We originally had one category for Best Blog. A number of people felt that it was unfair to have professionals or people writing at sponsored sites compete with amateurs. We then limited our Best Blog category to those who are not professional bloggers. It seems only fair to have a separate category to recognize the best of the pros. We decided to include this category to address that need.
There was no semi-final competition in this category. It is a late addition. To get a list of finalists, I took blogs mentioned in other categories that were not eligible for the other Best Blog category and then added a few on my own hook. A more regular procedure will be used in the future.
In the meantime, which of the following do you think is the best of the pros?
Altercation by Eric Alterman
Bloggermann by Keith Olberman of MSNBC
New Donkey of the Democratic Leadership Counsel
Political Animal by Kevin Drum of the Washington Monthly
Talking Points Memo by Josh Marshall
Tapped of The American Prospect
James Wolcott of Vanity Fair
&c. by Noam Scheiber of The New Republic
Please vote once for one of the above. In this category, write ins are accepted.
Posted by Dwight Meredith at February 12, 2005 05:03 PM | TrackBackTalking Points Memo
Posted by: NYSusan at February 12, 2005 08:05 PMJames Wolcott, VF
Posted by: Mber at February 12, 2005 08:06 PMTalking Points Memo -- all the way.
Posted by: Jim Shirk at February 12, 2005 08:25 PMTalking Points Memo. It's a must-read every day.
Posted by: snabby at February 12, 2005 08:28 PMAltercation
By a hair over Talking Points and Wolcott
Posted by: commie atheist at February 12, 2005 08:29 PMAltercation
Posted by: Penny at February 12, 2005 08:36 PMAgonizing choice, but Talking Points Memo
Posted by: Ev at February 12, 2005 08:54 PMTalking Points Memo. The real competition is for #2.
Posted by: Joe S. at February 12, 2005 09:00 PMTalking Points Memo
Posted by: Kitty at February 12, 2005 09:07 PMYou know, Tapped and Talking Points are doing god's work, but since we spend so much time dissing the mainstream media, I'll vote for Blogermann to say that one person is out there is on our side.
Posted by: Lee at February 12, 2005 09:09 PMTalking Points Memo
Posted by: Anita at February 12, 2005 09:15 PMBloggermann by Keith Olberman of MSNBC
Posted by: proudtobeliberal at February 12, 2005 09:57 PMNew Donkey
Posted by: Chris Martin at February 12, 2005 10:28 PMTalking Points Memo. Thank you, Josh!!
Posted by: SimoneDB at February 12, 2005 10:44 PMtalking points memo
Posted by: Dave at February 12, 2005 10:58 PMJames Wolcott of Vanity Fair
Posted by: PZ Myers at February 12, 2005 10:59 PMTalking Points Memo
Posted by: Sasha at February 12, 2005 11:02 PMTalking Points Memo
Posted by: spot at February 12, 2005 11:33 PMPolitical Animal
Posted by: Quaker in a Basement at February 12, 2005 11:33 PMAltercation
Posted by: lea-p at February 12, 2005 11:40 PMTalking Points Memo
Posted by: joe at February 12, 2005 11:58 PMTalking Points Memo
Posted by: pontificator at February 13, 2005 12:08 AMEric Alterman at Altercation.
Posted by: TalkLeft at February 13, 2005 12:22 AMTPM
Posted by: C&L at February 13, 2005 12:24 AMTPM and Political Animal are the first two things I read after Salon every morning...
Talking Points Memo
Posted by: Lynn at February 13, 2005 12:56 AMJames Wolcott
Posted by: craig at February 13, 2005 01:21 AMTalking Points Memo by my man Josh.
Posted by: ricardo de anda at February 13, 2005 02:54 AMTalking Points Memo
Posted by: Alex at February 13, 2005 03:42 AMJames Wolcott
Posted by: Lydia at February 13, 2005 04:17 AMBloggerman.
