Exiting The Liberal Blogosphere - With david dayen, part 2/2

let so i appreciate you give us that breakdown nobody can do it better than you frankly in my opinion uh... so let's let's transition wyo was uh... what's to do why do you make me high and dry like this uh... we're going to do it were quick to pick up well i think part of it is uh... it be like that but personal station uh... overlap are blocking people who feldman over those eight plus years uh... i just i just went back and calculated that i i i written about twenty two bowels and lockbox uh... something a little bit more matter uh... and at some level you have to state that than not hectic suggest thirty uh... it yet acl take that a tremendous amount billed to work and uh... i'd i'd i'd love a white that um... i feel like the check in on andy how she's doing uh... by it something that uh... requires a lot of dedication and effort and something where do you have to have out real uh... of inspiration in order to keep it going and that brings me to the second point uh... you know why would be close look at it saying that there are a lot of things and i i may want to do uh... around with lighting in political advocacy but i don't know that i can but the problem uh... without getting off what ends up being a treadmill yet figured shops immediately responding to everything that happens uh... and you use and in this the poorest with the tree well let me reiterated there has been at least i mean at least once a week in in this office in the morning and i'd just to say to myself for somebody else in the room uh... dave must not sleep himasa not sleepy i don't understand how he does this um... and because uh... you know not just the all you of work the did but they can't get the quality in the dept of the year work has always been really i think um... uh... virtually unparalleled and so uh... i can certainly let me take your pick it up michael warren here ike ite that there's a cumulative effect when you've been in this game for at waterloo as i have and and you bb bent over and over again uh... not not to there's a favorably compare myself to a supreme being peppered aligning groundhog day that i often use when people click how do you do that and hawaiian where bill murray is talking about uh... the fact that he's in living with and they are over and over and that so maybe maybe god doesn't know everything they need to spin around so long that he just he just sees everything every day right and that kind of what it feels a lot uh... that uh... dirty it there's a all whites storage uh... out things that you can opec to all packed the ticket uh... you know in washington we find same and becoming a *** u_p_i_ thumping i'd in lying about that public in three years all because it keeps coming up over and over and over um... so that that would you want to go with the it that outlets that the marginal utility uh... blogging has declined uh... edit it's continuing to decline pat add up barely rapid weight uh... overclocked and what i mean by that is that in two thousand four walking with a very new new it was aboard an amateur saying that ostatic captured the imagination of a lot of people by people provided a genuine alternative through the discussion that happened within the traditional media uh... anike that has way itself avoided that is not as uh... large uh... and as it was in two thousand four alright and part of that is hitler's organization getting a little bit smarter in terms of of who they hire and how they do their work and part of it is also a word paresh into the meanness in terms of before august uh... and the plaudits fear carter taking their uh... more and more rom not just traditional media but rom be very rapid fire nimoy heavy uh... lambeth social me and uh... are just feel like uh... uh... at game that that is not sara lee it's just not a opposition an environment that i i i feel like i have to be a it just doesn't feel vital uh... anymore and as i said there are odd number of new ways now since did introduction of the border there too to express yourself that you're doing a lot of the right now with your your radio show wicked is not a commercial products i mean noncommercial radio your on brighter in the office effort but the thing but uh... you're able to have out on these you're following uh... through the podcasts and and why uh... internet bobcat that's just an example that it it's not like you'll have to i'd i spell feeling more like you have to be in the blockbuster to to have this this impact the whatever it is whatever days you want to achieve um... and the truth is that acting in these sort of got upset way uh... uh... meticulously analyzing think that they happen and being very in the moment you cut loose items of the larger picture and and i think by have more of an interest m uh... demystifying that larger picture so i don't know what it is i'm going to do timing the first thing i want to do is evil to wake up uh... in the morning and not it within five minutes i need to start my first class both of the day uh... that's going to be a good thing uh... on a weekday that can be a good thing for that about mental health you actually too um... uh... over the longer term i think the idea for me as with removing the something that more about the wide-ranging about that slower that uh... more