Unwelcome Departures

Unwelcome Departures

Two sad departures today:

Patriot Skullface has shut down. He doesn't share all the details, but the implication is someone made him an offer he couldn't refuse.

The dialogue of the blogosphere needs to be more than the bland repetition of talking points. But unfortunately party leadership is behaving as if they want to stifle, not encourage, healthy dissent. It seems like there's a group that's interested in what's being said not in order to listen, but rather to silence. And it's that kind of namby-pambyism that makes people say "the Democrats don't STAND for anything."

Any old-timers remember the 1994 platform?

We had the nerve to put gay marriage in the platform (in 1994!). Bonnie Campbell was so worried about getting a bad Yepsen column that she stabbed the activist base in the back and renounced - not just ignored offhandedly, which is normal, but went out of her way to formally renounce - the platform. The next state convention, the entire platform process was scuttled and we were limited to bullet point "priority statements" with about as much oomph as "baseball is good."

That's the mindset at work here. That play it safe mentality costs us elections.

The loss of Patriot Skullface makes our nascent Iowa progressive blogosphere, and our state, poorer. Charlie, hope you saved your files. I know your decision is personal, but please reconsider. Loved your site ever since I saw the Hunter Thompson skull logo.

Democrat Steve Miller is dropping his bid for House District 89. Steve had a lot to offer this district (chunks of Johnson and Jefferson but mostly Washington County). Fortunately we still have Mark Nolte to carry the ball in this Republican held seat.

I ran for the Legislature ten years ago and it's a HUGE time and energy commitment. Don't know if I could do it now... and my hat's off to anyone who even seriously thinks about it.