Posted by: Shakespeare's Sister at February 13, 2005 04:22 AMtalking points memo
Posted by: chrisd at February 13, 2005 06:34 AMTALKING POINTS MEMO
Posted by: Rik@work at February 13, 2005 07:18 AMTapped
Posted by: Marshall at February 13, 2005 08:08 AMBloggermann by Keith Olberman of MSNBC
Posted by: GregZ at February 13, 2005 08:34 AMBloggermann.
Posted by: Elayne Riggs at February 13, 2005 09:13 AMTapped of The American Prospect
Posted by: newswriter at February 13, 2005 09:20 AMTalking Points Memo
Posted by: oyster at February 13, 2005 09:32 AMTalking Points Memo - work only a professional could do.
Posted by: Nick Taranko at February 13, 2005 09:41 AMtalking points memo
Posted by: jong at February 13, 2005 09:50 AMPolitical Animal
Posted by: dc at February 13, 2005 09:53 AMI vote for Altercation.
If for no other reason than the frequent "Hey Doc" emails from Charles Pierce, who dwells in that Wolcottian stratosphere if you ask me. Here are a couple of lines from just the most recent:
Michael Novak, who has spent several decades convincing America that Christ was a bond-trader.
Noonan, who is the person Bernadette Soubirous would have been, had Our Lady ever appeared at The Palm.
Pierce should have his own blog, but then I'm already spending way too much time reading great writing as it is, and it would be one more tough vote.
Posted by: R. Porrofatto at February 13, 2005 09:56 AMTalking Points Memo by Josh Marshall
Posted by: joejoejoe at February 13, 2005 10:20 AMWonkette
Posted by: wirbelnd at February 13, 2005 10:35 AMBloggermann by Keith Olberman of MSNBC
Posted by: pissed off patricia at February 13, 2005 10:39 AMAltercation
Posted by: djn at February 13, 2005 11:02 AMJames Wolcott
Posted by: Janice at February 13, 2005 11:04 AMJames Wolcott
Posted by: niucons at February 13, 2005 11:05 AMPolitical Animal by Kevin Drum of the Washington Monthly
Posted by: Kristjan Wager at February 13, 2005 11:08 AMOne more for Josh Marshall
Posted by: Jazz at February 13, 2005 12:10 PMTalking Points memo
Posted by: BlondeSense at February 13, 2005 12:28 PMTalking Points Memo
Posted by: tc at February 13, 2005 12:28 PMAltercation.
Posted by: Raybin at February 13, 2005 12:36 PMTalking Points Memo.
Posted by: Dan at February 13, 2005 12:39 PMAltercation by Eric Alterman
Posted by: Babba at February 13, 2005 12:42 PMWolcott
Posted by: Cookie at February 13, 2005 12:48 PMTPM
Posted by: Edge at February 13, 2005 12:53 PMNew Donkey
Posted by: Daniel at February 13, 2005 12:54 PMTapped
Posted by: Meph at February 13, 2005 01:18 PMTalking Points Memo. Best combination of writing AND actual reporting.
Posted by: al at February 13, 2005 01:26 PMTPM by Josh Marshall.
Posted by: Robert at February 13, 2005 01:29 PMJames Wolcott
Posted by: Lindsay Beyerstein at February 13, 2005 01:35 PMJames Wolcott
Posted by: George Johnston at February 13, 2005 01:35 PMBLOGGERMANN
Posted by: Miss Antagoniste at February 13, 2005 01:58 PMTalking Points Memo by Josh Marshall
Posted by: squirm at February 13, 2005 02:24 PMTalking Points Memo
Posted by: littlesky at February 13, 2005 03:18 PMWolcott by a country mile. (If Charlie Pierce had his own blog, now that would be a tough call.)
Posted by: Thad at February 13, 2005 03:24 PMOne vote for Political Animal.
