The political internet in Britain is less developed, populated as often as
not by self-regarding or dowdy websites run by Tories like Tim Montgomerie and
Iain Dale – a function perhaps of the oppositional nature of the web.
So, that's left me wondering if Tim and I are self regarding, dowdy or both. Either is better than being a **** ******* I suppose. Note how Baldwin uses the word "Tories" in a subliminally pejorative manner. It's what we have come to expect from the man who for years used to regurgitate Alastair Campbell's vomit in what is supposed to be the "paper of record".
Shall I put that saucer of milk away now?
42 comments:
If I had to rely on news through filthy Campbell and his minions, or Iain and Tim, I know which ones I would feel safer adding my gloss to, in order to reach settled conclusions of my own.
Come to think of it, I'd rather trust Iain's dog than anything filtered by Murdoch.
Alan Douglas
PS Even if you don't have a dog, Iain, the above is still true.
I never read anything my Baldwin. Why get so worked up? Just pass over his articles for the reason you state.
Don't let it get to you Iain. He's just jealous because more people know of you than know of Tom Baldwin. It's the first time his name has really caught my eye, even though I occasionally read the Tabloidised-Times.
Baldwin is mostly talking testicles. I think they (newspapers, journals) are seriously worried by the obvious success of the blogosphere.
Actually I don't think the two are mutually exclusive - quite the contrary. There is plenty of opportunity for (mutually profitable) symbiosis. But then one would hardly expect the very limited Baldwin to even begin to understand that.
I think the powers that be have been taken by surprise at the mega-expansion of the blogging classes. There is no turning back, we are our own journalists, commentators and readership all rolled into one.
They are terrified, about time too.
Look at the context - the guy is focusing on the internet as an important medium and what does he have to offer for the left in the UK - sweet FA. The problem with the left wing is they lack humor because humor involves pokig fun and that means creating a victim - and the politics of the left is all about being the victim. So the left wing blogs are humorous and can only try invoke nagative emotions like guilt and pity.
Tom has nothing to offer the left so turns to the lefts only attacking tactic - smearing by implying that the right wing is nasty and he and the rest of the left are their victims.
You'll like this little hand-written note I received from Alistair Campbell himself. 'Stop blogging for the Tories - it will all end in tears' it read.
I get infinitely more intelligent news, comment, views, humour and general information from a combination of this blog, Guido and ConsHome, together with the interesting byways they send me down, than I do from most of the MSM nowadays.
This household continues to take the Telegraph from habit, and because we enjoy Jeff Randall's work - but sadly the DT is now largely an info sheet for minor medical and sociological raesearch of virtually no significance.
Like the really good broadsheets and their editors of old, the best blogs are infused with the character of their instigators - so 'self-regarding and dowdy' could certainly be applied to LabourHome and Recess Monkey, but not Dale, ConsHome or GF.
The Times article is titled "Fear and blogging on the campaign trail". Perhaps a more suitable title would be "Fear of blogging on the Campbell trail".
Baldwin's sour grapes aside, there may be a grain of truth in this sentence: "a function perhaps of the oppositional nature of the web".
If blogging was around 15-20 years ago I'm sure political gravity would have been with Labour-supporting blogs and other lefts, because the Tories were in power. It'll be interesting to see what happens blogging-wise if your lot get back in again. Would bloggers like yourself Iain feel duty-bound to defend your party in government? Do you think you'd lose that oppositional edge Baldwin flagged up?
John Ward - So they even had to steal a headline from that great gonzo journalist Hunter Thompson, eh?
Don't put the saucer of milk away, Iain. I'll have it.
I don't think this website is dowdy. Perhaps Tom Baldwin goes for more trash with flash.
I can't be bothered to read his piece, but which conservative sites in the US did he like for their vivacity?
Verity
I hadn't realised that the Great Gonzo had become a journalist :-) Mind you, he had tried just about everything else during the Muppet Show run...
Thinking back to the (rather long) article, I suppose these newspapers need to employ the services of journalists with a wide range of personal political leanings, and that is fair enough as far as it goes.
We here are all aware of the true nature of the mainstream media anyway, but I wonder just how large a proportion of the voting public takes this stuff as anything like accurate. Probably very few, owing to its (entirely non-illustrated) length, and that it is about the USA anyway. Indeed, the story proper finishes before it gets to this part.
Overall, I think a virtually zero score for Baldwin.
I'm sure Baldwin was sent to the States because he was thoroughly discredited in ths country as a Labour stooge, who simply wrote whatever Alastair Campbell told him to write.