more deliberate and uh... uh... more longed for what ite think that's where i'm headed uh... it could be the case i spend a month on the sideline cannot get they care about him uh... anything outpouring of support that i perceive uh... over the past couple weeks and and the hardly enough the jonathan p stuffed up that i had over the medicare eligibility age walking backed up by where baat ok twelve maybe im maybe i'm it's really worth a little bit in terms of blog not having much of an impact anymore because that certainly think that arm edge so far that has not been enough to uh... at this early evening uh... promt feeling the need to take a step back figure out my strengths and and and figure out where i can best fit into this new uh... uh... media landscape that we had well i mean if anybody n anybody i know deserves a vacation uh... it seems to be an extended vacation it's you uh... because i did a lot i in the to to to two different uh... utilities leave a different indian an sort of the the feeling that you're on the do you know as a treadmill the until those people fall the understand the uh... produced how much she takes and need to have to be you know you hit that day you post at blog does a man i feel the contact context of of doing a radio show i'm done with the show one thirty eastern at one thirty one am thinking about the neck show it's like that uh... lekin lost with those guys had a hit that that that that machine in reset it uh... the countdown was going in the it's a much shorter time period if we get put up that next blog post um... and and and constantly being it is a very weird thing i think uh... you know for people particularly you know i gotto maj in like yourself who walk around and literally it's like uh... you've taken the the blue pill or whatever it is you're walking around in politics in a way that now one around you can really fully understand uh... you know you just walking through in going like yeah you guys don't really there's another level of this that uh... you know but uh... with their eyes and and i would play you know it not just about output at the bout input i've been able to right barely quickly rabbi my wife ethical uh... but you need to know a lot of stuff before as you can actually write it down and and and take your opinion but even if you're doing it and sort of an iterate way where if you're not collecting all the information in writing a big story but you're kind of following the story as it develops even wrote that you need to baat yet i eighteen a lot of a lot of input and you know more and more it's being polite i'd about up pinball machine where okay i got the highs sported a but i know that my also have to get the black store and so it becomes more of the alot yet some people think thought content bombing or you can hear your farm insurers or the day uh... but it it basically never let and uh... the next day or two after the film level if not more choice and if you start the day the nephew twice is wouldn't charge but i mean if you'd be carlos uh... a little more all-consuming uh... and i i think that affect the quality of work and so uh... it you've made step back and figure out what they would what segment of this tonight econ and and and choo lak because not my mandate is uh... i was i'd i could do it so i called at the old news and and that's not a lot act that they don't give you a lot of parameters irreparable that news is is apparently balked category um... and so i'd felt the need at the national conversation with moving uncertain direction too you know highlight that might also felt the need it certain stories were being under uh... covered about for example um... in mortage fourth-quarter crisis and hopeful for problem think that nature uh... which i think we're uh... apps certainly uncovered by the traditional media also one of her highlight both wat that cape jabs but level you need to drop by uh... and say okay i can either copper fees i can either spin these twenty plates or accurate one plate this is a terrible metaphor uh... similar to your metaphor earlier in the shop sog ride you know i mean writes i mean it's excites it's an easier thing to conceive of and i think it will ultimately up being a more quality product if you can uh... well close to the ground lincoln binit and and come up with something warm mortally wounded apn uh... uh... hello widely gimme a sense when you look at sammy because year well you know it seems to me that what you're doing is reevaluating where within the context of are are media culture you're going to have the most impact which is a which is a question of again oh on one hand it's a question of sort of assessing uh... the life you wanna have in the skill set you have and where you can be most effective the other part of that is sort of contemplating uh... what and and that is good our process some sort of function functional question the other part that informs that is to look at upon where our politics are and what the output of the implications of our uh... our media culture is and where it's also most important in terms of your political disposition to plug yourself into that have the impact the white hat in give me a sense of what that part of the formula click well how do you perceive now if if in two thousand four the question was that there was simply no