My Worst Blog Post of the Year
I think that progress requires shining a spotlight on our errors, rather than trying to sweep them under the rug. As such, I’m starting what I intend to be an annual tradition of identifying what I believe to my worst single blog post of the year.
Jim’s Worst Blog Post of 2008 IMHO is surely this one, in which I praised the incredible, machine-like effectiveness of the Clinton primary campaign apparatus. Now, I used the following CYA:
There are big, obvious caveats to what I’m about to say – I have no idea how accurate this report is, how representative this group is of the national Clinton organization, how this compares to the field organizations of other candidates, etc. – but this description of a high-function organization rang very true to me…
But if I really didn’t know all this (and events subsequently proved that I really didn’t), I should probably never have hit the Publish button.
Lesson learned: Allah gave us two ears and one mouth, and expects us to use them in proportion.
(And yes, I am well aware that I am inviting comments along the lines of “that post isn’t nearly as bad as X”.)
If that’s your worst, you did pretty darn good, I’d say.
“How this compares to the field organizations of other candidates” was the key missing datum. Clinton’s organization was, indeed, very capable at the ground level (if more dysfunctional at the top). It wasn’t a mess like the McCain primary campaign. But Obama was at a whole ‘nother level.
— Noah Millman · Dec 23, 06:20 PM · #
Wait, we don’t all have to do this, do we? Make some kind of year-end confession of blogging failure? I don’t think that’s in my contract.
— Alan Jacobs · Dec 23, 08:23 PM · #
I suppose the readers might have some suggestions but it’d be more gracious if we simply thanked you all for another year of food for thought.
— Joules · Dec 29, 05:42 AM · #