Strangers on the Internet - Let's Be Careful Out There
I talked with a few people involved in politics recently, and confirmed what I had personally noticed. There seems to be an uptick in the number of new "acquaintances" on the internet eager to share dirt and rumors, or to seek information or opinions about local figures. I had one stranger recently share some outlandish lies about a few women involved in state and local politics.
We're a year away from elections, and the lying and elaborate deceptions are already starting up.
Personally, I'm glad to be on the sidelines these days. If you're in the thick of it, though, please be aware and don't take candy from strangers. Or give it, either.
Labels: 2010 Elections, jackson county, kansas city, political insiders, politics
posted by Dan at 8/18/2009 07:15:00 AM
6 Comments:
I rarely read local blogs before the last mayor's race, but I'd been reading national political blogs pretty much since blogspot went online. And it was striking the degree to which local blogs were treated as dumping grounds for trash. I was accustomed to people discussing the news, and maybe engaging in speculation, but all the inside source stuff in the comments was new to my blog-reading experience.
It's not just that the contributions of anony insiders are of questionable reliability and agenda, it's that the stuff they contribute is usually so... petty and/or irrelevant. Like "so and so's aide was seen going into a gay bar!" means I shouldn't vote for that guy. It's really insulting. I wish the insiders would stick to composing their condescending and manipulative mailings and leave the internet alone.
So no more political commentary from you? That's a bummer, your posts are some of the best in KC.
Not that I agree with your positions, just that nobody else in town posted with such regularity and put as much thought and effort into it. Your withdrawal is the community's loss.
He said "these days." Not permanently.
Lance (and anonymous) -
I have no intent to write about local politics in the future, though I'm not going to use the word "never". A few days ago, I did a post about getting out of the kitchen, both because the heat was a little much for me, and I'm not necessarily proud of the heat I was adding. I hope I am able to focus more on culture, food, beer, arts, and other interests I have that don't involve the level of nastiness that I'm seeing surrounding local politics in the next couple years.
Reading sophisa is like looking at your fortune from a cookie and believing ... it's yawn time eternal.
Sophia is hands down the most insightful pundit writing on local politics these days. If you find her boring, there are other blogs that specialize in sensationalism rather than analysis.
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