mechanism you uh... span house in many respects because you know that was you started right when air america started and where america started it was a got a huge amount of pressing it was a huge revelation because that was not there was no other outlet now now we have msnbc you know did you know weaken by uh... to argue as to where they are politically but certainly their different beast than existed uh... back in two thousand four we have currents we still have some radio i'm out there we have these uh... things like uh... the huffington post which didn't exist in the center for american progress it's barely around media matters which was due just forming uh... so where do not just where you see yourself be most effective but what do you see the argument ease uh... that wasn't there before that you can impact or interested in impacted but the really good question um... ait i think that waikiki since two thousand four uh... date may be that shouldn't be the line that you drop because i think you see it was sort of a parabolic part of our uh... there wasn't this alternative and then this alternative guru and it was probably at the height of it uh... the apex of it influence or power whatever you want to call it may be in of uh... between host seven oh eight and now light in at that has has wing it becomes sort of them at junk uh... rather than it's i think that that looks at the conversation rather than lose the conversation uh... and uh... and i think part of that is is the fact that the democratic president and and uh... people have been strange loyalties around that and uh... so i thought i think that has the press the quality uh... that alternative media or or or progressive media i have been able to accomplish in a acting that as far as for me personally uh... what do you do with that uh... i think there are some some undiscovered quarters that really arts uh... being discussed certainly not progressive made uh... and a lot of those revolve around uh... wall street melting and and and the financial industry and you know the reason for big gray perception that and uh... uh... uh... and amit unreconstructed aftermath um... so i think that's an area where i could maybe p useful um... uh... again ait i've kind of uh... coat off you know she and other exactly what i'm going to do write though i i take a breath but uh... that that's an example somewhere where i i think i've buildup electorate and and and also uh... about perot of contact uh... and sources and so that is a possibility out there uh... you know i would i would just say that uh... we we still needed it progressively it in america uh... even though uh... you work absolutely correct uh... in terms of all the changes that have taken place relative the two thousand four um... he'll feels like and actually that was product different the mark but back then that to more market it it's almost a uh... how do i say that e but while i can at junk uh... of you know whether it's an administration archives set of arguments uh... or a gift it not have the vitality wells every before it seems to me the part of that is a function of the broader liberal audience i mean one of the because you know and i am one of the things that uh... i saw as a uh... uh... you know aside from other issues obviously uh... the benefit of a president opal homa is i have a better sense of of where the politics on the from the center to the left iran than i did uh... under the bush administration or it was more explicit you know there were times where you know i was uh... where you know with uh... and the night use him in the example but uh... it's it's sort of a blunt instrument but you know jonathan alter for instance you know like where he would he was uh... uh... always found him a little bit establishment oriented but in a high but it but it's a lot clear when uh... you know these guys talk about um... also security the you know you can raise a little bit was the big deal that type of thing uh... employment when you have um... you know where these battles between now and uh... trait was at the the new republican that was that was that's always been uh... chasm on the left is a you know back in nineteen eighty the republic's changed a little bit but that that sort of more establishment uh... oriented the more pundit and that the poor punit the more want geisha uh... identifying uh... uh... left people on the left verses the more sort of activists disney in black and i think you guys like you and i live in sort of the meeting that world in some respects uh... under ideologically speaking there does not seem to be that appetite even if it's a are falling even if were advocating or talking about the same issues um... on the left for that intercede battles uh... right or a great i agree and i i think what what you might be able to is that uh... but lancaster progressive media it used to have uh... a relatively small on him and now adequately bigger share of the audience it's finding that its audience uh... much more fractured ideologically uh... and uh... you know then then progress being at the choice to that i mean at do they chase for a larger audience which is more fractured it may be more moderate maybe more uh... willing to uh... you know follow that the dictates of it dot but alter something like that uh... word does out splinter again