

Commonwealth Conservative- Stays at Platinum

Raising Kaine- Stays at Platinum

750 Volts- Downgraded to Gold
(Needs to be updated more!)

Bacon's Rebellion:  Downgraded to Gold
(Why do they keep getting rid of the most popular bloggers?)

Virginia Centrist- Stays at Platinum
(Watch List for possible downgrade)

Too Conservative- Stays at Platinum

Richmond Report- Debuts at Platinum
(Been forgetting to add this one, the best of Virginia media blogs)

Gold Blogs (Links on Right)

Brian Patton- Stays at Gold
(Watch List for possible downgrade)

Goodbye Jim- Downgraded to Silver
(It used to be funny, but the joke is getting old)

Bearing Drift- Stays at Gold
(Watch List for possible upgrade)

New Dominion- Stays at Gold
(Watch List for possible upgrade)

One Man's Trash- Stays at Gold
(Watch List for possible upgrade)

Getting Around- Downgraded to Silver
(The comment section doesn't work, Bruce)

Policy Soup- Stays at Gold

Shaun Kenney- Stays at Gold

Sic Semper Tyrannis- Stays at Gold
(Watch List for possible upgrade)

South of the James- Stays at Gold
(Watch List for possible upgrade)

Richmond Democrat- Stays at Gold

Cost Cutting Blog- Stays at Gold

Virginia Political Line- Stays at Gold

Waldo Jaquith- Debuts at Gold
(I've been talked into bringing him back on the blogroll after his negative attacks on me during my series on Alice Marshall)

Raw Fisher- Debuts at Gold
(This is a Platinum regional blog, but since Virginia only gets some of the coverage, we'll put it gold for now)

Silver Blogs (Links on Right)

Blue Dog- Stays at Silver

Blue in VA- Stays at Silver

Commonwealth Iconoclast- Stays at Silver

Commonwealth Watch- Stays at Silver

Elephant Ears- Stays at Silver

James Walkinshaw- Downgraded, off the blogroll
(James is not updating until the end of the Hurst campaign, he told me)

I'm Not Emeril- Stays at Silver

Good Sense- Stays at Silver

NoVA Democrat- Stays at Silver

Republitarian- Stays at Silver
(Watch List for possible upgrade)

Skeptical Observer- Stays at Silver
(Watch List for possible downgrade)

South Arlington- Stays at Silver

Spark it Up- Stays at Silver

VYD 6th District Blog- Stays at Silver
(Watch List for possible upgrade)

Mason Conservative- Stays at Silver
(Watch List for possible upgrade)

Morgan's Riflemen- Debuts at Silver
(Looks like a good new blog)

Jeff Shapiro's RTD Blog- Debuts at Silver
(Would go higher if they made any effort to be part of the blogging community)

FairfaxFocus- Debuts at Silver
(Washington Post Blog on Virginia's largest county)

Bronze Blogs (Links on Right)

Change Servent- Stays at Bronze

Fairfax Democrats Official Blog- Stays at Bronze

J's Notes- Stays at Bronze

LawJD- Demoted, off the blogroll
(Blog is gone)

Leesburg Talk- Stays at Bronze

Neal2028- Stays at Bronze

NoVA9- Promoted to Silver
(It was a great blog this fall, and is coming back strong)

Not Guy Incognito- Stays at Bronze
(Watch List for possible upgrade)

Rick Howell Speaks- Stays at Bronze

Rick Sincere Thoughts- Stays at Bronze

Renaissance Ruminations- Stays at Bronze

Say No To Rino's- Promoted to Silver
(Now called the Jefferson Mammoth)

Dry Throat- Stays at Bronze

Virginia Left Wing- Stays at Bronze

GOTV- Debuts at Bronze
(Yes, its a flip flop, but nothing crazy recently, and she is Harris Miller's only blogging supporter)

Tsuredzuregusa- Debuts at Bronze
(Shaula's back and blogging)

Loyal Opposition Politics- Debuts at Bronze
(Won my heart with their first post)

Comments

[JR]

Thanks much for the continued mention on the blogroll. Just out of curiosity, what's the criteria?

[Not Ben]

"Thanks much for the continued mention on the blogroll. Just out of curiosity, what's the criteria?"

