I kind of spaced the anniversary, but it occurs to me that my humble blog has crossed the eight year mark. Reviewing those early entries, it occurs to me that I have only a dim memory of the beginning. I had sort of noodled around with a blogger site, mainly bellyaching about national politics. About the time of the 2004 election, I was disappointed and took a break from politics and really national news in general. My first entry was a memorial to my dog who passed away just after the 2004 election. Then it was dribs and drabs for a couple of weeks as I figured out the Movable Type platform I used for awhile.
It doesn’t look like I found my niche until the second week of December, 2004, when I started blogging about state government generally and the legislative session specifically.
I know the quality and the quantity of my work has ebbed and flowed with my interest level and available time. The community of people with whom my hobby has brought me into contact has been unbelievably rewarding. There really are a lot of smart, interesting folks out there. So, I’ll keep on plugging along. Because it’s fun.
Fairly new reader, found you searching for polls on Mourdock v Donnelly, but I enjoy the localness of your blog.
And I like your wife’s Lafayette Eats as well.
Peace and good health to you and your loved ones.
And I’m still in glee over that election. And just can’t put my finger on how the right wingers could have been so stupid to actually believe they were going to win. It just doesn’t make sense. No credible polls gave Romney much of a chance at all. I offer two theories. One is the right wing money machine got slickered by conservative media. Or there were plans to steal the election that fell through. And maybe not fell through all at once.
Doug – I for one am very glad to have made your acquaintance– and Amy’s and Cole’s and Harper’s… great family and good friends. (And your wife is a great cook, not to mention your beer chili!!) Your insights as a a “not in the room” observer are a good sign to the bellwether opinions as well. Your observations have been shared in wider circles for a long time.
As to why the Rightwing was snookered? They seriously believe their own hype and have lived in the rightwing bubble so long as to no longer recognize the ordinary day-to-day situation. I think their stance against “experts” and “science” are so strong, that using the phrase “credible polls” with them becomes a rallying cry against reason. They seriously need to rethink that “we don’t need no stinking education” attitude in order to stay in the hunt.
“As to why the Rightwing was snookered? They seriously believe their own hype and have lived in the rightwing bubble so long as to no longer recognize the ordinary day-to-day situation. I think their stance against “experts” and “science” are so strong, that using the phrase “credible polls” with them becomes a rallying cry against reason.”
Tea party types and the like I agree.
But Karl Rove and the like? They had to know. And I think they did nothing more than lie to donors for profit.
My Dad always taught me to never assume because a person has money that they are smart. I think the $300 million Karl Rove pissed away proves it.
And to me the election was even more awesome because they really did think they were going to win. I really enjoyed watching the bubble burst. It was so well deserved.
Your Dad gave you good advice. Money nearly always comes from choosing the right grandparents.
Congratulations on your anniversary! Some of us want to be you when we grow up, at least from a blog perspective. Thanks for your thoughtful and interesting commentary over these past eight years.
As a resident of Northwest Indiana, who is generally exposed only to Chicago news, the rumbling of events occurring below U.S. 30 have always sounded badly. Furthermore, after reading about the comments of Mr.Daniels and the outrageous behavior of our lawmakers, I had despaired of anything good being left in this state. Then I stumbled on this blog (and others cited in it) which introduced me to a refreshing insight: some pretty smart and serious people still live and breathe in Indiana, and it has been my pleasure to read their thoughts. Things are generally not all bad, and even when they are, I know that others will share in my chagrin.
These are my thoughts, too, only better stated than I would have been able to do. Sometimes it’s edifying to realize there are others whom I don’t know who mirror my beliefs on issues I care about. Or, if they don’t hold them, can give cogent reasons and insights why not.
Doug, you do a valuable service and you do it well. Thanks! Can’t wait for the legislative updates to know where we are really going.
Doug,
You run a fine site. We need more Hoosiers like you and your posters.
Funny, though, being a Hoosier by blood, warranty deed and helmet collisions, I always feel better about being a Hoosier when I am living in another state. Likely selective memory.
Indiana is a good state to be from. Just sign the quitclaim and move to Colorado.
Doug –
I’ve especially appreciated your roundups of new legislation – not everyone is brave enough to delve into the Indiana Code!
Congrats on the anniversary of the site, and the opinion piece in today’s IBJ. Unless that’s the other Doug Masson.
Thanks everyone! Yeah, Joe, that’s my IBJ column. I neglected to negotiate access to IBJ content, so I’m assuming they printed it in roughly the form in which I wrote it. Also, I neglected to come up with my own headline.
Congratulations, Doug. I’ve really benefited from reading your blog. Thank you a thousand times over for writing and thinking and finding stuff. It’s great to hear that you find it fun. Onward.
Doug I’ve been following you for probably at least 5 or 6 of those years, amazingly enough. And I’m really glad you do what you do. I appreciate the dozens of posts that come out when the legislature starts kicking out bills, and I also appreciate the national stories – mainly because you aren’t just rehashing them, but finding some new spin on them that I hadn’t considered before.
Very happy to be a reader. Even happier that you are a Hoosier. Keep it up!
(Oh, but I do hate your running posts on Facebook – not because you shouldn’t post them, but they make me feel like a fat, old, slug. :)