Posted by: (: Tom :) at February 13, 2005 03:28 PMTalking Points Memo
Posted by: tsd at February 13, 2005 03:53 PMTalking Points Memo
Posted by: ellroon at February 13, 2005 03:56 PMTalking Points Memo
Posted by: Stump at February 13, 2005 04:09 PMAltercation
Posted by: steve at February 13, 2005 04:13 PMTalking Points Memo
Posted by: Perdita Durango at February 13, 2005 04:25 PMTalking Points Memo by Josh Marshall
Posted by: Peatey at February 13, 2005 04:31 PMTalking Points Memo
Posted by: Devin at February 13, 2005 04:33 PMJames Wolcott of Vanity Fair
Posted by: Mike deNoVa at February 13, 2005 04:48 PMTalking Points Memo
Posted by: Prince of Dirkness at February 13, 2005 05:11 PMTalking Points Memo
Posted by: Susan M at February 13, 2005 05:37 PMPolitical Animal by Kevin Drum of the Washington Monthly
Posted by: peter ve at February 13, 2005 06:12 PMtalking points memo
Posted by: annoying pedant at February 13, 2005 06:24 PMTPM, but it's a great field.
Posted by: David Yaseen at February 13, 2005 06:36 PMTalking Points Memo
Posted by: thel at February 13, 2005 07:27 PMAltercation
Posted by: tex at February 13, 2005 07:38 PMTapped
Posted by: sashax at February 13, 2005 08:02 PMWolcott
Posted by: Philalethes at February 13, 2005 08:25 PMWolcott
Posted by: Tild at February 13, 2005 08:43 PMTapped
Posted by: billyfrombelfast at February 13, 2005 09:22 PMTalking Points Memo
Posted by: g-lex at February 13, 2005 09:45 PMTalking Points Memo by Josh Marshall
Posted by: Kenneth Quinnell at February 13, 2005 10:29 PMTalking Points Memo
Posted by: gail at February 13, 2005 10:30 PMTalking Points Memo.
(Tough choice, though--Wolcott and Altercation are great, too.)
Posted by: Linnet at February 13, 2005 10:51 PMWolcott
Posted by: coturnix at February 13, 2005 11:29 PMPolitical Animal
Posted by: J at February 13, 2005 11:32 PMTPM
Posted by: Diego at February 13, 2005 11:34 PMpolitical animal
Posted by: future man at February 13, 2005 11:50 PMWolcott.
Posted by: Matt at February 14, 2005 12:17 AMBloggermann
Posted by: BrendanL79 at February 14, 2005 12:37 AMAltercation - - Pierce on slacker Friday is reason enough
Posted by: captain at February 14, 2005 01:50 AMWolcott - just utter quality
Posted by: sip at February 14, 2005 05:00 AMWolcott is the.best.ever.
Posted by: sammie at February 14, 2005 08:51 AMWow, choosing between Woolcott and TPM is hard. I guess TPM just for social security.
Posted by: Anna in Cairo at February 14, 2005 08:59 AMBloggermann
Posted by: Jessie at February 14, 2005 09:03 AMAltercation. But props to Kevin Drum for getting his mojo back.
Posted by: Social Scientist at February 14, 2005 09:27 AMTalking Points Memo by a hair.
Posted by: FeralLiberal at February 14, 2005 09:44 AMTalking Points Memo
Posted by: g at February 14, 2005 09:52 AMTalking Points Memo
Posted by: sara at February 14, 2005 10:44 AMJames Wolcott of Vanity Fair
Posted by: slim at February 14, 2005 11:13 AMTAPPED
Posted by: Brian Ulrich at February 14, 2005 11:49 AMTPM
Posted by: Yosef at February 14, 2005 12:50 PMTalkingPointsMemo
Posted by: leftypa at February 14, 2005 01:15 PMTalking Points Memo
Posted by: Gabriel at February 14, 2005 01:21 PMPolitical Animal
Posted by: mc_masterchef at February 14, 2005 01:50 PMWolcott
Posted by: Diane Chambers at February 14, 2005 01:59 PMTalking Points Memo by Josh Marshall
Posted by: jam at February 14, 2005 02:53 PMBloggermann by Keith Olberman of MSNBC
Posted by: Kosh at February 14, 2005 03:18 PMTalkingPointsMemo
Posted by: PaminBB at February 14, 2005 03:46 PMTalking Points Memo is very, very good, but Tapped is ever so slightly better.