Ben's ego, whim, and ability to stay on schedule with his Lithium.

[Not Larry Sabato]

Not Ben- You crack me up.

JR- Platinum is the small list of "must read" blogs. Gold are the blogs people should read daily. Silver are worth checking out on a regular basis and bronze are worth checking out every once in a while.

[Adam Sharp]

Ben, if you're still hard up for cash, why don't you make the "Platinum," "Gold," "Silver," and "Bronze" levels donation-based rather than quality-based?

Campaigns do it all the time with different donor levels at events.

"Pay to play," that's what they say, right?

It's not like we take these levels seriously anyway ...

[NoVADemocrat]

Is anyone arging with a specific rating?

Seriously guys what blogs are updated constantly with good and provocative content: Commonwealth Conservative, TC, VA Centrist, and Raising Kaine. Hey look, that’s the Platinum list, funny how that works...

[Mark T. Blair]

Have you checked out Commonwealth Commons? It is brand new but it looks like it could be good. I would also probably bump waldo and new dominion up to platinum.

I'd say dump Dry Throat completely. It hasn't been updated since NOVEMBER.

[Not Larry Sabato]

Mark T. Blair- can you link me? I think I saw it, but not sure.

Anonymous- good point. They will be gone next month if it is still unupdated

[tooconservative]

New Dominion has turned into a gameshow-maybe some lowering.

I'd raise Blue Dog-Steve is a good guy, who provides on the spot information.

and I'd create a new category titles-"THE MOTHER OF ALL BLOGS"
and put TC in it

[Mark T. Blair]

http://commonwealthcommons.blogspot.com/

[J. Sarge]

Thanks for the vote of confidence, Mark T. Blair.

TC, why are you trying to put my rating in Jeopardy!(TM)? Don't Press Your Luck(TM). triViA has long been a feature of New Dominion. Let's Make A Deal(TM): if The Price Is Right(TM), I'll change my format. Otherwise, I Double Dare(TM) you to get one of my questions right.

[James Young]

Downgrade!?!?!?! E-mail me why, Ben.

[anonymous]

found a newer blog, seems to have just undergone a name change. Westbound 66
http://newdominionva.blogspot.com

[JR]

Ben,
Absolutely.

Thanks for spelling out. Despite what NoVA D said, I think it was a constructive exercise to see your thought process.

I certainly was not arguing my placecment. I never claimed to own a platinum blog. Not sure I'd want to. Seems like too much work! ;-)

[Not Ben]

"Downgrade!?!?!?!"

I wonder if your bigotry has anything to do with it...

[Not Larry Sabato]

WHAT?

[J. Sarge]

I think Not Ben was referring to James Young.

best new alabama blog:

http://alabamagop.blogspot.com

[Not Ben]

"I think Not Ben was referring to James Young."

I was. Ben, you may be a lot of things, but I don't think you're bigoted. James Young, on the other hand, is as ignorant as the day is long.

[republitarian550]

Just why haven't I reclaimed my gold??????

[Virginia Centrist]

You dared insult the legitimacy of platinum blog.

[republitarian550]

Exactly when did I do that?

[James Young]

Not Ben, you apparently don't even understand the word "bigotry." Bold talk from someone daring to call another "ignorant as the day is long."

'Course, as you post pseudonymously, I suppose we could justly declare you "cowardly as the day is long."

[Not Ben]

James wrote:

"Not Ben, you apparently don't even understand the word 'bigotry'."

American Heritage Dictionary defines a bigot as one who is strongly partial to one's own group, religion, race, or politics and is intolerant of those who differ.

You've demonstrated your strong partiality to heterosexuality and your intolerance of homosexuals. You're a bigot, and a particularly ignorant one at that.

I bet you're a rotten father.

[James Young]

Well, Not Ben, since we're engaging in personal attacks, I'll bet your a homo. But since you ask, you're apparently a "bigot," too, since you're intolerant of anyone who disagrees with the radical homosexual agenda, Conservatives, and normal people generally.

