Weirdness

Recently, some bloggers have accused me of being a mouthpiece for the Webb campaign.

I went back, and there have 172 blog entries here since April 1st.

51 deal with the Senate race (29.7%)
121 were on another topic. (70.3%)

Given that not much else is going on, I don't think this is much of a ratio.

Included in the 51 on the Senate race were all the posts on the poll we conducted last month.

I take constructive criticism seriously.  I reread all the posts, and I think most were newsworthy, in fact a large number of them were news breaking stories that other blogs did not have.

I understand it can be confusing when reading other blogs, their posts may merge with mine and make it look like I post more often on the Senate race then I do.  Without naming them, some other blogs post much more often on the Senate race than I do.

So does anyone want to say anything bad about this blog to my face? 

Consider this an open thread :)

Comments

[Virginia Liberal]

Touchy, touchy. I heard Ben beats his pets.

[Neal]

Apparently, they couldn't come up with anything else to go after you with, so they just picked something out of the air.

I think you've done a pretty good job with the Webb/Miller coverage, and I especially think the poll was a great idea.

I think your coverage of Harris Miller's pee-pee pants was pulitzer material.

[Mike Sizemore]

I don't think one can call you a mouthpiece of the Webb campaign without first looking at Raising Kaine.

[James Young]

I think I agree with Mike. Maybe the hairpiece of the Webb campaign. Maybe even the codpiece of the Webb campaign (apropos of the 2:52 post). But certainly not the "mouthpiece" of the Webb campaign.

[Not Larry Sabato]

Thanks, all. I would just add one other thing. I have always tried to be transparent to who I was supporting so people could judge the coverage based on that.

[Virginia Liberal]

You still didn't address the rumor about you beating your pets.

[J.C. Wilmore]

The joke is, of course, that the Webb-Miller race is the big story right now. People bash us for writing about it, but count the hits: the Democratic Primary is the money ticket right now.

As for our choosing sides: most of the people you named are better informed than the average Virginian and most of us support Jim Webb. Don't like it? Too bad.

We're bloggers: we don't do that whole fake "objectivity" thing. If you want fake "objectivity" then read the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

[Bwana]

Well, since you asked...it is probably not a matter of the quantity of posts, but the nature of the posts.

On the one hand, you thought up the poll...great idea.

On the other hand, you repeatedly have used a photoshopped picture of Miller wearing stained pants...with no balancing bit of humor regarding Webb.

You ran a prominent five part series on northern virginia delegates who endorsed Miller, then compared how their endorsed choice did in the 2005 democratic primary. While some might see this as an assault on these delegates, others might see it as an assault on Miller supporters-and again, there was no similar analysis done of supporters of Webb (regardless of how their district might have voted).

So while the first was an attempt at humor, and the second was a factual analysis, the way it was done and presented could lead people to the mouthpiece point of view.

Now about these allegations of pet abuse...
;-)

[Dannyboy]

I post at RK all the time, and I'll admit that RK should just basically called "Jim Webb...and some other stuff." We like Webb, so sue us. I'd hardly call this site a mouthpiece, though. Not in the slightest.

[J.C. Wilmore]

There's a difference between a mouthpiece and being an independent blogger that has endorsed someone.

[Thomas Paine Patriot]

Ben, I will defend to the death your constitutional right to blog and to blog for the candidate of your choice.

But truth be told, you are a mouthpiece, throat, stomach, intestines (large and small), colon, and horse's ass for the Webb campaign...

Frankly, Raising Kaine and Richmond Democrat are boring and stale. I have no complaints about NLS or the other blogs that want to write so many pieces about the same thing over and over. Like it has been said, they can write about whatever they want. I just find myself reading them less.

I am not affiliated with the Daily Whackjob, but that guy is doing some very good work. That is one blog I find myself reading more and more.

I also find myself reading Too Conservative more as well, and that frightens me.

[Samuel]

Come down to Richmond and I will say plenty to your face and perhaps we can have a gentleman's duel. That is how we roll in Richmond, are you down?

I am not a fan of the Whackjobs' Hotnes contest however - anon:5:19pm.

[Fan of Integrity]

Thomas Paine proves once again that Miller supporters are full of negativity! Funny you should call NLS a horse's ass.

[Alice Mashall]

You have one of the highest traffic Virginia blogs, maybe the highest. That is a thing not so easily done. Perhaps you should take a break, enjoy the fabulous spring weather until it gets really hot and come back refreashed.

[George Templeton]

For those of you criticizing lets review a few things:

1. This is a Virginia Democratic political blog

2. There is a Senate election this year

3. There is only one primary worth talking about -- the Democratic one

4. What in the #(@$#@)($*@)#($*#@ else do you expect him to talk about. There are only so many Gerry Connolly doing something dumb stories you can do and stories about the General Assembly budget clinch that he or anyone else can do.

5. Have you all ignored the interesting posts about open or closed primaries in Va. the last few days

Keep up the good work

[Melissa]

Well, Ben, of all the horrid and nasty things I could say about/to you, being Jim Webb's mouthpiece is not one of them.

Also, as I've already told you, I agree with Alice! :)

[republitarian's wife]

If you take Alice's advice.. there is always room for you at the republitarian rest resort.

[Vivian J. Paige]

I agree with Alice. Take a break, enjoy the wonderful weather.

[Thomas Paine Patriot]

Fan of Integrity, You WebbLows can't take a joke...

Sure, you can dish it out with zeal, but when it comes to being the brunt of the joke, you get mad.

No surprise, so does Jim Webb when he is asked why he voted for Bush and Allen in 2000.

[Harkov311]

We may differ on some points, but frankly I still don't understand how anyone could back Miller in this contest. I mean jesus, he's a pro-outsourcing, union-busting lobbyist at a time when the name "Abramoff" is still heard rather often in the press.

And I'd never call NLS a Webb mouthpiece. Sure, you've picked yer man, but mouthpiece? No way.

[Brannon]

I am a frequent visitor to this blog, but rarely do I post anything. While the content sometimes leaves me scratching my head, I do enjoy my frequent visits. They are far worse blogs out there.

[Freud]

There are 4 posts on NLS over the past 5 days centered on your feelings about what someone else may or may not have said about you.

Are you OK? Should we talk?