VP: Bloggers changing the rules

Today’s Pilot editorial discussed the effect that bloggers are having on the political landscape:

If it was not already obvious to everyone, the Macaca fracas has cemented the Virginia blogosphere’s role in the center ring of the political circus.

Virginia blogger Not Larry Sabato (NotLarrySabato.typepad.com) broke the story. And the state’s blogs from the right (BearingDrift.com) to the left (VivianPaige.wordpress.com) chewed the controversy over from every possible angle. [Bolded in the print edition.]

Thanks to the editors for working the names of my little blog into the editorial, but I hardly think that BD or I “chewed the controversy over from every possible angle.” A little hyperbole on the part of the Pilot (or maybe a projection?), especially when you consider this part of the last paragraph of the editorial:

Over time, blogs will be judged by readers. Those who keep their facts straight and their analysis honest will thrive, while others will wither into obscurity.

I wish newspapers were judged the same way. Unfortunately, we have only one newspaper so it is not like we have choices. A lot of us came into the blogsphere purely because of the shoddy coverage our local papers give issues. We have healthy competition between us, something that the newspapers lack, to keep us honest.

One thing the editorial mentioned in passing was the fierce partisanship of the blogsphere. I understand why it exists but I have to say that I mostly disagree with it. I took some grief about inviting the Republican AG on my blog. I disagree with those who think that we should only hear one side of an issue. And my fear for the blogsphere’s future is that, as partisanship increases, we will turn off all but the most partisan readers. I think that is a danger that we must avoid. The masses of people are not partisan and are, in fact, turned off by the partisanship demonstrated by our “leaders.” It is far too easy to fall into the partisanship of the echo chamber that is the blogsphere and it is a trap that this proud Democrat is trying to avoid.

I do agree with the last sentence in the editorial:

In the meantime, the more voices that are part of Virginia’s debates, the better off we all are.

FYI: the print edition of the paper included a little box with the headline “Hampton Roads’ other widely read political blogs” and listed Hampton Roads Politics, Virginia Beach Democrats, Deo Vindice, Virginia Conservative Analysis and Mosquito Blog with the web addresses of the blogs.