Posted by: palamedes at February 14, 2005 04:21 PMPolitical Animal
Posted by: Jeff at February 14, 2005 04:56 PMPolitical Animal
Posted by: Ben at February 14, 2005 05:32 PMPolitical Animal by Kevin Drum of the Washington Monthly
Posted by: ScottM at February 14, 2005 05:40 PMWolcott
Posted by: Judy at February 14, 2005 05:43 PMPolitical Animal by Kevin Drum of the Washington Monthly
Posted by: tarylcabot at February 14, 2005 05:45 PMTPM
Posted by: Buck Blessing at February 14, 2005 06:59 PMTPM
Posted by: Buck Blessing at February 14, 2005 06:59 PMPoliticl Animal. I like reading a few of the others better, but aving comments is an important factor.
Posted by: NTodd at February 14, 2005 07:06 PMSpelling doesn't count, right?
Posted by: NTodd at February 14, 2005 07:06 PMTalking Points Memo
Posted by: Jonathan Dresner at February 14, 2005 07:08 PMTalking Points Memo
Posted by: jdm at February 14, 2005 07:22 PMI vote for Tapped.
Posted by: Don McCrery at February 14, 2005 07:23 PMTPM
Posted by: lordwhorfin at February 14, 2005 07:29 PMTalking Points Memo
Posted by: Ammonite at February 14, 2005 07:35 PMPolitical Animal.
Posted by: Mangy Polecat at February 14, 2005 08:29 PMBloggerman's my pick.
TPM is up there, but it's already too well-known.
Posted by: Susan Nunes at February 14, 2005 08:43 PMTalking Points Memo
Posted by: b7 at February 14, 2005 10:18 PMTalking Points Memo
Josh is a daily read for me, especially right now w/ the whole Social Security thing going on.
Props to Kevin Drum @ Political Animal
Posted by: Barry at February 14, 2005 10:42 PMTalking Points Memo
I'd echo Barry with major props to Kevin Drum @ Political Animal.
Wolcott should be his own category.
Posted by: Phil P at February 14, 2005 11:04 PMTAPPED, because of Matthew Yglesias. He deserves his own award.
Posted by: Julian Fischer at February 14, 2005 11:10 PMPolitical Animal
Posted by: fiat lux at February 14, 2005 11:39 PMPolitical Animal
Posted by: Brian Linse at February 14, 2005 11:41 PMPolitical Animal
Posted by: Blar at February 14, 2005 11:55 PMJames Wolcott of Vanity Fair
Posted by: AMK at February 15, 2005 12:37 AMbloggermann
Posted by: wu ming at February 15, 2005 02:27 AMBloggermann
Posted by: KathyF at February 15, 2005 07:41 AMJames Wolcott
Posted by: Echidne of the snakes at February 15, 2005 07:42 AMTalking Points Memo.
Posted by: Peter Cohen at February 15, 2005 07:52 AMtalking points memo.
Posted by: bc at February 15, 2005 08:26 AMPolitical Animal.
Posted by: Adri Overgaauw at February 15, 2005 09:00 AMJames Wolcott gets my vote 'cuz that man sure can write with flair.
Posted by: Scaramouche at February 15, 2005 10:03 AMTPM
Posted by: Fred at February 15, 2005 10:31 AMbest blog: political animal
best bog: the everglades
Posted by: praktike at February 15, 2005 10:33 AMAltercation
Posted by: David at February 15, 2005 10:45 AMTalking Points Memo, emphatically.
Posted by: Frederick at February 16, 2005 09:33 AMPolitical Animal
Posted by: Minipundit at February 16, 2005 11:37 AMTalking Points Memo by Josh Marshall
Posted by: wtnd at February 16, 2005 12:29 PMWolcott
Posted by: kathyp at February 16, 2005 02:47 PMTMP
Posted by: LisaMarie at February 16, 2005 03:09 PMTPM
Posted by: hilzoy at February 16, 2005 03:47 PMAltercation
Posted by: James E. Powell at February 16, 2005 06:53 PMTalking Points Memo.
Posted by: kc at February 16, 2005 08:24 PMEasiest one - TPM. I like the others but JMM is the best.
