Based on What?

A bunch of local leftyblogs have been sounding off on a number of issues - social security, history, gun control and so on. They raise lots of questions - the two big ones being "when will leftybloggers learn how to state a logical argument?" and "you do realize I have facts on my side, too, don't you?", but there are others that deserve to be, and will be, addressed.

And I want to post about each issue; a little discussion could be fun, in theory.

But today's busy as hell, so I'm going to shoot for some fun instead.

We need a nice, derisive nickname.

The lefty blogosphere has taken to referring to themselves as "the reality-based community", a wishful jape at the term "faith-based community", delivered generally with an air of smug derision that is rarely warranted by the actual argument at hand.

Now, I prefer to meet such trifles with fact, logic and reason. And I usually do.

But my inner fourth-grader refuses to let the bait go uneaten.

My best efforts for a trifle of a moniker for the left, to be delivered with tongue-in-cheek arrogance, so far include:

• "The Fantasy-Based Community": If I could have a buck for every leftyblogger who spelled out long, involved reasons that "there's no way Kerry can lose this election", or "Bush stole the election! The exit polls prove it!", I could pick up the whole liquor tab for the MOB party at Keegans tomorrow. The lefty blogosphere is an echo chamber nonpareil, which makes for a lot of fun chortling after the fact. The name works for me, but can we do better?
• "The Snark-Based Community": I mean, come on. That's all Atrios, Lil' Ollie Willis, Kos and the giggly fratboys at Pandagon do. Ever. Long quote, short giggly snark. Lather, rinse, repeat ad infinitum. Even the better national leftyblogs - I'm lookin' at you, Matt Yglesias - are succumbing more and more. It fits, dinnit?
• "The Anger-Based Community": Read a sample of typical leftyblogs (and yes, there are certainly exceptions, maybe more than not, but I'm talking the bigs, here); tell me you can't see veins bulging between the lines.

But you know what they say - 2,000 heads are better than one. Especially when mine is up to its asch in a last-minute project and I'm looking at a lost weekend of political talk and blog networking a la Guinness.

So I'm tossing this one open. What's the new official name for the __________-based Community?

Entries close tonight.

Posted by Mitch at January 21, 2005 08:11 AM | TrackBack