Thursday, December 14, 2006

Housekeeping: You must now register to comment on In This Moment

By Diane Silver

I want to continue the lively debate on this blog, and I do value hearing from all of you. Gosh in the last few months, I've made some great contacts through this In This Moment.

However, I also believe that people should show at least a tiny bit of backbone and stand up for their opinions. Otherwise you get folks posting things like the first comment in this discussion of Kansas politics. The issue isn't hurt feelings, certainly not on my part, but I do believe that people should be accountable for their opinions.

Thus, the new rule of the game at In This Moment is that people must first register with Blogger in order to post a comment. Of course, you can all reach me directly with comments, news tips and blasts of indignation at my Hope & Politics address.

We'll see how this goes for a while. I hope you're all (yes, even the folks I disagree with) having a great holiday season.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

The comment thread you linked to was, um, interesting. You were far kinder to him than he deserved given his opening salvo.

I'm a little puzzled, though, about Steny Hoyer being labeled an
"extreme liberal" by your mystery guest. If that's the marker for "extreme liberal" than that places a huge chunk of the country in the screamin' commie category. Who knew?

Diane Silver said...

Denise,

You gave me a great chuckle with your comment about Steny Hoyer as an "extreme liberal!" I'm with you. Who knew?

Anonymous said...

denisel and diane:

Steny Hoyer did receive a Liberal Quotient of 95 from Americans for Democratic Action, America's largest liberal lobbying group, earlier this year. He received an LQ of 100 (a perfect score, making him a "Liberal Hero") the year before.

If Jim Ryun is called an "ultraconservative" and has LQs of 5 and 0, why don't you consider Hoyer an ultraliberal? Both are an equal distance from 50.

FYI: ADA's "moderate" range is an LQ between 40 and 60. Only four Democrats fell within that range in ADA's latest ratings of representatives. The average score for the Blue Dog Democrats was 77 percent, meaning the group as a whole is closer to the ultraliberal Hoyer than they are to a true moderate with an LQ of 50.

Anonymous said...

Mary Rose: Let me answer that question. Have you ever heard of a histogram? In Statistics it is a graph that climbs upward inincriments, rather than comparing a to be like a pie chart or a bar graph.

On this one, 100 is the goal, but does not indicate "ultra liberal." And really, anyone who thinks Hoyer is "ultra liberal" should really follow this link. He's about as radical as cream cheese.

By the way Mary Rose, there are actually only three ultra-liberals left, and they are hunkered down in Humbolt County.

Anonymous said...

Geez - I was under the inpression that there are actually only three ultra-liberals left, and they are hunkered down in Humbolt County.

Actually what I came to tell you Diane is that I support your move to registration.

If I did not get anonymous comments from military personnel (so they indicate, but on the net how can you really know?) you would have to be registered at my place to.

My latest problem is the christian concern-troll who is a registered user, and who is more worried about my soul than his own.

Personally Diane, I would have deleted him like I had to with that guy last fall.

BTW: Congrats on getting an excerpt in Blog Bits yesterday! How many is that now?

Diane Silver said...

I was on the KC Star's Blog Bits yesterday? Hah! Who knew.

You know, if you didn't keep track of that, I'd never know when they quoted me.

Thanks for your comments. I hope to have more time in the next six months to do more commenting on other blogs, and I intend to visit you more, blue girl!

Anonymous said...

Thanks Diane - I'm only commenting more now because it is semester break. That will change mid January.

I was haveing server problems last night and I meant for the second comment to appear, not the first, and certainly not both. Would you delete the first one please?

Diane Silver said...

Blue Girl,

Would you mind if I leave the first comment up? I think the story about Steny Hoyer that you linked to is very helpful.

Diane, who is running VERY behind today