I'm going to ask you all to indulge me for a minute. I am feeling a little disheartened by my efforts here at Brushfires. I was very proud of what I wrote in anticipation of the inauguration. Whether justified, or not, I felt that I had written something both thoughtful and thought-provoking, and I went to bed Monday night looking forward to hearing what you all felt about the historic nature of the next day's events. Imagine, then, my disappointment at reading the first two comments. Name calling, nasty comments that had nothing to do with the post. Even someone who didn't vote for, or doesn't like, Obama should at least be able to recognize with wonder, that once again we have managed a peaceful transition of power. When George Washington willingly left office, all those years ago, ceding power to the next President - that was a truly REVOLUTIONARY act! And, that we've continued that for ALL of these years is something in which I think we should all be proud.
So, when I read those comments, I was sorely tempted to delete them. I knew that those comments would set the tone for the thread to come, and more people would be reacting to the negative tone of the comments, than the positive feelings I was hoping the post would engender. I resisted the temptation. As I have said before, I do not wish to be Commissar de Comments. And read, with increasing regret, the discussion that followed. A lot of you tried to stay on message, but it's hard to maintain your composure in the face of one who is determined to spoil it.
I won't beat around the bush: Gina, I have welcomed you with open arms. Not that I consider myself a trendsetter, I did try to bring your blog to the attention of others, and I was sincere in that, because I really believe that your photographs are not only beautiful, but artful. However, the sensitivity you express through your camera lens is absent when you come to Brushfires. I asked you the other day if you had anything positive to add to the discussion. I don't mean that you have to post happy-time, up-with-people comments, but something constructive rather than destructive. From day to day, I'm not sure which Gina will show up, but lately it seems that it's the troll version, rather than the voice of opposition you were in the beginning. Perhaps, always being in the minority gets frustrating for you, and I can understand that. Perhaps, I haven't been as diligent in discouraging impolite 'cross-talk' in the threads. But, you have a tendency to hi-jack a thread, and lead it to a really unpleasant place. Maybe that's your goal, some people seem to enjoy being thought of as 'trolls', which I think is rather sad. I guess for some, negative attention is better than none...
Now, I'm faced with a dilemma. I created the blog because I wanted to start a dialogue between Democrats and Republicans, seeking to find the common ground from which we could start bridging the gap between the two schools of thought. Not that I expected to bring healing to the nation - I'm not that delusional! - but I was disappointed by the way every political discussion on SFGate devolved into "I know you are, but what am I?" And, here we are... While I hate to give too much power to the blog vampires, they have managed to suck the joy out of blogging for me. I was humbled that any of you bothered to come check out Brushfires, and continue to be amazed that you keep coming back, and participating. I don't want to give up blogging, but right now I'm just not sure how to continue. Any suggestions?
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FH more culture, less politics. As you know, I enjoy giving rightwingers a well deserved spanking. Gina's ass is a more tempting target than PCReese's(anonymous #2?). Don't take this the wrong way, but you and Obama are trying to make politics boring. Boring is good when you are governing, not so much for blogging.
I don't have any suggestions on how to continue, but I would miss "Brushfires" if you became too disheartened. Your writing, I mean, not the comments, lol. I am on several blogs and every single one of them has at least one troll who will not leave, or be civil. I don't think it's possible to run a blog without attracting one, sad as that is. Too much bickering has kept me from contributing as much as I would like here, but I still read all entries.
"When both sides are right
Yet both sides murder,
I give up.
Why can't they?"
-X, "I Must Not Think Bad Thoughts"
The last post by FH deserved a lot more than the crap that followed. And a lot more than a self congratulatory post from Yogi here. Gina isn't getting her ass kicked by anybody, so far she's "won". There aren't enough contributors here yet to drown out a troll, so if Gina persists in highjacking this, she's going to bury it. FH: BE the Commissar, just delete her comments. It's your blog, Jean. If you allow her to post, she'll destroy it.
Oh shut the fuck up twindouche. Your political commentary is pure crap. You were telling us all how Obama would lose the election without looking at the state by state breakdown that showed he would win handily. You really are a smug jerk, always wrong.
BTW I have to say this, but your "virtual engagement and marriage to Ferrethead was self indulgent and obnoxious. Talk about somebody who is congratulating himself. Post BTW do you also post as DJLoo, he slipped out of character on the A's blog with a phrase you always use. Then you responded when I reposted my dyslexic midget joke on The Splash. No matter, the Splash sucks, and quite frankly, so does this blog. FH is a good writer and a good person, no doubt, but the concept is badly flawed. Go to a similar site called The Moderate Voice. I think it's a dreadful bore. Almost the entire face page is the rules they have for commenting.
