Monmouth County has experienced a proliferation of political blogs. Both parties are represented, but so far we Republicans seem to be ahead on this.Some blogs have flourished, while others seem to have fallen by the wayside.
The Monmouth County Republican Blog has been active for over a year. Lew Alcindor started Right Inside Monmouth Politics in November 2005, but has only been intermittently active. In January of this year, William H. Seward started More Monmouth Musings, and has been very active posting since then. Two blogs were set up by someone posting as Ronald Reagan, believed to be the nom de blog of Dan Gallic, the shadowy former executive director of the Monmouth GOP. Both blogs went dormant but one has been reactivated; it has been a repository of namecalling and hopeless negativism and will not be linked here.
Some folks running for office have started blogs under their own names. Freeholder Anna Little began a blog back in February; sadly she has not kept it up. I hope Anna reactivates her blog for the campaign and posts pertinent Freeholder information. (Hint hint hint!) I'd like to see Surrogate Candidate Rosemarie Peters and Freeholder Candidate Andrew Lucas get into the blogging act, too. On the local level, so far we have Borough Council Candidates Art Gallagher from Highlands and Charles Cocuzza in Union Beach.
Some journalists have blogs, too, and often post on political subjects. Jackie Corley, formerly of Courier, would have to be considered the pioneer in this category, with Bayshore Journalista and Jersey Blog Beat. Courier publisher and sometime Democrat Jim Purcell has The Inside Clamdigger, where he posts on news up in the Bayshore; he also posts on Airborne issues. Courier probably has more blogs per capita than the other Monmouth papers; there's Matt McGrath with Matter of Fact; other Courier bloggers with varying degrees of political content include Doug Irvin (Who recently left the paper.), Rich Kohler and Mike Kenny. Of these blogs, the only one officially affiliated with Courier is Matter of Fact. Over in Howell we have Kathy Baratta, who is administrator at HowellNJ.com. She covers Manalapan for the News Transcript, but the blog is not affiliated with the paper. The Asbury Park Press has recently launched its own family of bloggers, including Bob Ingle, Editorial Page Editor Randy Bergmann, editorial writers Clare McDowell and Larry Benjamin, and columnist Rev. Michael Riley.
The Democrats have begun to get into the act too. A few months ago the Monmouth County Democratic Blog was started by Old Hickory, but that seems to have gone dormant. Middletown Democratic Boss Joseph "King" Caliendo has started Democrats Calling, and the Democrats also have Donkeys Rule! on their blogroll. Assemblyman Michael Panter (D-12) has a blog, as did Bill Flynn and Mike DaSaro, the unsuccessful Democratic candidates in the 13th District last year. It is generally believed that so far the Democrats lag behind the Republicans in blogging.
If I missed anyone's blog (preferably of a political nature), please leave a comment with the blog's address. I will add the Republican ones to my sidebar links.
9 comments:
Abe, point of order, sir.
You said: "Courier probably has more blogs per capita than the other Monmouth papers; there's Matt McGrath with Matter of Fact; other Courier bloggers with varying degrees of political content include Doug Irvin, Rich Kohler and Mike Kenny."
In fact, the ONLY blog affiliated with Courier is Matt's Courier staff blog. My blog is not affiliated with Courier, neither is Doug's, Rich's or Mike's. This is especially true for Jackie, who doesn't work for us anymore.
Courier does not limit anyone's individual right to express themselves on blogs. That is the only difference in Courier. And, Rich, while someone who Courier is proud to present as a columnist whenever he wants about pretty much anything he wants to talk about, is not an employee of the newspaper, he is a valued contributor and columnist.
abe:
nearly forgot. doug doesn't work for us anymore either. he is currently employed by the united nations working in cambodia. no joke. it's true.
How could I be "shady" when I post my cell phone number and offer to answer any of your questions. Your real name should be "lying-out-of-my-pie-hole-DIS-Honest Abe."
Do me a favor and try telling the truth for a change.
Some have said that I was behind the blog, some say it was Fred. But that blog NEVER called anyone names. Unlike this blog, who even as it was complaining about some other blogger calling names, was calling names and telling lies.
I dare you to give out your phone number and answer questions. You won't because you hide behind a blog name like the great Oz, afraid that someone will out you for what you are. A Democrat.
But, then again, you won't have the honesty to publish this comment.
Jim Purcell:
Point well taken. The correction has been made. Doug's in Cambodia? Best of luck to him there.
Everyone Loves Anna:(
It's not going away Lenny.
Dan Gallic:
Shadowy, not shady. There's a difference. It means you're mysterious. Lighten up, dude.
"But, then again, you won't have the honesty to publish this comment."
Wrong.
Dan Gallic said...
Some have said that I was behind the blog, some say it was Fred. But that blog NEVER called anyone names.
Danny boy,
I seem to recall a post about the Monmouth County Freeholder's secretaries being Al-Qaida,them and the NY Times.
Has anyone called since you posted your cell #? I have another questions for you, Will you go away and never come back?
You want to be left alone? Go away and don't come back. That will do the trick.
Dan Gallic said
But that blog NEVER called anyone names.
Oh and Dan, I almost missed it...
Saying that the guy who kicked your butt in every party race has a neurological disorder, that you know he doesn't have would be name calling. It also classlessly mocks those who have it.
Such behavior reveals you once again to be the small and petty man that you are. Making fun of that same man's temper is ironic, coming from you who becomes vindictive in defeat.
Time to get a new profession Dan, you're done in Warren, Union and Monmouth Counties, and only a fool would hire you as a political operative elsewhere. But don't bother trying to be a professional poker player. Your face turns red whenever you are dealt a bad hand and you are not smart enough to bluff. Contrary to Abe's generousity, there is nothing mysterious about you.
What happened to the Howellnj.com link that was on the page, Abe?
Will:
Classy put down on Mr. G. 10 out of 10 for style without unnecessary stuff. I mean a good hit and very above the belt. Just throwing in a couple cents here.
Dan, best of luck in your new endeavors.
Sue Veitengruber: When I removed the link to The Inside Edge I removed links to some inactive sites. HowellNJ.com must have been inadvertently deleted then. As it is obviously not inactive, it has been reposted. Thanks.
E not D: Be nice.
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