And refusal of "acceptance" is distinct from "tolerance." I couldn't care less about homosexuals who keep their private perversions private. But those who choose to throw them up in my face can rightly expect to reap the whirlwind, just as I expect to be attacked by nihilistic far Lefty cowards when I throw my views up in their faces.

And BTW, my wife, sons, and virtually everyone who knows my family would differ with you as to whether I am a "rotten father." But I guess it's easy to attack someone's family while cowering in anonymity.

[James Young]

Come to think of it, Not Ben, by your standards, such as they are, I suppose I am a "rotten father."

Your comment can only cause me to conclude that I must be doing something right.

[republitarian550]

I agree with James.

I'm tired of fags...err gays trying to shove their "agenda" down my throat.

It's left a real bad taste in my mouth.

[republitarian550]

;o)

[James Young's White Mask & Robe]

Calling James Young a bigot is like calling Liberace an effeminate homosexual. It may have been impolitic, and he may have denied it, but you knew it was 100% true.

[James Young]

I love it when anonymous hacks attack those of us with enough courage to stand by our statements. As John Wayne once said (Big Jake), "If you haven't learned to respect your elders, then maybe it's about time you learned to respect your betters."

[James Young's White Mask & Robe]

HA! I'll have to grab the popcorn if Jimmy Young ever finds even one person he can honestly claim he is "better" than.

[Not Ben]

"Well, Not Ben, since we're engaging in personal attacks, I'll bet your a homo."

Ooooooh. Frankly, I'm unmoved. If you want to think I'm gay, it doesn't upset me. I don't consider "homo[s]" a class of people to be hated as you do.

"But since you ask, you're apparently a 'bigot,' too, since you're intolerant of anyone who disagrees with the radical homosexual agenda, Conservatives, and normal people generally."

Ignoring that you likely haven't the first clue of what "normal people" think, I freely admit to being intolerant of intolerance. If your definition of "the radical homosexual agenda" is them enjoying the same rights you and I have, then yes, I am intolerant of anyone that small-minded. I don't suffer fools or bigots gladly.

"And refusal of 'acceptance' is distinct from 'tolerance.'"

Which would be a valid argument if you didn't throw around slurs like "fag" and "homo". You taught your children to think this way too, didn't you?

"I couldn't care less about homosexuals who keep their private perversions private. But those who choose to throw them up in my face can rightly expect to reap the whirlwind,"

So if they seek the same rights we have, they will reap your feeble "whirlwind". Sounds about right for a bigot like you.

"just as I expect to be attacked by nihilistic far Lefty cowards when I throw my views up in their faces."

If only we could all have--what is the term you used?--"courage" that you have James. Lemme guess, you fancy yourself a true patriot, don't you?

"And BTW, my wife, sons, and virtually everyone who knows my family would differ with you as to whether I am a 'rotten father.'"

Maybe. But it's plainly obvious that anyone who would teach their kids to hate the way you hate is a terrible parent. It's a shame when someone doesn't love their children more than they hate others.

"But I guess it's easy to attack someone's family while cowering in anonymity."

I've never attacked one person in your family. I choose to attack your bigotry because it's loathesome.

"Come to think of it, Not Ben, by your standards, such as they are, I suppose I am a 'rotten father'."

I'm glad we agree. Now if you eschew the ignorance and hatemongering that is your hallmark, perhaps you can cease being so negligent in your parenting duties.

"Your comment can only cause me to conclude that I must be doing something right."

I don't doubt for a second that you reached such a conclusion.

[James Young]

Not Ben: "I don't suffer fools or bigots gladly."

Self-hated is self-destructive, Not Ben. Get some help.

And as for your comment about my qualities as a father, Not Ben, I related it to my nine-year-old son. His response? "Daddy, I'm not allowed to say the word I'd like to use to describe that guy."

[Not Ben]

James: "Self-hated is self-destructive, Not Ben. Get some help."

You really just reduced yourself to "I know you are but what am I".

That's sad, even by your standards.

James: "And as for your comment about my qualities as a father, Not Ben, I related it to my nine-year-old son. His response? 'Daddy, I'm not allowed to say the word I'd like to use to describe that guy.'"

I had seafood for dinner last night.

I figured that was just as relevant, since we're now sharing pointless personal anecdotes.

What did you eat last night James?