Comments

Commenter attrition — 56 Comments

1. I left for a few months prior to the 2016 election because of some of the anti-Trump comments but then we won so it was fun to come back.

   Neo, I have enjoyed your postings for years and the comments for the most part are what they should be, taking a position for or against and then respectful discussion. We all have the option, of taking a time out when we become too annoyed and reading your blog and the comments is no longer fun. This is one of about five blogs I have stayed with for a number of years and I admire Neo for the hard work and dedication it takes to post multiple interesting items most every day.

   Thank you Neo.

2. I have been reading since (near?) the beginning, but rarely comment. I am interested in Neo’s take on things, not so much the ‘conversation’ of others.

3. Explaining and then leaving a blog in high dudgeon is called “flouncing”

   https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Flounce

4. As for Trump all I will say at this point is…

   “Not since Washington.”

   Flouncers, start your engines.

5. Left for a bit with my knickers in a twist…decided our host was more than gracious & entertaining enough to get over myself & still enjoy the vast majority of the interactions here. I’m not here every day…I do have a job & family & all that 😉 but in my web wanderings, Neo’s certainly part of the intellectual journey…an enlightening part most certainly. I’ll second the Thanks from OldTexan…it is well-earned.

6. Funny you should post this. I recently thought of retiring from the blog commentariat entirely. Not here so much (I realize I am only an infrequent commenter here), but because I was dismayed how much the comments section of what has been my numero uno go-to blog, Instapundit, had become dominated by the Dumb Trumpkins. Now, any of you who are supporters of Trump don’t get offended: I reserve that label for his most uneducated fans, who supported Trump not because they didn’t want Queen Cacklepants to be president (a worthy reason) but seemingly out of feelings of resentment if not “ressentiment.” They seem to be operating perpetually out of Dumb Guy resentment: “You think you’re better than me?” I call them the Cousin Eddies of the Right.

   The high water mark of this, to me, was one of these geniuses called Jonah Goldberg of NR “a left-winger.” This surprised me, but I thought it possible. Maybe Goldberg had “pulled a Garry Wills.” So I asked what evidence there was to show Goldberg was a left-winger. The answer was that he dislikes Trump.

   I’m a Gentile, but I was increasingly dismayed by threads of Jew hating among the Instapundit Trumpkins. And when I voiced my dismay on another blog I was ludicrously attacked as a left-wing Moby despite my history there of disputing the resident statists there. I just figured I was up against what Voltaire called “invincible stupidity.” Plus I sometimes weary of argumentativeness, including my own.

7. Well, I am in the for and against Trump camp. I agreed with almost everything Neo said about him during the primaries and general campaign.

   I have come to believe, or understand, that there is more to the man than I originally credited. Although I wish he would be just a little more circumspect at times, I agree with his policies, and admire that he has stood behind them.

   Don’t think I would ever consider leaving Neo. I enjoy her commentary–although I skip most that focus on dance, and the like. I frequently quote her in my efforts to educate and persuade confused family members because she is a great resource, doing the research that I don’t have the patience to do. I also have confidence that she will comment honestly, based on the facts as she knows them. I appreciate most of the commentary in the forum.

8. Most bloggers come to a point where they’ve said what they have to say and close up shop. You’ve been unusually durable.

9. I try not to comment on topics where I’m either a-unqualified, b-uninterested, or c-arrive too late.

10. You are still my #1 Neo, but admittedly I frequent very few. Put me in the camp of those with work issues, leaving little time for commenting. I am learning a new constrution software after having used my current one for 19 years (weekly payable/payroll-quarterly taxes, etc)–what fun! I remain appreciative of all your dedication to understanding and explaining the issues du jour. And I also appreciate the mostly respectful interchange that follows.

