The Isthmus advice columnist signs off after 10 years of answering questions from Madisonians.
A link is provided to the one about me, "Should UW law prof Ann Althouse marry her commenter Meade?"
IN THE COMMENTS: I wrote...
How do I get to be "conservative"? By being looked at by left-wingers.... and I left myself open to misinterpretation. Many readers thought I was asking for directions, as if "How do I get to be 'conservative'?" was like "Do you know the way to San Jose?"
When actual conservatives look at me, I never get to be a conservative.
I'm always the other.
I am not writing this blog with the aim of getting perceived as conservative. I am writing to be free, and one of the things I most want to be free of is the obligation to ensure that I am perceived as liberal. The Isthmus is part of the disciplinary apparatus of a kind of liberalism that isn't worth the name. They labeled me "conservative" to hurt me for choosing freedom, to make an example out of me.
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78 comments:
Ann is a "conservative blogger" with a love life? Damn, Meade is a lucky guy
Sue him.
How do I get to be "conservative"? By being looked at by left-wingers.
When actual conservatives look at me, I never get to be a conservative.
I'm always the other.
Ann Althouse said...How do I get to be "conservative"? By being looked at by left-wingers.
I think they're looking at what you tolerate in your comments. They are used to safer space. They might not actually read what you write.
Palpable condescension.
They're not very self-aware between those lakes, are they? Has it been ten years?
Good, both of you. Good.
Ayiyi has if been that long?
"conservative Ann Althouse"?
They must really dislike you. Isn't that a death sentence in Madison?
I'd prefer "Eclectic Ann Althouse"
Now that I've read the column about Althouse, I have my doubts about this person's advice.
"When actual conservatives look at me, I never get to be a conservative."
Considering your coy behavior, are you offended we can't figure it out?
Not that it matters...
One more thought from the column: "Obama may be a lot of things, but a 'boneheaded megalomaniac'?" (according to Meade)
It's certainly closer to the truth than the New York magazine columnist's book contending Obama was one of our greatest presidents.
"I'm always the other."
You're the spunky independent who marches to her own drummer.
Well, right now if you are to the right of Stalin you are a conservative mouth-breathing nazi neanderthal (ask Chuck or Inga or Howard), and I suspect Ann is to the right of Stalin.
I'd categorize you as a reasonable liberal who takes some conservative positions.
No offense intended, but if readers speculated about the love life of Ann Althouse, it must have been a veeeeeery slow news day.
Iconoclastic blogger I would say,
"Should UW law prof Ann Althouse marry her commenter Meade?"
Well, it's working so far.
When actual conservatives look at me, I never get to be a conservative.
Sorry, but you are only right of center in Madison and the big cities that are incandescent blue.
OTOH, compared to "Conservative" George Will, David Brooks or Charlie Sykes - you're positively Right Wing.
The way the country is moving radical Left, Althouse will be an "Extreme Right-winger" by 2024.
Yes, Meade has a foul mouth, and also an obnoxious sense of humor: "I'm hoping Barack has a sex change and runs for reelection as a white woman with a really even tan. Talk about historic! The first transgendered president formerly known as a white male."
Admit it, Althouse, that "obnoxious sense of humor" is what sealed the deal. Women always go for guys who can make them laugh.
you're positively Right Wing
Center in a constitutional frame of reference. But, yeah, Althouse is more libertarian than conservative, or conservative-leaning.
If actual conservatives looked an Ann and said she was a conservative, wouldn't she be horrified and Meade would have to hide all the sharp pointy objects?
I can say with full confidence that I never speculated about our host's love life. Not once, not ever.
Side note: I am lately put through a lengthy and rigorous "Please prove you're not a robot" regimen.
"Center in a constitutional frame of reference. But, yeah, Althouse is more libertarian than conservative, or conservative-leaning."
I have no idea what that means. But I do know that Will, Sykes, and Brooks not only wanted Hillary elected they were hoping the D's won both houses in 2018. IF they got anymore "conservative" they'd join Antifa.
“Is there any way a romance built on blogs can last?”
What is it now? Ten years of wedded bliss?
This reminds me of my late mother’s biggest lapse of judgment. One of my sisters broke up with her boyfriend. Mom said, “He’s not the one.” They celebrated their 33 wedding anniversary last month.
I have no idea what that means
The Constitution establishes a frame of reference for the political spectrum. Conservatives are in the center. Libertarian are on the right. Progressives and liberals are on the left.
