Dracowyrm
writes in a diary:
Kos, is that you are operating under a refusal to acknowledge your situation. You're backpedaling furiously from the fact that you are no longer just another guy posting to a blog. You're a spokesperson and a leader, and as such, you have a responsibility to be diplomatic and strategic in your communication. You're building political weight here, and that means that blowing off chunks of your constituency, even if you think their paradigms are ridiculous, is unacceptable.
I spent more than ten years as the progressive political big cheese in my local area. I was the Green Godfather: got people elected, got laws passed, got my ass kissed. I'm not doing that any more, but I know a lot about the role that Kos is in at the national level, and I'm telling you, man: DON'T SQUANDER. We're already outgunned enough. Don't piss off your allies, even if you think they're wacky. Some of them ARE wacky, but they're still your troops. When I see you post shit like this, I see your youth talking.
A few things -- I AM a guy with a blog. One that has built a platform that allows lots and lots and lots of people to have their say and organize and advocate for their causes. People want to equate that with "leadership" and assign me "responsibilities".
Well, what happens when i say "fuck that"? Because I'm not being falsely modest when I say I don't want that responsibility nor power and I won't take it. I'm simply not interested.
This site became popular because of my style, because of my voice, because of my refusal to compromise what I believe in order to appease anyone (Daily Kos was already one of the top blogs before the move to Scoop). And I won't stop doing it. As I've said many times before to wails of outrage -- you don't like it, it's a huge blogosphere. Nothing is forcing anyone to read this site. Or, alternatively, disagree with me. I don't get offended when people say things I disagree with. I push back.
I will not be the be-all end-all of the progressive blogosphere. I'm not interested. If someone pisses me off or annoys me, I'll say so. And if I hurt some feelings, so be it. I'm not going to pussy-foot my way around the various progressive constituencies for fear of offending. Feel free to disagree with me, but don't try to muzzle me. No one censors me. See, that's one of the perks of being a guy with a blog.
You can keep trying and build me up into something bigger and more important. It's a wasted effort, but it's a free country. Me, I'll keep doing what I've been doing for the past three years.
One more point -- people fundamentally misunderstand this medium. Blog writing isn't like any other kind of writing. There are no drafts, no editors, no time buffers that allow for more careful consideration of the words used. So people latch on to posts and say, "oh, if only these three words weren't used, then this post would've been fine". That's not how this medium works. It's raw. It's immediate. And sometimes, that one "offending" word gets in. It's an occupational hazard, and one I'm comfortable with.
And ultimately, it's a package deal. You get the good and the bad.