11. I don’t comment much anymore because I don’t have anything to say.
    I started during the election, somewhat to counterbalance the anti-Trump sentiments by some.
    Neo was critical of Trump, but I chalked some of that to being a neighbor of Trump, compared to the little I knew being on the opposite coast about Trump’s business dealings.
    I did recognize that Trump may have been the only Republican capable of beating Hillary. And he did that by attracting rust belt democrats and maintaining his vote among Christians in spite of his checkered past. He made promises that I thought made sense for the country and has kept them.
    I still read Neo everyday.
    I appreciate the civil tone here. The worst comments here are still high tea compared to most blogs.

12. I appreciate the civil tone here. The worst comments here are still high tea compared to most blogs.

    Amen to that! :>))

13. I’ve been reading here since the ClimateGate brouhaha. And been commenting almost that long.

    But I have changed my screen name twice in that time.

    I’ve been a longtime fan of Huxley (the frequent comment poster, not the author).

    I, too, miss Occam’s Beard.

14. Mostly, I have always just preferred to lurk.

15. I don’t remember seeing the artful dodger lately.

16. I’ve been a daily reader. Last time I commented though was well before the election. I stated that I couldn’t vote for Trump because I thought he would just act as as a Democrat. ha!

17. Neo’s blog is the only remaining blog I check daily, sometimes twice or more, not only for her insight, analysis, and range of interest, but also for those of her followers who amaze me with their knowledge and polite comments. Thanks be to Neo and all of you.

18. People here make substantive comments and adhere to a standard of decorum. Helps those of us of the mean-as-a-snake persuasion behave better.

19. I’m not the biggest commenter in the block, anywhere, but I like the atmosphere of Neo’s blog and I’m a gradual –and then all of a sudden– changer too.

    Wait! Trump is too, lol.

    Where I live everyone is a hard left progressive suffering severe TDS and I’m afraid to say anything about anything. Heck, I mentioned to someone that the economy seemed good, and they freaked.

    At this point one is considered a rabidly pro Trump Nazi if they think the case for impeaching him on the emoluments clause is flimsy.

    So, I enjoy reading this blog and posting a comment here now and then.

20. To the extent I can understand, I follow some of the dance and cultural work. Not that I buy some of it, but it’s nice to be exposed to it.
    I like the political and cultural issues and discuss–argue–with others.
    Can’t see any reason to leave.

21. I’m an old hand. I’ve been reading you for at least twelve years. Time flies too freaking fast. An awful lot of those bloggers who started then have folded up shop. Gay Patriot just closed the doors. I still miss Mellow Jihadi. I’m so glad you’re still here. Thank you for doing this!!!

22. Like Oldflyer, and others, I was not a fan of Trump in part because I was a Cruz supporter, and because I had serious doubts about him. I am glad to be very surprised at his actions so far. I am no longer annoyed by his antics, and while a bit crude, he stands strong and drives the left to reveal their inner heart of darkness.

    As far as this blog is concerned neo’s writings and most of the comments are well worth reading. I typically visit here everyday. Just because I may not comment everyday does not mean I am not listening.

23. Only Neo is in a position to know who left and who stayed, but it seems to me that a good number of anti-Trump commenters like Bill, said their piece and left never to be heard from again. Others like Cornhead and parker, who were initially very anti-Trump, came around to his side and stayed. As to my die-hard antipathy, the best I can say is to acknowledge that he’s a patriot and leave it at that.

24. By my reckoning, Artfldgr and I are the oldest commenters still in action.

25. I just wanted to add to my above comment that I read Neo every day because she has no agenda, and isn’t dismissive of those who disagree with her. Too many people have become strangers over politics.

26. I am a long time reader and a sometimes commenter. I have been here almost since the beginning. Neo’s blog is on my daily read list. Indeed, it is just one notch below the top. The top being NASA’s “Astronomy Picture of the Day”.

    Trump was not my first choice but I was never a “Never Trump”. After he won the GOP primary, I voted for him in the general. It wasn’t so much that I was pro-Trump as much as I was very much anti-Hillary.

    Now, over a year into his first term, I have become somewhat of a fan. I especially love the way nearly everything he says or does makes liberal heads explode.

    I used to wish he would stop tweeting, but over time, I have come to realize that Trump’s tweets are to the press as a laser pointer is to a cat.