One more suggestion FH, delete this post altogether. It's whiny.
wow, FH, I am sorry for engaging with the troll if it caused you disquiet - I have resolved to do so no longer, if that helps. I enjoy your blog and wish you would post more often.
people can disagree, but sometimes there are determined people who want to make everyone uncomfortable for their own reasons (and who knows what those are?). In real life you might have to deal with those people every day, but in virtual life I understand the desire to avoid them.
I hope maybe you can just take a breath and continue. I think your ideas are worth it.
Also, you won't be surprised to learn that I agree with twinfan. If someone gets a charge out of provoking disruption and uncivil discussion, then maybe their presence should be supervised a bit more than others. This is not a public area, this is private property. You have the right to police your own property.
One more point, then I'll take another leave of absence from BOF. Stop talking down to your audience FH. In one of your first blogs I made a comment using the phrase, "rightwing nutjobs". You rebuked me in Pig Latin. Sheesh! Don't try to control the threads, let them take their natural course. Control freaks are ugly, just look at twinfan's new picture if you don't believe me.
Yogi, you're the dude with a zillion screen names, so you suspect everybody else of it... And you've wrecked this thread as well. She wasn't asking your opinion on how to run her blog, she asked for some civility. If you don't like it here, leave, God knows you have a few dozen other sites to snark and flame on..
"I don't want to give up blogging, but right now I'm just not sure how to continue. Any suggestions? " FH
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"FH more culture, less politics" YC
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"She wasn't asking your opinion on how to run her blog..." TF
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"FH: BE the Commissar, just delete her comments. It's your blog, Jean. If you allow her to post, she'll destroy it." TF
You ought to be able to figure out from the "mission statement" alone, that politics is what Ferret hoped to discuss. Her request for suggestions was quite obviously about how to handle Gina. There's only one way, and it might apply to you as well, Yogi: just delete foul comments. I admire FH for tolerating you as long as she has, BTW...now: you said something about a leave of absence...
FH -- This is your blog. You could make it "invitation only" and solve your problem instantly. That doesn't appear to be what you're after. But you don't want to suffer trolls. Well, maybe there's a middle path. Make it clear what's welcome and remove what's not.
btw, some of the republicans I know are really pissed off this week. Suddenly it has hit them what's going on. I think it'll be a while before the two sides can sit down and discuss common ground.
finally, really, this WV: saner
I take that as advice, not praise.
xoot, I agree with you that lots of repubs seem pissed off this week. I had an email discussion with my brother about the closing of Gitmo. He was weirdly outraged about it. We went back and forth and back and forth until finally I asked him if he would be as angry if it were George W. doing it and not Obama. No response. And I know he checks his blackberry regularly.
I think it has sunk in that a change is a comin'...I take comfort in the fact that a rising tide will raise all boats and there is no way they will ever feel as hopeless and dejected as we have for the last 8 years (although I'm certain there will be lots of whining).
I don't know what one would mean by "lots". From what I've seen, most people, Democrat and Republican alike, are invigorated by movement. Frankly, I think Obama will have a lot more trouble from his left. He started running away from what got him the nomination a long time ago. I understand why, he had to make himself a safe choice, but he has bills to pay to the left. Closing Gitmo is symbolic as much as anything, that was easy. Getting the money rolling downhill, delivering on health care: those aren't...
Don't worry your empty little head, ferret,I'll leave.
Maybe what you all don't like is that I might be right occasionally...and it contradicts what you have been taught by the herd leaders that convinced you that you've earned your place to be snide assholes because you can write right and have a college education.
Let me guess--you were all big dorks in high school?
See ya later, kid. Have a good life. We'll all know in the end who was right.
I know I said I was gonna leave--you know--for the common good and all, but I thought I at least owed you an explanation for my behavior.
I never came here to have you all be my friends. I rather liked some of you, some of you made me downright ill. But that's besides the point. One of my motives for what you call trollishness was to keep all of you collectively at a distance. The easiest way for me to do that was to make sure you all disliked me. One danger of becoming too friendly is that there is always the possibility that one starts adopting the behavior and philosophy of their 'friends'. Perish the thought--I'd rather die first than become one of you. Your mindset represents, to me, humanity at its worst--cold, calculating and animalistic. Suza, to me is the perfect modern feminist--self-serving, vain, and the coldest heart ever seen in a woman. Ugh. TooSense, her perfect mate--indifferent to the vulnerable, selfish, and unwilling to accept responsibility for his actions. Double ugh. Like I said earlier--what a pair.
Anyway, making sure that all of you disliked me allowed me the complete freedom to say everything I wanted to say. Which I did, so thank you for tolerating me as long as you did, ferret.
I may not have presented my arguments as well as I should, but heck, even I'm human. My Italian Grandma used to have a saying that seems very fitting for the residents of the city of St. Francis: You can lead a horse to water, but can't make him drink".
