Saturday, June 12, 2004

Bipartisanship

In two successive weeks, we here at Respectful of Otters have played host to left-wing blogger Julia and Republican blogger Moe Lane. I've devised this handy chart comparing my visits with Julia and Moe, which I believe has obvious relevance for understanding the differences - and yet the points of commonality - between the Left and Right blogosphere.

Blog represented:
Julia - Sisyphus Shrugged
Moe - Obsidian Wings

Positions self as:
Julia - bitchy feminist liberal
Moe - Right Wing Death Beast

Successfully wins my favor by bringing:
Julia - cutest eight year old ever
Moe - mint chocolate chip brownies

Significant other:
Julia - polite, long-suffering, non-blogging husband feigns interest in conversation
Moe - polite, long-suffering, non-blogging girlfriend feigns interest in conversation

Dinner:
Julia - smashed with mallets
Moe - set on fire

Interesting proposition:
Julia - offers to get me in to the Republican National Convention
Moe - offers to get me in to the Republican National Convention

When I bring up partisan politics, responds by:
Julia - diving right in
Moe - laughing nervously and changing the subject

Name dropping:
Julia - Air America
Moe - Harry Turtledove

Recurring conversational theme:
Julia - sexism
Moe - guns

Shows touching concern for my welfare by:
Julia - offering to use her connections to advance the prominence of my blog
Moe - not wanting to sully my reputation by allowing our names to be publicly linked

Frightening and unexpected conversational topic:
Julia - makeup
Moe - threesomes

Weblogs referenced, whether positively or negatively:
Julia - Body and Soul, Electrolite, Pandagon, Atrios, Kevin Drum, Matthew Yglesias, Wonkette
Moe - Tacitus, Little Green Footballs, Daily Kos, Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler, Democratic Underground, Free Republic, Wonkette

Unanticipated physical characteristic:
Julia - tall
Moe - cuddly

(Julia comments: "I offered to get you into the Republican National Convention? Boy, I'm important after two or three glasses of wine..." Moe protests: "I seem to remember being the one frightened by the threesome conversation." And a good time was had by all.)