27. It’s been awhile but I have no issues with the blog. Been coming here for a long time . Always a lovely read .

28. I come and go as the real world dictates. I am dealing with things right now that don’t always leave me with enough time and/or positive energy to be a welcome neighbor on a public, family-rated board. Day by day, I feel less hopeful and more bitter, and I’m not sure if it’s just that every day, I’m one day older, or that every day brings us one day closer to a future that threatens to be worse than a present that’s already so outrageous that you wouldn’t have believed it if you’d read it in a fiction book 10 years ago.

    I stick with this board because the host and commenters are intelligent and polite, and it’s a refuge from my real world, where I live in a neverending masquerade ball, keeping my true self hidden while surrounded by people who assume all Republicans are evil, stupid, knuckle-dragging morons. I have life situations that are bad enough, without losing my job – an increasingly real risk for conservatives.

    I, like many here, was not someone who backed Trump until my choice was Trump or Hillary Clinton. I haven’t approved of every act or word but I’ve come to realize that at this point in history, the Democrat party and the far left was ready to destroy any Republican who would have beaten them, by any lie or misrepresentation necessary, and Trump, obnoxious sewer rat that he is, has stood in defiance longer than any real Republican politician would have.

    Is there room here for voices across the right-of-center spectrum? I surely think so.

29. I stopped commenting mainly for life reasons, but also because I decided that I needed, for sanity’s sake, to get away from politics.

    I’m still a regular reader of both neo and the commenters, as neo remains (as always) the most thorough and fair-minded blogger around, and the commenters remain (as always) highly intelligent, respectful, and plain worth reading. There’s usually someone already saying, more or less, what I would want to say on a given thread – good enough for me.

    I can’t remember how far I go back here. If I recall I came around just after Fred passed away. I disappeared after I moved to China (where I still work and live, unfortunately).

    I’d guess a good portion of the old crew is still around, lurking like me. Once a neo-ist, always a neo-ist.

30. kolnai:

    Glad to hear you’re still a neo-ist!

    Amazed that you’re still in China. Hope life is treating you well.

31. And it’s always good to see lurkers come out from behind the screen.

32. One of Neo’s best:

    http://www.neoneocon.com/2016/10/24/the-trump-candidacy-has-been-a-learning-experience-hasnt-it/

33. miklos000rosza Says:
    June 1st, 2018 at 4:59 pm
    I try not to comment on topics where I’m either a-unqualified, b-uninterested, or c-arrive too late.
    * * *
    I will lay claim to the 2nd of your 3 rules.
    On the internet, nobody knows your qualifications.
    Especially if you wait until the thread is dropped by the rest of the crew….

34. A lot of us may just be sitting back and reading the comments. The regulars are so good, I don’t usually have the need to comment.

35. Roy Says:
    June 1st, 2018 at 10:00 pm

    I used to wish he would stop tweeting, but over time, I have come to realize that Trump’s tweets are to the press as a laser pointer is to a cat.
    * * *
    Meoooww, said the Times.

36. I rarely comment anywhere, but am gradually appearing on various blacklists. No idea why.

37. Once again, late to the party as my wife and I had a concert to go to last night.

    I can’t remember when I started here, but I do remember it was the great podcasts with Neo, Dr. Sanity, and one other that caught my attention. I read the blog everyday. As a scientist, I often feel way out of my depth at the level of political and sociological discourse that happens here. Separation of variables to solve the 3D Schrodinger equation is much simpler for me than what Neo, and other commentators do here with regard to dissecting the human condition. I learn so much, which is why I keep coming back.

    And, also the fact, that this is my “safe space”. Thank God I’m retiring next year. The last 20 years as a right of center faculty in academia has taken its toll, plus living in a deep blue state. This blog assures me that there are actually sane people in the world.

