well, I voted for you for Best Conservative Blog....

but they really need different categories, because you don't deal at all with domestic issues. Best Foreign Policy blog would be one (you could compete with Juan Cole!) :)

Posted by: lukasiak at December 6, 2005 01:03 PM | Permalink to this comment

thx luka. yeah best foreign policy blog would be an interesting category indeed. we'd have to put Dr. D in the running as well, and the gals and guys at Dem Arsenal are pretty good too...i'm doubtless forgetting many others...

Posted by: greg at December 6, 2005 03:15 PM | Permalink to this comment

Unlike the Oscars, the blog awards don't seem to go in for multiple nominations, which is too bad. A blog like this one could get marked down for not being conservative enough (a subjective criterion) while not being nominated based on the size of its readership (an objective criterion). Meanwhile a blog like Talking Points Memo gets nominated for Best Blog but not Best Liberal Blog. I'd change that for next year's nominations. Having a category for Best Comment Section would be good too, and would give some bloggers who have let theirs go to seed (Kevin Drum, I'm looking in your direction) an incentive to clean things up.

Of course a blog like Belgravia Dispatch can also lose ground with voters due to the uneven quality of its guest bloggers, but that can't be helped.

Posted by: JEB at December 6, 2005 05:02 PM | Permalink to this comment

I'm thinking, I'm thinking, well there is that Rumsfeld factor, but I probably will vote for you anyway :-)

BTW, just saw a pretty brutal forecast for the east coast for Thu/Fri, you may want to stay where it's warm through Sunday night -- you may not be able to land in NYC on Thursday at all.

Posted by: Mark at December 6, 2005 06:20 PM | Permalink to this comment

actually, although I'm supporting Greg, I'm hoping he loses -- especially because of the category he is in. Greg's blog is not merely thoughtful and well written (except for the occasional grammar faux pas), but for a "conservative" blog its comments section has a relatively low quotient of wingnuts. Every time Greg gets noticed by someone like Glenn Reynolds, we get an invasion of idiocy....so "winning" in this instance would likely reduce the quality of the comments section at least until the wingnuts get tired of looking up the three syllable words we often use here.....

(Of course, I'm here to ensure that the blog isn't moonbat free! :) )

Posted by: lukasiak at December 6, 2005 08:26 PM | Permalink to this comment

Ya got my vote.

Man, that poll is messed up. Marginal Revolution and Asymmetrical Information are business blogs?!? WTF?

Agree with most of the above comments. Though any invasion is always temporary, and I think more wingnuts reading Greg is a good thing.

Posted by: fling93 at December 6, 2005 09:27 PM | Permalink to this comment

Of course a blog like Belgravia Dispatch can also lose ground with voters due to the uneven quality of its guest bloggers, but that can't be helped.

JEB's got a point. Don't blame Rummy, blame Martin. I'm sure my left wing ravings'll cost you a few percentage points. I might have to call in the TIA and LAT reinforcements. A sorry lot that is...

Posted by: Eric Martin at December 6, 2005 09:40 PM | Permalink to this comment

Greg, if you are in SF and have a few moments to spare give me a call. Be happy to come into the City. 925-518-7076

Posted by: michael pecherer at December 7, 2005 01:38 AM | Permalink to this comment

I just cast my vote for you, Greg.

It was a pleasure to do so.

Though I may not always agree with your positions (though this is true to a much lesser extent lately) I do respect your character. Your position on the torture issue, especially, reveals you as a gem among conservative thinkers and commentators.

I look forward to enjoying a new year of BD perspectives.

Good Luck!

Posted by: avedis at December 7, 2005 10:28 AM | Permalink to this comment

You got my vote Greg...

As hard as it is dealing with some of the illogical rants in the comments sections there are also a number of excellent posters which along with your writing, keeps me coming back to BD time and again. Its a pity we can't nominate the blog for having some of the better posters here - The JEB's, Michael Pecherer's, and Eric Martin's amongst others! Although The opinions may vary and much debate is engaged in, at least the above, and others in a similar vein can articulate their points and support them with evidence, which only improves the understanding of those such as myself with a keen interest, but not much knowledge...

