Transitioning

by Jonathan Singer, Mon Aug 16, 2010 at 06:08:07 PM EDT

About three months ago I wrote a post noting that because I was beginning to study for the bar exam I simply would not have the time to go forward with much blogging. As it turned out, I really didn't. And for the first time in six years, I wasn't blogging on a full time basis.

Now that the bar exam is over and I'm starting to get back to my normal schedule, I'm looking forward to writing again. It's a real passion of mine, and I have found myself missing it for a long time.

But at this point I am at a bit of a transition point. Before my bar exam-related hiatus, I had written full-time on MyDD for four and a half years, totaling well over 3,000 posts on the site. My time on the site has been amazing, opening up doors and giving me an opportunity to speak to and with an amazing audience -- one of the most engaged, informed and interesting in the progressive blogosphere.

Now that I am getting back to writing, I'm realizing that as much as I love this site, the time has come to transition to something new. To that end, I have put up a new blog (still in need of a more clean design) called Polising.com. There, I will be writing about the same types of things I have written about on this site for years -- polling, elections, political strategy, and a little bit of policy -- but also some on the law and culture. I started this afternoon with a post on how the conservatives' attempt to divert attention towards the Islamic cultural center in lower Manhattan speaks wonders about their inability to capitalize on the issue of the economy.

The new site isn't an attempt to replicate or supplant MyDD, because MyDD is inimitable -- it is an institution. I look forward to continue reading the great writing of Charles, Jerome and the diarists on MyDD, and perhaps chiming in myself from time to time.

I am extremely grateful to both Jerome and Chris Bowers for giving me this opportunity in November 2005. At the time I was just a college student writing about elections on my own site reaching just a few hundred people, writing a diary on MyDD from time to time. In the time since, I have been able to be more involved in politics than I ever thought possible.

I am also extremely grateful to the outstanding community here at MyDD. You are all really fantastic.

But at this transition point -- completing law school, taking the bar exam, looking ahead to a career in law to come -- it's time for me to try something new. This is a transition, not a farewell. I hope to speak again with you soon.

Tags: MyDD, Jonathan Singer (all tags)

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3 Comments

Shadow_head_small
welcome back

Hope you passed the bar exam.

I'm looking forward to your new site--I agree with the thesis that
the mosque is just a diversion from the bankruptcy of GOP economic ideas.  But I think Obama blew it with his "walkback" on Saturday--he should have just stood his ground.

I've also had a lot of change with my job moving to Dallas--basking in our 17th straight day of 100+ weather.  Try selling climate change to the average Texan.

I have been a MyDD follower since the fall of 2002, but the blogosphere is changing with Chris Bowers moving to Kos, Nate Silver moving to the New York Times, and the decline of this site--where has everyone gone?

by esconded 2010-08-16 08:27PM | 0 recs
Shadow_head_small
Walking back what?

I keep hearing this idea that Pres. Obama is "walking back" his statement from Friday, but I have read and listened to his words several times, and I just don't see this as walking back anything. I think his comments on Friday were spot on. His response to the question on Saturday was merely a further clarification of what he said on Friday.

He did not say He had a problem with building the community center (nor did he say he didn't have a problem with it). He merely said that he was reiterating his support for the right of the muslims to build there IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FIRST AMENDMENT.

He made that quite clear; he was doing his duty to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States of America, one part of which is the First Amendment right to exercise your freedom of religion without government inerference. Those on the lunatic Right presume to split hairs by claiming that they also support the First Amendment, but... and there is that peskly little word, "but."  They, who normally HATE government interference in private property rights, suddenly attack Pres. Obama for not interfering governmentally. Total hypocrisy! But then, why are we not surprised by this?

Keith Olbermann's "Special Comment" tonight was especially cogent and poignant. The use of the Niemuller lamentation about ignoring others until it was too late for his own self aptly applies to this situation. President Obama seems to understand that; otherwise, he could have just remained silent. Boehner, Gingrich, Palin, et al., are the real demagogues here. Their use of this "issue" for crass political purposes is despicable, if not predictable.

Bravo to President Obama for standing up for what is right. And no, I don't agree that he walked anything back. He was just answering another question that he felt needed clarification so the bigots on the Right could not declaim that he was supporting the building of a "mosque" blocks away from Ground Zero, when his comments had never been about that, but about protecting the Constitution.

And btw, I one of the members of the nonprofessional Left who have no qualms about speaking up when the President is wrong IMHO, and I also completely believe in supporting him when I think he is right. On this one, he called it just right, despite all the demagoguery on the Right and from the MSM.

by mcarnes 2010-08-16 10:19PM | 0 recs
Shadow_head_small
Apologies to Jonathan

Sorry Jonathan. Didn't mean to hijack this thread, but I keep hearing this crap about walking back his comments and just couldn't stay silent any further.

Welcome back, and I wish you the very best with your new blog. I'll definitely be checking it out, especially since I'll be missing 538.com soon when it migrates to the checkered and declining NYT. I gave up The Times several years ago, and will not be following Nate and company there. I'm thrilled to have another place to go, have read you for years, and will be happy to have you back, either here or at your new place. Congrats on passing the bar! (I'm sure you did.)

by mcarnes 2010-08-16 10:26PM | 0 recs

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