Weblog Empire launches its 6th blog: Donklephant
And then there was 6. Media release as follows:
Growing Weblog network Weblog Empire (www.weblogempire.com), run by Blog Herald founder and editor Duncan Riley, has announced the launch of its 6th blog: Donklephant, a multi-author political blog that caters to the forgotten generation of Americans who have an interest in politics but don’€™t agree with either side on everything and are turned off by the unquestioning partisan nature of many leading blogs today.
The blog is edited by Justin Gardner, previously the author of liberal leaning political newsletter ‘€œStayInformed’€?, who as well as creating the Donklephant concept, has brought together a diverse range of writers to provide a broad cross section of middle of the range political views for the site.
“Donklephant is a place in the blogosphere where people don’t need to
follow the party line’€? said Gardner. “Healthy debate is fine, but right now the most popular political blogs are becoming places that mimic the back and forth partisan bickering of the main stream media. Somebody needs to bring the conversation back towards the sensible middle and that’s what Donklephant intends to do.”
Said contributor Cicero, of Windsofchange.net and betweenhopeandfear.blogspot.com, ‘€œThe last two elections in the United States revealed an electorate that was nearly one half Republican and one half Democrat. It is mystifying as to why a nearly even split between liberals and conservatives is reported as proof of a huge divide in America. What it really proves is that there is a broad middle ground in this country. Some call it purple America. Glance at a colorized electoral map of the United States, and there’s some red and some blue. But mostly, it’s solid purple’€?.
Cicero continued, ‘€œIt is critical that we do not allow terrorism to turn us into radicals. We must be careful to be vigilant for terrorists, but also for excuses to untie from our enlightened moorings. The idea of Donklephant broadening the middle ground is not only great, but it’s essential to overcoming fear, terror and injustice. The middle is the hardest place to be, because you have to listen and accommodate. I was asked to be a part of that process. I couldn’t say no’€?
Contributor Callimachus, of vernondent.blogspot.com, added “For a long time I’ve been looking for a place in blogland where I could post alongside rational, thoughtful people who disagreed with me on the main issues of the day. Not to jettison every principle in the name of ‘common ground.’ Nor to back each other into increasingly radical, marginal positions. But to test my own arguments and discover insights, and learn what other paths honorable people may have taken through the jungle of current affairs. That’s why I’m posting here.”
Another contributor Montag shared these thoughts:
‘€œThe Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights, beautiful landscape, and good-natured, kind-hearted people. See, there’s a good solid patch of “common ground” right there. Let’s stand on it together and discuss the other stuff civilly; and with a sense of humor!’€?
Weblog Empire CEO Duncan Riley said that he was excited to break new ground in terms of political blogs becoming part of a consumer blog network.
‘€œI’€™ve always tended to shy away from political blogging because of the blindness of many in the blogosphere for one side or the other, and it didn’€™t sit well with me personally’€? said Riley. ‘€œDonklephant better reflects my own views, whilst at the same time not reflecting them at all, because at the end of the day I have my own thoughts on politics, and so do most people. For the average person politics is not black and white, its 200 million shades of grey’€?.
Riley also said he’€™d hope that the site would also appeal to advertisers, NGOs and candidates seeking to reach a broader audience than provided by most existing political blogs.
‘€œDonklephant gives advertisers the chance to actually sell to a politically aware and interested audience, as opposed to preaching to the converted as is the case with most political blog advertising,’€? said Riley.
About Weblog Empire (www.weblogempire.com): The Weblog Empire blog network was launched in June 2005 and includes the leading blog news site The Blog Herald as well as growing Gadget Blog ‘€œThe Gadget Blog‘€?.
Contact: Editor Justin Gardner can be contacted on 816.616.7524 or via email available at www.donklephant.com. Duncan Riley can be contacted on 347.427.9299 or cell phone: +61 412844237 or on Skype/ Gizmoproject: duncanriley (please note +8 GMT)
Contributors:
Michael Totten: http://www.michaeltotten.com
Cicero: http://betweenhopeandfear.blogspot.com
Callimachus: http://vernondent.blogspot.com
J. Thomas Duffy: http://puregarlic.blogspot.com
Montag: http://stumplane.us
“Glance at a colorized electoral map of the United States, and there’s some red and some blue. But mostly, it’s solid purpleâ€?.
This may very well point to the weirdness of the electoral system we have: yes, while tallying up the votes, the map is really purple.. .but in the end, based on “winner takes it all” the map ends up blue in the edges, red in the middle… see it here (scroll down to second map)
duncan…congrats on your new “baby” – Donklephant is a new word for me