DeLong & Ruffini: The Mysterious Ways of the Web

I don't know what's funnier--the idea that Patrick Ruffini is supposed to be persona non blogger because he's a conservative who has worked off and on for the Republican Party, or that he's hard to find.

This is the Continued Continuing Education at PressThink. People on the right have nothing legitimate to say. Got the memo. If you didn't, read the howls of protest in the comments section over Washington Post political editor John Harris citing Ruffini in the Froomkin Affair.

Meanwhile, via Jay Rosen, Brad DeLong muses deeply:

I do wonder how Harris found Mr. Ruffini's website. It's not that easy to do. It ranks 498th or so in the TTLB weblog ecosystem directories. I don't see how it is possible to wind up there if one is looking on the web to sound out grassroots conservative opinion.

Ruffini is a well-known blogger in political circles, especially in DC. A political reporter, certainly a Washington-based reporter aware of blogs and only moderately on his game, would have heard of the fellow (And lord knows the Ecosystem is only one way to look at the web).

Then there's this thing called "Google" on the internets.

I don't even have to ping Patrick's first name. Ruffini picks up young Patrick on the very first entry:

And that is how you find Patrick Ruffini.

Comments

[Brad DeLong]

You miss my point. If you are looking for an eloquent and capable Republican activist of a Bush-can-do-no-wrong variety, Pat Ruffini is very easy to find.

If you are looking--as John Harris represented himself to be--for a weblogger to serve as an indicator of general conservative opinion, you have to work hard to find Pat.

My claim is not that Pat is persona non grata. My claim is that nobody playing it straight would view Pat as anything other than what he is--a capable and eloquent Republican operative.

[Christopher Fotos]

Brad, thanks for commenting. Of course I remain unpersuaded, not least because Ruffini is saying what a lot of other conservative bloggers say.

[Christopher Fotos]

By the way, I'll move your comment up into the main post later today. It's kind of a pain with the coding around images.

[Jon]

You are speculating that is how Mr Harris found the Rufffini website....Mr Harris was given an opportunity to answer this question earlier today and he did not choose to convey what you have speculated here....so yes he could have found it this way but apparently he did not...so what's up? Also I am still waiting for you to point to the liberal evidence. If you define liberal as questioning a conservative president and no cheerleading for him then you are probably right about Mr Froomkin

[Christopher Fotos]

Jon, go to "Main" and you'll see a longggg post on that (The Accidental Liberal). Or just bring your mouse to the upper-left hand corner and hover over PostWatch, click on that (brings you to the current homepage) and scroll down.

[Jon]

I read your post on the Accidental Liberal and I must say I was underwhelm but it...but I don't think I am going to get you to understand my point on that. However I would like for you to address my point about Mr Harris and how his failure to explain himself during his online chat in the way you speculated about him. Or I am I to take it you really don't have an answer for that one and that is why you chose to ignore it? I suspect you are so busy posting on this subject all over the blogesphere that you just missed that point. Thanks for responding