Here's a link to Obama's first weekly address.
http://tinyurl.com/clu8sl
Twinfan, maybe I misspoke when I said "lots." I meant my brother, obviously, and a couple of other people I know in San Diego, for whom the closing of Gitmo seems to mean they are getting the prisoners sent to Camp Pendleton and Miramar Air Force base - which hasn't even been decided yet.
Also, I was thinking of Rush Limbaugh who is being an arrogant, ill informed ass - as usual, I guess. I only ever listen to him when I am down there and he always says something that is factually incorrect and inflamatory in its intent. I try not to listen for that reason, but I can't help it.
I should have said "several," which is more than a few.
Michael said..."Frankly, I think Obama will have a lot more trouble from his left. He started running away from what got him the nomination a long time ago."
That's what all the concern trolls on Fox News are saying. It's insipid and incorrect. The left will no doubt do a lot of carping, but the rightwingers, encouraged by Republican leadership, are already threatening violence.
That's great, Michael. The Democrats picked the right slave for the job.
"but the rightwingers, encouraged by Republican leadership, are already threatening violence."
As in? Enlighten me.
Fox News? And every other news. Yogi, "man up", or Gina: "beetch up", post with a recognizable user name so we know which troll is peeing in the stream...
I'll go back to Larry Summers as an example of why the left should be outraged ( I am): setting aside his misogynistic blather, Summers is one of the architects of the financial near-ruin we are now in. To quote Mark Ames from "The Nation":
"Some fifteen years after Summers's stint in the Reaganomics war room, he reappears as one of the key villains fighting to suppress the regulatory efforts of a top official, Brooksley Born, who was trying to call attention to the dangers of the unregulated derivatives, such as credit swap defaults, which today are considered the key to the current economic crisis..."
After campaigning vociferously against deregulation, Obama appointed Summers, a proven opponent of deregulation as his head of the National Economic Council...
I should add that Summers was, of course, Treasury Secretary under Bill Clinton for a year and a half and is a protege of Rubin ( as is Geithner), and I supported Hillary in the primaries. How would her economics team line up? Hard to say, but she parted with Bill on numerous issues and ,as did Obama, campaigned against deregulation. My major beef against Obama had been the mystery of what we'd really get if he was elected. And I don't think we know that yet. The Obama who campaigned for the Democratic nomination would have named the courageous and estimable Brooksley Born to head his recovery team and shown the deregulators the door, the one Cheney wheeled himself out of...
fh - I found this amusing (and somewhat fair) comments policy. Thought you might be interested...
http://kateharding.net/comments-policy/
Brooksley Born well might not have taken the job. Her position market regulation, as I understand it, has been proven correct by the current disaster. My thesis: The Clinton era securities enforcing honchos she battled (including Summers) have learned a lesson. (Didn't Greenspan admit as much?) So has Obama. (Now there's some of that new hope for you.)
Good point, Xoot. Barney Franks was all for deregulation in the day, but i doubt he's for it now. People can grow and learn (I hope), and they don't have to be labeled 'flip-floppers' just because they do.
a bit off topic, but do you think that with Biden's chronic gaffe syndrome that he really had a choice between VP and Sec of State as his wife mentioned on Oprah?
I like and respect the guy, but I think that his geniality (which I think has more filter than my own) leads him to say the wrong thing. A lot. Especially in politics.
Would he really have been a good choice for Sec. of State? Or I guess the question is, would Obama really have made him Sec of State knowing his rep for running off at the mouth?
I hope Xoot is right, that Summers has indeed learned from his mistakes. There's not a lot about the arrogant Summers to suggest he's a guy who would do that but yes, we can hope...
I still think the question remains: who's guy is Obama? Not to get all cospiratorial, but the financial collapse was a f--king gift for Barack.And perhaps I'm wrong but I haven't seen anything in his new plan to demand an accounting from the bailees, and/or a requirement as to where the $ goes. These people have us by the balls and they know it. Can't you imagine a boardroom meeting:
" Johnson, how are are we gonna get more money out of the government?"
"Uh, Jenkins, if you get any dumber you're going to die from it... are you kidding? They have no choice."
Frankly, McCain's amorphous plan to simply force a refinance of the properties due for foreclosure might have been the best of all...
Sorry, that's "whose"...
Biden: geez, he's the VP, AKA Ed McMahon, as far as the public is concerned. So what? I'm glad the "last guy in the room" has a wealth of foreign policy experience, something Obama needs in the room with him...
My dear hostess, despite my recent quiet, I am very interested in what you have to say on this blog. The thing is, while I like and appreciate your efforts to keep things on a higher plane, I also recognize that politics can get down and dirty, and so I don't fundamentally object to the debate devolving in that manner. If the baseness of the discussion troubles you, however, I respect that, and will try not to hold it against you if you scold us.
WV: flinglec--what have we been throwing around here, anyway?
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