uh... and and and then you have sort of the establishment progress could be here and then you have the serve more radical resident uh... act i think that that transformation is taking place it has been you know obviously in the last couple years and uh... why i think the overall uh... instinct has been too either day just focus on republicans and uh... tried to you know not talk only talking quietly rooms about the things that are happening within one's own party uh... laura our monthly own ideological saw uh... or to uh... offer up opal correct at the end they band whatever uh... notions of of compromising sound jugs and and and technocratic thought uh... too do you make those defenses uh... and and i think we can both of those up layout over the last couple years you do you agree with that i mean i think i think particularly on you know from my perspective uh... online i mean the the anne is that for uh... five or six years ago that the dividing line was if i can get on television any given point i am they're going to face it uh... again it's gonna be adversarial for the most part um... brett he indeed it's going to be a very bright line now higham bronze onto uh... television ostensibly because i share the same ideological perspective i am uh... maintaining some adversarial thing so i'm seeing a change in um... you know who want arguing with about what which you know i would much rather be having an argument last verses left center then you know sortie left center amalgamation verses uh... rights in some respects uh... just in terms of moving the ball forward but there is much less of an appetite for that as uh... in terms of audiences now i i i think that may change over time uh... into the requires that you repositioning um... you know either by medium uh... or not i mean that's you know i've made a conscious decision one point to basically said forego um... you know commercial radio of food form for you know very much that reason um... is there's a lot more freedom in terms of content in this perspective and and i i think i'm gonna be able to make a guo did as a business model um... buck if i don't uh... you know but perhaps out paradigm uh... but but uh... that that changes is it's the it's a harder fight it it's a less uh... in some ways it's a uh... it's uh... it's a it's a more or a surgical fight in some respects and so there's there is uh... uh... there's a lot less sort of uh... bone on the i guess uh... rec because elec begets more critical because uh... otherwise uh... your your you're sort of going with the wins uh... not really popular opinion but the wins uh... some amalgam um... wat establishment opinion uh... what the that wasn't believes popular opinion to be uh... were what they believe must be done uh... in in sort of uh... incremental technocratic way so uh... at which visual aids to what i'm doing i don't know but well i i i would say this i think that you know one of the reasons why i have enjoyed reading you so much is it because um... haha i find that i continue to read uh... was bloggers uh... and even ones whose prescriptions i don't always necessarily agree with but who perceive the real the real battle lines to be between uh... be establishment and everyone is and uh... that is a critical distinction i think uh... in terms of the way that things have fractured and uh... you know uh... yeah i think we've i think we've lost that a little bit and in the park spirit and so are you know i can only sort of follow my own personal star explodes but um... uh... if i'm david doing up i'm going to do it in such a way of that uh... doesn't tries not at least the fall into those those trapped well uh... david i really appreciate your coming on i know you you gotta run now and uh... mobilise uh... stay in touch and um... you know and we'll keep an is open for or everything you're doing perhaps uh... did time to reiterate that uh... you and i first met doing a student film at the university of michigan actual two oh on my god twenty one years earlier almost twenty years ago leaves i think the worst uh... head at least twenty years ago wherever kermit martin two ninety three are not support for lives all fun yet unbelievable and and uh... you know that send nine new right then when i met you bet you're going to be a fun to start the blogosphere it that i would have a forty-five in another weapon a blog it's rare that or nor or obliging had a lot lot battered by the end of issue that senator at that time than i do that uh... ek uh... but david uh... can't tell you how much i appreciate your work appears can't uh... tell you how much i look forward to seeing you know what's next for you uh... commbank and uh... you know becky tavern one who's who's been uh... and not a problem but we done that anyone would bother to worried what i've heard that it be honest with you and so uh... everyone who has who has paid attention over the years but i i i i really really appreciate it and thanks for at your patience uh... with me why figure out what would it be met david and folks had over two it's firedoglake new uh... for the next couple of days send some uh... some of your personal of messages of green but do that after you contact your congressperson and your senators and tell them uh... in no way any cuts the so security or medicare now or medicaid for that matter