San Diego Rostra: The Virtual Gathering Place… A new Democratic, left-leaning blog, Two Cathedrals, has joined the San Diego blogosphere in the last few weeks.
The website refers to itself as “an organization…” (sounds more robust than simply a weblog) “…committed to reasserting the role of progressive principles in San Diego’s communities and government,” and “as a centralized resource for analysis, research, organizing and communications outreach towards building a strong progressive foundation for San Diego,” while functioning “as a hub for progressive activists, organizations, elected officials and non-political organizers to become better equipped to positively transform the City of San Diego and the region.”
Best wishes to Two Cathedrals, and I say it very sincerely…as I would to any effort involved in providing a forum for increased discussion and debate about San Diego politics and policy-making, regardless of beliefs.
Both SD CityBeat and Voice of San Diego have made mention of the new effort, noting it comparatively to San Diego Rostra as an additional local ideologically-based blog, while certainly not making a direct philosophical comparison. Note Kelly Davis’ January 7 entry at CityBeat’s Last Blog on Earth…
“In our fall 2010 campaign column, “Turds and Blossoms,” we awarded the San Diego County Republican Party a bunch of blossoms for its aggressive social-media strategy. Indeed, you’ll get barely a peep outta the San Diego Dems. The Republicans, on the other hand, have a master-tweeter in GOP chair Tony Krvaric, as well as a virtual gathering place of sorts at the blog San Diego Rostra.
“Not to say the Dems are totally useless. But they could do better. Enter TwoCathedrals.com. Launching tomorrow, the site seeks to be ‘a progressive voice to advocate for a comprehensive vision of all that the city could be, and to battle against those who attempt to reduce the city to as little as it can be.’”
Krvaric may be the master-tweeter, but San Diego Rostra is the master gathering place for San Diego conservatives, apparently, at least virtually. (Rostra, which I help administer and very loosely edit, notes the FlashReport as its statewide media partner.)
Voice of SD’s Scott Lewis also referenced Two Cathedrals and Rostra in the January 10 Morning Report…
“Two Cathedrals joins San Diego Rostra, the right-wing forum, in trying to provide a platform for people to share their points of view from that angle … More and more, groups are realizing that they can’t hope to get their message out via a media that still is losing resources and control over public discourse. Rather than just passing along messages from partisans and activists, we believe professional journalists need to focus on making sense of what these leaders say and finding out the things they don’t want to say.”
Of course, it may come down to which of Rostra‘s bloggers is doing the writing to determine whether one can make sense of it or not — but that kidding about anonymous bloggers with names such as “Barkeep” aside — it is appreciated when some of the professionally-paid media entities take note of the efforts of those that are doing it purely out of a passion for the politics and the pen.
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The San Diego Mayor’s Race Starts Taking a Front Seat… SD City Councilman Carl DeMaio appears to be in. Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher? Ditto. Councilman Kevin Faulconer? Maybe, leaning likely perhaps.
The buzz continues as to whether D.A. Bonnie Dumanis will hop in as well, with a host of rumors, including some kind of "deal" arranged with Fletcher to support him and stay out in exchange for…well, no one can say (but, I can say here that there was and is no such deal). Other talk has Dumanis in recent meetings with Mayor Jerry Sanders gaining his support, which seems more credible.
Businessman Steve Francis? Who knows. City Attorney Jan Goldsmith’s name has also been lobbed, just not by him. Some believe that longtime business leader Bill Geppert is also taking a look, fueled solely by his recent retirement announcement as head honcho of Cox Communications. Let me put that one to rest also — Geppert is not running for Mayor.
Those are just the Republicans.
The Democrats? Congressman Bob Filner; a sure entry it is said. Former Councilmember Donna Frye? Just as much talk as there was about her run last year for County Supervisor, uhhh, which didn’t happen. Others? Senator Christine Kehoe? You tell me.
If you like numbers, here’s a two-week-old SurveyUSA poll showing favorable and unfavorable sentiments for various of the potential mayoral candidates. My thoughts on the results? It’s early. Way.
SD Rostra has lots of the early action and conjecture on what will undoubtedly be a 2012 fun-filled Donnybrook. Read it here.
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Global Warming Panic Explained… Just a little video humor. Hat tip to Bradley Fikes for posting it up:
http://sdrostra.com/?p=11809
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Have a great week and a nice Sunday! I love it when Tom Brady is in a position to play in the Pro-Bowl. Jes’ sayin’.
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