His place was taken by stooge No 2 Phillip Webster (see Alastair Campbell's diaries) and to complete the Three Stooges in the The Times, step forward Tim Ames.
I'm no supporter of Cameron, but you're right about Baldwin. Turd.
He ought to read my blog .I am a gorgeous scented shimmering golden deity and yet charmingly self effacing about it.
I have no idea who the Great Gonzo is and nor have I ever seen the Muppett Show.
I will not have Hunter Thompson's name taken in vain. He was a fine man - crazy in the manner of the times - but a great, original and entertaining commentator.
Dearie Me, I hate Cameron almost as much as I hated Tony Blair and currently hate Gordon Brown. Maybe a couple of boiling points less, but definitely not a voting possibility. I cannot stand him and his coterie. I loathe them.
Newmania, you shouldn't shrink from the limelight so! Shimmering dieties are in such short supply.
Who's Tom Baldwin ? Does it matter ?
I only use the MSM to tell me that a story exists I go to various blogs to find out what really happens.
Oh and I never pay for MSM, online or free its not worth paying for cos its so biased remember he who pays the piper calls the tune.
I think its got not so much to do with oppositionism, and far more to do with liberty freedom and libertarianism.
There is more then enough governmentalism, socialism, fascism, nationalism of all but the English type, and copious amounts of false oppositionism in the media. The BBC for example is nothing more or less then all of these things in spades, at the same time.
But there is virtually nothing that represents the interests of ordinary people against the interests of the establishment and big money corporations.
Having said that, there never has been much if any, so no real change there.
The internet reaches places other beers have no interest in going anywhere near, and will continue to do so. I hope.
I wish I could enjoy a good Labour Blog.
Yet there isn't anything worthwhile on the left...
Verity
Am I right in thinking you are not a supporter of David Cameron then. Is there anybody living you like ?
Happy New Year Verity.
It's a simple case of the "Tory" blogs are winning the online battle hands down, so rather than try and beat them, Labour's only hope is to bash them.
Keep up the good work in 2008 Iain.
Iain, this is only your diary. People visit to read your comments and find out what you're up to.
You don't do policy analysis, sift evidence or debate economics or philosophy. Your blog is part Polly Filla, part Daily Mail op-ed. You also react to things, like Baldwin's piece, you don't set the agenda.
But that's why it's popular, it's a distraction and has gossip. Heat Magazine sells more than Prospect...
Blogs in the US can set the debate, here only Guido/Staines comes close to doing that.
Nothing wrong with Iain's blog layout and presentation as it's uncluttered and easy to read. Iain has a knack for promoting some interesting discussions here.
I do however suffer from big turnoffs (yawn!) and negative vibes about some of the recent content. I mean of course the dearth of surveys, assembled lists and points awarded, which frankly do my head in! I keep expecting a closing line of inducement! i.e. if you fill this in you will receive a free Iain Dale biro, or an opportunity to shake hands with Boy Dave ( I would rather shake hands with David Davis though!)
I think AC has a brass neck! Under his stewardship -and Blair's -hasn't the Labour Party been rebranded as a 'bunch of liars' party? Perhaps a lengthy jail sentence for AC might sharpen up his perspective. When AC departs this mortal coil, he will have to answer for his conduct over the Kelly affair. Why give scum like AC the publicity Iain- he has no morals, and zero credibility- much like his master- Blair.
"Dowdy"? Neither Guido or Iain could be accused of that. "Self-regarding"? What does that mean - that both think they are writing words people want to read? From the very considerable readership of both blogs, they obviously are.
Never heard of Tim Baldwin. rarely bother with The Times these days, but anyone who is universally regarded as Alastair Campbell's puppet/mouthpiece is in no position to abuse other people's writing abilities.
I read my two favourite blogs because I enjoy them - like to read what is going on, love the humour, and frequently laugh out loud at some of the posters.
When did anyone last say they enjoyed reading Baldwin/Campbell?
I much prefer our quintessentially English blog.
It is like an old fashioned club with Verity being the crotchety member who snarls at everyone from her favourite chair, which no one else is allowed to sit in. Meanwhile the club is alive with gossip and opinion retailed by the wide ranging membership and all loosely but effectively organised by the club President, Iain, an open minded Conservative.
We certainly do not want our club taken over by a corporate American, who will introduce power breakfasts and lunches, interminable dress codes, flood our club with messages from the national leadership and gradually exclude the more eccentric membership.