Posted by: DanD at February 16, 2005 10:22 PMTPM
Posted by: jenniebee at February 16, 2005 10:36 PMTPM
Political Animal
Posted by: Harry the Hop at February 16, 2005 11:34 PMKevin Drum
Posted by: Mark H at February 16, 2005 11:48 PMWolcott.
Posted by: D. Sidhe at February 17, 2005 12:18 AMTalking Points Memo. With an honorable mention to Bloggermann for a great start this year.
Posted by: Maura in VA at February 17, 2005 12:22 AMTalking Points Memo
Posted by: Jessi Guilford at February 17, 2005 12:31 AMTalking Points Memo
Posted by: Reese at February 17, 2005 01:06 AMJames Wolcott at Vanity Fair
Posted by: blueeyedpupil at February 17, 2005 02:10 AMTapped
Posted by: Don at February 17, 2005 03:14 AMTalking Points Memo
Posted by: cerebusknipl at February 17, 2005 09:46 AMBloggerman
Posted by: jlongs at February 17, 2005 10:55 AMAltercation
Posted by: tlh lib at February 17, 2005 10:57 AMJames Wolcott
Posted by: tjkong at February 17, 2005 01:22 PMJames Wolcott
The blog that got me hooked on blogs.
Talking Points Memo
Posted by: Jeb at February 17, 2005 02:20 PMTapped
Posted by: Mike Feldgarden at February 17, 2005 02:25 PMTalking Points Memo
Posted by: bekenbauer at February 17, 2005 02:40 PMTPM
Posted by: Aladdin Sane at February 17, 2005 02:57 PMAltercation, for Pierce even more than Alterman
Posted by: N in Seattle at February 17, 2005 03:12 PMPolitical Animal
Posted by: Decnavda at February 17, 2005 04:04 PMTalking Points Memo- Josh Marshall
Posted by: cat at February 17, 2005 04:56 PMTalking Points Memo
Posted by: mrs katz at February 17, 2005 07:00 PMtalking points memo
Posted by: jan at February 17, 2005 07:15 PMTalking Points Memo
Posted by: Sandy at February 17, 2005 11:37 PMTalking Points Memo
Posted by: AndyM at February 18, 2005 12:28 AMTapped! (does it count if you work there?)
Posted by: Matthew Yglesias at February 18, 2005 01:31 AMBloggerman
Posted by: Kay at February 18, 2005 02:24 AMTalking Points Memo, darn it, because the man can see around corners and under the rug. I stil love Kevin Drum -- despite the end of cat blogging, and Wolcott always produces appreciative guffaws, but Josh gets my vote.
Posted by: The Miller at February 18, 2005 04:23 AMBloggermann
Posted by: Nonpartisan at February 18, 2005 08:16 AMI am so grateful for Josh Marshall's insights in general and his amazing work on social security in particular. He gets my vote.
Posted by: Lynn Sutherland at February 18, 2005 11:39 AMI think Josh Marshall should be in charge of the DNC but I vote for Politcal Animal.
ash
['Is that a nice enough hair-splitting?']
Kevin Drum
Posted by: Chris Cagle at February 18, 2005 02:56 PMTalking Points Memo -- Josh Marshall
Posted by: Buffalo Gal at February 18, 2005 03:11 PMPolitical Animal
Posted by: Roman Totale at February 18, 2005 04:34 PMPolitical Animal
Posted by: Jeff at February 18, 2005 05:29 PMTalking Points Memo! JMM!
Posted by: Tim at February 18, 2005 05:56 PMTalking Points Memo
Posted by: Leslie in CA at February 18, 2005 10:58 PMTough choice.
Talking Points.
Joshua Marshall, Talking Points Memo.
Posted by: the cubist at February 18, 2005 11:39 PMJosh Marshall ... hands down! Thank you, Josh!
Posted by: Beth at February 18, 2005 11:59 PMTPM
Posted by: grishaxxx at February 19, 2005 06:39 AMAltercation
Posted by: Ivan at February 20, 2005 02:06 PMJames Wolcott
Posted by: Mark at February 21, 2005 10:28 AMAltercation
Posted by: Sam at February 22, 2005 02:39 PM