Bloggasm

Ed Cone is an opinion columnist with the Greensboro (NC) News & Record, and a senior writer covering business and technology for Ziff Davis Media. He has worked as a contributing editor at Wired, a staff writer at Forbes, and a freelancer in France and North Carolina. His semi-popular blog, EdCone.com, has been published since 2002.

Simon Owens: Which conservative bloggers do you think create the most spin? And if you had to pick a conservative blogger to label a worthy adversary, which blogger would that be?

Edward Cone: There are different flavors of spin, palatable to different (if often overlapping) market segments. To choose a few basic types, there’s the alternate reality of Power Line, where Bush is brilliant and falsehood (e.g. the Schiavo talking points) may be reported as fact; the GOP fealty of Hugh Hewitt; the to-the-ramparts style of Michelle Malkin, who will occasionally criticize Republicans; and the studiously calm voice of Glenn Reynolds, who skews liberal on social issues, blogs about cooking and gadgets, and seems to study all sides of foreign policy issues before ending up in the exact same place.

I hesitate to label any of these folks “adversaries,” because I may agree with them on this issue or that one, and I think the Us vs. Them, cable news style division of American politics into opposing teams is pernicious and often false, but I find Instapundit’s style and content the most formidable.

SO: As we begin to warm up for a new election season, what changes do you think Democrats should make in campaign strategy to avoid the outcomes in 2002 and 2004?

EC: Nominate better candidates. Don’t be afraid to be Democrats – to say that our government is of the people, by the people, and for the people, that it cannot and should not solve every problem, but that it belongs to us all and has a legitimate role in working for us all. Stand up for the values we share, without pandering and sounding like GOP-wannabes. Say what you are for – Social Security, healthcare for all, responsible fiscal policy, listening to constituents not lobbyists, national security built on legitimate interests and competent execution.

SO: Recent polls show that things are looking positive for Democrats and that a congress turnover might be possible. But one could say that same thing about Kerry’s election. Do you think liberal pundits can tend to be too optimistic and declare victory before the fight is over?

EC: Sure, that happens. But confidence can be self-fulfilling, too. There are clear problems with the current situation, Dems need to recognize the opportunity in order to seize it.

SO: What are the five blogs everyone should be reading (besides your own)?

EC: Five is a tiny number…but if you use blogs as portals to other blogs, it’s a start: Atrios, Instapundit, Josh Marshall, Romenesko (sorry, I’m a journalist), Sandy Carmany (Greensboro City Councilwoman – showing the world how elected officials will interact with their public in the future.)