People visit to read your comments and find out what you're up to. said anon
But why this blog and not the countless others many of which are very good ? You misunderstand the mass nature of blogs which are more like a market than a hugely financed US behemoth . They only 'set the debate' because of the different funding as part of the very different electoral process ( See Dizzy on this with a brilliant piece ).
From you attachment to big central opining , I detect left wingery. I notice that their blogs are either smear campaigns or dubiously funded supposedly serious efforts like the Compass site . More pompous , yes , duller obviously , unlikely to set the terms of any debate though, outside their own circle who , against all the evidence , regard themselves as part of a n intellectual elite ....( hysterically)
Alistair Campbell? Well, that professional, paid liar is not someone whom we need to worry about unduly. His foolish attachment to untruth and bullying did more damage to the Labour Party than even Gordon Brown's insance economic policies. I suppose I should buy the pig a drink, really, for his contribution to the eventual demise of this wretched and stupid party. But I won't because of his other many evils.
The left are always, will always be boring. They all set themselves up at about age 15, telling themselves "I would like to be seen to mean well, therefore I am a good person". They never get over this dim-witted falsehood and never, ever grow out of it. So how can they have anything interesting to say? Try a back catalogue of Polly Toynbee if you doubt me.
I don't think many people take Bladwin or his No.2 very seriously. In fact, I am not sure anyone of repute or worth takes the Times seriously after it sold its soul to Satan.
I think that the Metro is probably more reliable than the Times these days!
My only complains about ConHome is that it is hard to navigate, and my only complaint about Iain's site is that he doesn't post often enough!
get lord ashcrofts book "dirty politics dirty times" and look up baldwins name and i think that says it all
PS. hope you are keeping yourself clean in the states tom!!!
anon@1014: I don't think Iain has set himself up to be a guru or pontificator; he quite obviously has a considerable talent to provoke discussion, rather in the way a set of good friends will have lively debates, sometimes good-humoured, sometimes angry.
I would suggest that is the secret of his success, just as excoriating and exposing the political classes makes Guido unique in another way.
ps. Verity doesn't snarl at everyone - Happy New Year Verity!
Iain
I wouldn’t be too bothered. I like your blog – even though my own politics are probably 100% the opposite of most of your contributors! It is good to be stimulated by those who disagree with you and maybe sometimes have your own prejudices challenged. My only objection to “Iain Dale’s Diary” is the abuse that I sometimes receive. As I have said I don’t object at all to those who disagree with me and who say why intelligently. I do object to personal abuse. I have received Emails from one of your regulars calling me an idiot and some of the follow ups to my own postings have been vilely abusive. A New Year’s resolution for all of your bloggers might be to avoid insulting language about other bloggers – indeed at all!
Meanwhile...isn't there snow on the way?
Paul Linford said "Meanwhile...isn't there snow on the way?"
For some reason when I read that my first thought was that it was code for "I've just phoned my dealer". Not sure what that says about me, probably terrible things.
Who is Tom Baldwin?
"Tom Baldwin, Michael Evans' colleague on the Times who helped write a front page story naming Dr Kelly on July 10, said he was told by "Whitehall contacts" on July 8 that the official who had come forward was not a member of the intelligence services."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/hutton/keyplayers/story/0,,1033614,00.html
To be fair, this blog probably is a bit dowdy. It's a bit lacking in visual slickness (a platform like Wordpress has some very sexy web 2.0 style templates) and I thought that masthead was some stop-gap temporary thing.
As for self regarding, well, yes, that's probably true too. This blog and Guido do have a predilection for trumpet blowing. Guido particularly compares his own profitability to that of the Guardian, which is especially absurd.
So the criticisms have the air of validity. But luckily neither of them detract from the site being a jolly good read, so keep up the good work in 2008.
Anonymous, yes the masthead is temporary. I hope to launch the new design in mid January. It's currently underway and I hope you'll like it when you see it.
"Dowdy" really is an extraordinary adjective from Mr Baldwin, who was of course noted in the Lobby for his sartorial elegance and smartness of dress at all times...
The main difference I find in reading the British and American blogospheres is that the British blogs spend an awful lot of time talking about their readers and about how important they are and about how they are influencing politics, politicians and 'the debate' while the American bloggers tend to just get on with actually influencing events instead of talking about how important they are.
There's also a small question about how many British bloggers are using the blogosphere as a means to get into 'mainstream' politics whereas in America the big bloggers are happy to remain as such.
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