Argus Weblog is close, but not quite there as a member of the SD Blogosphere.

Posted by PP at the SDWC

March 8, 2007

I must not have been paying close attention, because I hadn’t noticed that the Argus Leader’s weblog “Voices” has started a blogroll recognizing several South Dakota politically oriented blogs, including this website, SD Watch, CCK , SDP, and others.

Tonight, a debate is starting over at Voices because of a post explaining why they won’t include a link to fellow blogger Steve Sibson’s website.

I have to give the Argus credit, as they’ve come full circle from a couple of failed attempts at political blogging to one that actually seems to be working.

What would I attribute as the biggest reason it’s working at this point? It’s stripped down, and comes across with the opinion and the honesty that most people read blogs for. And it doesn’t hurt that they’ve finally stopped trying to write off the SD Blogosphere as a bunch of simple minded pajama clad boobs, as the Argus organization had previously.

But just when you think they’ve got it right, they seem to take a step backwards with their post that Sibby is unfit to be included in their blogroll because of some of his views. Specifically cited as a reason he’s blacklisted was a recent post in which he notes:

Note how the Argus Leader praised all three of the remaining MAINstream Country Club Republicans (Knudson, Dempster, and Olson). And they call this “a real spirit of bipartisanship”. These three are Satan’s gift to the South Dakota Democrat Party, if you want to know the real spirit the Argus Leader was talking about.

Read that here. Now, do I personally disagree with some of their views? Yes, and I think nothing has done more to destroy unity in the GOP than the MAINstream coalition. Would I call them the spawn of the devil for it? No. I probably wouldn’t.

So am I going to revoke Sibby’s status in my blogroll and RSS feeds for his opinion? Absolutely not.

The SD Blogosphere is about open debate and opinions. To say you’re excluding an opinion because they sit too far on other side of the fence for you seems somewhat defeating to that spirit. If you think about it, relate it to the Hollywood blacklisting of those writers and actors who were declared communists back decades ago. I can’t imagine that today’s Argus would have condoned them being shunned by the big studio organizations because those people were “too far left.” So, how can they reconcile blacklisting Steve for being “too far right?”

I personally hope they’d reconsider, and include Sibby. Because if they’re going to censor him based on what they don’t like today, who aren’t they going to like tomorrow?

So, I’d say as far as being seen as a member of the SD Blogosphere, they’re almost there. Including opinions they might not agree with or care for would put them over the top.

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