38. As far as I can tell this is the first time I made multiple comments on a thread at Neoneocon. About a week before, as far as I can tell, is when I made my first comment.

    http://www.neoneocon.com/2007/11/26/political-posturing/

39. I also began reading and commenting during the Sanity Squad podcasts. That’s quite a while. Neo’s the only blog I read now because my eyesight is waning due to wet macular degeneration. Because of the eyesight issue commenting is hard – slow, mistake prone, and time consuming.

    I have been off the internet for two weeks as my wife and I have moved in with our daughter. She will help us as we decline into whatever state of decrepitude lies ahead. We hope to avoid the nursing home.

    I feel much like I know many of the commenters here. And even the ones that I disagree with are never obnoxious. This blog also serves as a haven from the insanity of the People’s Republic of Puget Sound – so much appreciated.

40. neo – believe it or not, I felt quite guilty for not commenting regularly (or, eventually, at all), as though I’d abandoned my extended family. There’s no place in Blog World like right here, and I don’t think that’s hyperbole.

    There are smart technical sites of all types, economic, scientific, philosophical, religious. The commenters are smart, too, although highly intellectual and therefore lacking what I can only call a certain earthiness. As physicsguy noted, finding a smart yet earthy (dare I say “wise”) site devoted to The Human Things is like finding a unicorn.

    If I had a blog, this is exactly how I would want it to be, precisely. That was true eight or nine or ten years ago when I lucked out and found my way here; it remains true today.

    Not that anyone needs an encomium from me. Just wanted to clear up any wonder that you or anyone else with a “What happened to him?” in their heads might have. Oh, and provide an encomium :).

41. I think Kolnai said it correctly. This blog is much like an extended family. A place where we can chew the fat and hone our own observations and opinions even with spirited disagreement, but without the personal rancor displayed on so many other blogs.

    I for one, have commented less frequently than in the past only because I felt I didn’t have much to add to the discussion. Still visit daily, though, and will continue to do so.

    Thank you Neoneocon for providing and thank you to the numerous commenters for contributing to this oasis.

42. kolnai:

    Thank so much!

    It really means a lot to me, because I respect you greatly. Of course I (and we, I’m sure) miss your comments, but no need for guilt!! Just come here when you wish, and comment when you have the time and inclination.

43. And thanks to all who have said how much the blog means to them.

    That’s one of the main reasons I do this.

44. J.J.:

    My mother had wet macular degeneration. Hers seemed to stop at a certain point, perhaps when she stopped taking blood thinners (she continued to take aspirin). I don’t know whether you take blood thinners or not, and of course if you need to take them you must take them to prevent even worse events. My mother also swore by those Ocu-vitamins (I forget the name). I’m not sure whether any of those things mattered, but something arrested the worsening of her wet macular degeneration. Sorry to hear you’ve been having the problem.

45. I haven’t left !

    But I’m really not pro-Trump and I’m not a Never trumper.

    Each dumb thing Trump does or inarticulate thing he says makes my point. He sullies conservatism, free market economics and while he does some good things his job is made tougher by his own doing.

    Not that any other candidate was really any better other than Ben Carson.

    Hey !!! Remember Ben Carson talked about Islam’s propensity to lie and Taqyia (spelling) before San Bernardino !!!

46. And btw, I am really a rather boring man who is in college and my colllege age daughters are in college. I work full time and love to go to this blog to see Neo’s perspective which 99% of the time is in line with mine.

    I should say 100% because I can’t remember a time where I disagreed but I’ll say 99% because people always have room for improvement right? jk jk

47. I’ve commented on and off over the years, having changed my name once to give myself more anonymity. I rarely comment though.

    I read nearly every post because I follow you in Feedly. Although it might be days between reading, I don’t miss any.

    I follow several blogs through Feedly, but you are in my top 3 (the other 2 are Catholic priest blogs). Thank you for the exposure to dance, etc.

48. Oh darn – meant to add that I’m a serious fan of some of the commenters here!

49. Thanks for mentioning Feedly. I’ll try it out. 🙂

50. Neo, nice to know that the wet AMD might slow or arrest of its own volition. I’m not on blood thinners. Actually, my lipids and clotting factors are those of a healthy, younger person. My eye doc attributes my wet AMD to my Nordic genes, blue eyes, light complexion, and a life time spent in the out of doors. My paternal grandfather went blind at my age. We never learned why. I suspect it was wet AMD. In the 1960s a lot of medical problems were just accepted as “old age.”