That's so sad. Now where are thumb-sucking, left-wing dingbats going to turn to for advice?
That was a good last column. I enjoyed it, though I wouldn't seek any advice from her or let her take me for a ride. LOL.
Getting married ==>> conservative, stodgy.
Shacking up ==>> liberal, edgy.
It was those frozen midwinter purple trees that Meade's persistence had to break through. And then Spring came and melted the trees and love melted her heart. That's the way I remember it.
As Emerita can you brew mischief in the department?
That could be a truer metric!
Ann Althouse said...
How do I get to be "conservative"? By being looked at by left-wingers.
When actual conservatives look at me, I never get to be a conservative.
I'm always the other.
Why would you want to be a conservative?
Being a classic liberal is where it is at.
Women do like men who make them laugh. My success with women is due to my being witty. They laugh and when they laugh they close their eyes. Bingo.
THEOLDMAN
,,Conservatives are in the center. Libertarian are on the right. Progressives and liberals are on the left.,,
Not sure if center means muddlehead or smarty-pants playing both ends.
Please clarify.
Ann is a "conservative blogger"
uh oh. Watch out for the concrete milkshakes, you Nazi !
"When actual conservatives look at me, I never get to be a conservative."
Yeah, but we can't keep you from being cruelly neutral, nevertheless we've persisted.
Small city alt-weeklies retain the sophomoric crutch of dishing questionably newsworthy dirt as well as popularity contests (ex. 'MadFaves,' 'Readers' Choice Awards,' etc.) while outgrowing the ostensibly more conservative small city metro dailies.
One dinosaur outlives the other.
After ten years, you're in last laugh territory. Congratulations on a brave act that ended well.......Here's a further affirmation of your worth to the commenting community. Based primarily on your experience with cataract surgery, I decided to go ahead with my own eye surgery. It worked out well. This season's spring flowers come to me courtesy of Althouse....I know Althouse must sometimes feel guilty about the grief and vexation she brings to the life of shouting thomas, but there are others in the commenting community who draw sustenance from her words. Thank you.
Break the Binary!
A political "QUILTBAG" or PNC--politically non-conforming?
could it be said you are "conservative-curious" or "politically trans",
or "Bi" ?
model it after gender ID's??
54 Gender Identity Terms Every Ally Should Know
https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/gender-identity-terms
Women do like men who make them laugh. My success with women is due to my being witty. They laugh and when they laugh they close their eyes. Bingo.
It worked for my husband.
Coming up on 45 years of wedded bliss. My not so secret secret: I can make her laugh.
The essence of charm is unexpected but witty juxtapositions.
I dislike the supposed conservative/progressive spectrum. Instead I think of two dimensions, change-the-world/preserve-the-world and volunteering/compulsionist.
Ann is the classic 60s northeast liberal.
I give Ann and Meade a lot of credit for deciding to married at a mature age. That is a serious commitment for elderly people to support each other through attendant latter year health problems . I wish them the best.
She could apply to be like the Dr Ruth of the Isthmus for the aging senior stt of Madison. Love tips for girls (and every madison man's inner girl inside...)
meade can own that last little part.
"A liberal woman felt guilty about her dreams of having sex with Gov. Scott Walker"
The sex envisioned was likely "aggressively normal"..or rape, but not rape rape.
"I could picture him penetrating the WEAC entrance"
Whatever happened to "crunchy conservative coating, creamy hippie love chick center"?
"A liberal woman felt guilty about her dreams of having sex with Gov. Scott Walker..."
This was probably Inga.
And if you are to the right of Marx these days, you are a conservative.
The vast majority, reader or not, speculated nothing fatly.
You're the spunky independent
"You've got spunk, Althouse."
"I hate spunk!"
The world could do with less leftie snark.
- Krumhorn
Yancey Ward said...
"A liberal woman felt guilty about her dreams of having sex with Gov. Scott Walker..."
This was probably Inga
--
Or Susy Favors H.
I remember “Ursula Understands.” Anyone else?
This may be my last post for a very long time.
Isthmus, right?
I'm proud of Meade for courting Prof Althouse and winnng her heart.
Well done Meade!
You’ll never convince me “Suzy Favor” was her real name and not her whore name.
I’d be most offended by the title ‘local figure’. You splash national!