Thanks again for a great blog, and one where by and large intelligent discourse is offered - in contrast to many of the rant sites out there!

Posted by: Aran Brown at December 8, 2005 01:23 AM | Permalink to this comment

I wanted to add something to Aran's comment. It is true that some posters get a bit excited here, but with very few exceptions, even in the height of emotion, there is an overriding quality to the posts and to the discussion. I would hate for this blog to become so uniform and homogenous that what was left was a bunch of folks patting each other on their backs for their shared wisdom. I visit this blog every day. On those occasions when Greg is busy with his life and hasn't posted lately, I find myself going back to earlier threads hoping for some new perspectives. Of all the blogs that I have considered, this is most like what I would hope that political dialogue grows to more broadly. Of course, that seems a pipe dream in these days of spin, spin, and more spin.

So, in addition to voting for BD, I want to thank Greg most profusely for hosting this blog, for stimulating my interest, and for cyber-introducing me to a collection of wonderfully bright folks who are truly interested in how the world comes and goes. In the oddest way, I feel that I know quite a number of you.

And, in the spirit of the season, this Jewish boy would like to wish all of us a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, whatever your preference might be.

Best wishes,

Michael

Posted by: michael pecherer at December 8, 2005 04:12 AM | Permalink to this comment

Definitely got my vote. Of all the conservative blogs out there, I feel like I simply learn the most here at BD. Whether I agree with your conclusions or not, I always come away better informed. That is very, very rare on the blogosphere, especially on a 'politically biased' blog.

Posted by: mafisto at December 8, 2005 07:10 PM | Permalink to this comment

I think the only bad thing I have to say about this blog is that people seem to have a tough time avoiding double-posting comments! :)

(that, plus there aren't enough pictures of fishies or Natalie Portman, but that's a common complaint of mine on a lot of blogs)

(I think this is funnier when it's self-referential)

Posted by: fling93 at December 8, 2005 11:34 PM | Permalink to this comment

I think your voter turn out has been impaired by security concerns. This security code thing at the bottom of the post page reminds me a bit of the Venezuelan fingerprint scanners.

Posted by: Scott at December 9, 2005 02:44 AM | Permalink to this comment

That's actually possible, Scott. There are several ways to ward off spam comments. Greg's is one; Becker-Posner uses another. Lynne Kiesling, who writes for a more specialized, smaller audience, simply sequesters comments until she can read them first. Many blogs (Drezner, Political Animal) don't screen for spam, and on some sites like TPM and Slate preregistration is required.

No argument about the frustration Belgravia's screen causes commenters from time to time (since it is more likely to hang up on commenters who spend a long time writing their posts to this board, it is arguably a bigger problem for the better posters). But Greg unlike many other bloggers travels a lot and works when he doesn't, so pre-review of comments isn't practical for him. Preregistration works best for big (heavily-trafficked) sites. As Greg's guest blogger last spring I can testify that spam has been a problem here in the past.

There may be a better solution, and I hope Greg is able to find it, but commenters shouldn't think the security code thingy is there just to be annoying.

Posted by: JEB at December 9, 2005 04:19 AM | Permalink to this comment

michael: thx for the shout out. was not in sanfran, but hope to meet sometime down the road! best,gd

Posted by: greg at December 9, 2005 02:01 PM | Permalink to this comment

I voted for you too.

Mr. D: Have you read the Law Lords' 91 page decision from Thursday on evidence obtained through torture? If not, do so asap. You won't regret a minute of it.

Posted by: CharleyCarp at December 10, 2005 02:14 PM | Permalink to this comment

I voted for you anyway.

And it's good you're back.

Posted by: DavidP at December 16, 2005 09:47 PM | Permalink to this comment