    I understand they have computers that are voice activated. That’s in my future if I last long enough.

51. I, too, read Neo every day. I rarely have anything to add to what brilliant Neo and the sharp commenters have already said.

    I was pro-Trump as in the “he’s not Hillary” way.

    Now I’m just plain pro-Trump. He has been a refreshing, inspirational surprise. Check out Scott Johnson’s powerlineblog.com series of articles titled “TRUMP TOP 10 (OR SO)” (for his reasons he is grateful that Trump is president). Those articles already list about 30 reasons, and I think I agree with them all.

    Clintons delende est!

52. I was a daily reader since 2004 but I had to leave before the election. I was aggressively never Hilary and the never trump vibe was dominant here and still is to a certain degree. Neo is fair to the President but many commenters are still never trump.
    I support the President 100% and watch what he does and says everyday and I don’t see the negative things people are referring to or any of what was predicted before the election, we now have concrete results and actions to judge instead of campaign statements that some found offensive.
    I check in here once in a while and still enjoy Neo’s writing but I don’t want to be around people who call the President a sewer rat.

53. Darrell,
    I look at the inarticulate things he says and see how the left distorts those things to their benefit.
    Let’s say the president had to say something about Charlottesville. His statement could be, “Violence is wrong – and should not be used. Period. If you have weapons, put them down. We all need to move forward together with a mindset of freedom, equality of opportunity and respect for one another.”

    I am not a never Trumper and while they called Bush hitler and many other names and they destroyed Mitt Romney, my point is that Trump does not help our fight and misdefines conservatism many times.

    On a whole I give Trump a C, which is better than Obama’s F.

54. Baklava, appreciate it, was it what he actually said in context or was it how the media played it? This is why I follow the president on twitter and watch the videos of the functions of the white house almost every day, then I contrast that with what is reported. The media is overplaying their hand big time. Scott Adams has a lot to say on this:

    http://blog.dilbert.com/2018/02/14/charlottesville-fake-news-best-persuasion-play-past-year/

    Excellent video here, well worth watching, I watch his periscopes everyday and I am a financial contributor to keep these going:

    https://www.pscp.tv/ScottAdamsSays/1kvJpWAYzlgGE

    The race issue will be the most vexing to get fixed, all presidents learn on the job. While President Trump is learning very fast he still has progress to make on race issues. A C on that issue is fair but it isn’t over yet.

55. What he said actually had zero problems. What the media did was reprehensible.

    However, you have to plan ahead knowing how the media operates. I’ve already reviewed everything including Scott Adams works and others. Don Lemon is just a divider and wll never probably look at Dinesh D’Souza’s work.

    Let me try to be clearer. A Samantha Bee will exist and a Roseanne Barr won’t. The language Trump uses cannot and should NEVER even mention one side or the other and should only be uniting language designed to identify and stop poor behavior and identify good behavior. Poor behavior (injuring people with bicycle locks, smashing windows, starting fires, etc) should not be tolerated and those individuals should be prosecuted and held accountable every time. Wearing masks during the commission of these crimes should be held to a higher account. Good behavior can be celebrated.

    In this way, you identify the right way to be an immigrant, the wrong way to be an immigrant – you do not refer to religion or nation or anything of that sort.

    We are a generous nation and his comments have not helped us free market, national security oriented, personal responsibility oriented people.

56. I’ve only posted here a couple of times, but this is one of my go-to places on online, along with Ace Of Spades and Michelle Malkin.

    I too am a changer. I was an unthinking Liberal. Now I’m a hardcore Conservarive.

    I don’t really care for ballet, but Neo makes it interesting. I do love musicals, especially the classics, and there is some of that here.

    Keep up the good work Neo. You are a treasure.

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