Labelling intelligent people as any particular thing seems both unnecessary and presumptuous. But I recently found out that I am a logician-type (you judge if I'm intelligent). I suspect that Ann is also a logician-type, because she is compelled to be both logical and truthful, regardless of who that offends or pleases. George Orwell was a logician-type, which is why during his lifetime he was almost universally loathed.
Ursula would understand.
Chickelit -- I hope you keep posting.
The Dalai Lama should get a blog.
The "obnoxious" comment of Meade's is presented out of context, so Isthmus readers don't see how he was riffing within a flow of conversation. The idea is to destroy him. He dared to come to Madison without keeping his head bowed to the local religion.
A hot Lama with Suzy Hamiltons career goals would be interesting. Who wouldn’t pay for total consciousness?
So Althouse isn't "charming"?
To paraphrase Monty Python:
Madison is a silly place.
If I was feminine gay it'd be a throwdown for your husband Althouse. Trail biking AND bitch slapping liberals. What's not to love?
They labeled me "conservative" to hurt me
I seem to recall that this blog was being sold to advertisers as one of the "Top Conservative Blogs in America" - were they also trying to hurt you with that label?
I remember “Ursula Understands.” Anyone else?
I not only remember Ursula, I also remember Kathy - the actual woman behind the byline. She was a good person and is missed.
I think they're looking at what you tolerate in your comments. They are used to safer space. They might not actually read what you write.
The truth is more instinct than analysis. People who refer to themselves as liberals know Althouse isn't one them. In their minds ~liberal = conservative. These aren't nuanced people.
I never get to be a conservative.
This is probably related to your explicit rejection of conservatism. But let's present this as something detrimental to conservatives anyway right?
I always think of you as "normal", neither a conservative or liberal ideolog. Your difference is you are an erudite thought leader among the us normals. They hate that. What "they"? The ideologs that vary only in what they want to be able to make us do.
Maybe because the majority of today's "liberals" are clueless, virtue-signalling, ignoramuses?
They labeled me "conservative" to hurt me for choosing freedom, to make an example out of me.
That is precisely the reason.
Just as the media label Jordan Peterson and Andy Ngo "conservative", just to choose two.
I am not writing this blog with the aim of getting perceived as conservative.
I think your aim is a bit off, 'cause many different blogs and websites have you on their list of "Top Conservative Blogs"..and they ain't all "liberal"
https://thefederalistpapers.org/top-100-conservative-websites-by-global-alexa-rating
https://madmikesamerica.com/2012/02/the-top-100-most-popular-conservative-websites/
https://www.publiusforum.com/2017/04/24/publius-forum-top-100-conservative-websites/
https://rightwingnews.com/lists/the-40-best-conservative-blogs-for-2011-version-4-0/
Even those who know you in real life, and not just via your online writings, perceive you as such.
https://www.ibmadison.com/Blogger/Bring-It/August-2012/Blaska-names-Wisconsins-Top-10-conservative-bloggers/
*shrug*
Your blog isn't conservative, but it's conservative-friendly. That counts for a lot.
I really don't care what Althouse's politics are. That is her business and if she wishes to share them or chooses not to that is up to her. What I like about this blog is that she will look at a subject, such as Trump, for instance, and give an informed take on the subject at hand and usually fairly and many times insightfully. Do I agree all the time, no. But so what. Hey, that is what makes the blogoshere fun.
'I always think of you as "normal", neither a conservative or liberal ideolog.' There is no such thing as a conservative ideology. I say this as a conservative. If anything, conservatism is the explicit rejection of isms, and their simplification of the complexity of human history and thought.
Conservatives will accept your being exactly as conservative as you desire, despite retaining some liberal flaws which we will overlook or hope to correct, and will applaud your successes in understanding the world.
The liberals of today, not so much. They apparently want to burn all heretics at the stake.
Choose your ideological packaging with care, so as to avoid those who would box you in, tie you down, or set you afire.
The terms Liberal and Conservative are just labels . To do a in-depth identification of these two ideologies i would suggest reading a great book entitled " The Suicide of the West" by
James Burnham. He breaks it down to your order of social values of freedom, justice, peace and liberty - that is a quick summary. The book goes in depth to the history of how thru the years the order of those values has changed and why for both liberals and conservatives.
A must read.
I wish your posts had 'like' buttons. On the other hand, I might be stuck for an eternity liking this post, especially the last paragraph. Bravo!
Ann, you should dig up that old post from the early days about a bloggers' conference in Chicago. You said what is every day normal speech in Madison, Wisconsin, but received push back. I think you left early.
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