I spent some time at HuffPo. Aside from the Hollywood glitter there are occasionally some great blog there but the tenor there is that there are bloggers and commenters. Commenters cannot open threads and have a word limit. Still, I bow in deference before some of the bloggers including members of Congress, noteable scientists and psychologists etc.
It is to Ariana's credit that she does not seek out syncophants. There is a fairly wide variety of opinion there, particularly in the bloggers. One such blog was more atypical than most, by a fellow named John Ridley titled "Why are Liberals so Afraid of Baby Jesus." Among his credits are author, contributor to tv shows including Third Watch and NYTimes. He is a sometimes commentator for Joe Scarboroughs show on MSNBC, if that tells you anything.
Anyway, his blog leads off like someone wildly kicking in a room full of sore-kneed persons, as one commenter put it. The blog contained the standard right-wingnut schtick -- propping up a weak straw man, mis-stating the arguments of ideological antagonists, and claiming someone is angry with a provocation that hopefully baits someone into proving him right.
What happened was fairly amazing and I am not so sure it would have gone down the same way on the old Maher board or possibly here. People actually kept their cool almost without exception, clearly and rationally explaining the differences between religion vs. religion in government, Carter and Huckabee etc. etc.
There were even a few commenters who gave him an attaboy and added that those liberals sure were angry. A couple of people politely asked them to point out the evidence of anger that they saw, wishing them Merry Christmas at the same time.
It was just a nice little Christmas present for me and a textbook case of how the same old tired BS from the right can best be dealt with. People very patiently and unemotionally pointed out the facts ignored by Ridley in formulating apparently ignorant conlcusions.
Maybe some will find it as interesting as I did so I'll just shut up and include the link if anyone cares to take a look for his/herself:
Why are Liberals so Afraid of Baby Jesus?