BLOGGER SPOTLIGHT: David Dayen
Today the Blogometer talks to David Dayen, who blogs at Calitics and Hullabaloo in addition to his own personal blog.
(If you're looking for Thursday's edition of Blogometer, click here).
Where did you grow up?
I was born in Philadelphia, PA, and grew up just outside the city, in Bucks County. In 2006, [Rep.] Patrick Murphy turned that district Democratic for the first time I can ever remember, and Dems now outnumber Republicans there.
Where do you live now?
I now live in Santa Monica, CA.
If you have an occupation other than blogging, what is it?
I am an editor for various television shows. Most of them are way up at the high part of your digital dial on networks you've only sort of heard about.
What's on your iPod right now?
I just downloaded a bunch of old jazz, Clifford Brown, Billy Strayhorn, Lee Morgan, Miles Davis. I also try to keep up with the latest, I have the new Phoenix album, some Santogold remixes. I sample a lot of stuff.
What book do you think every person should read?
A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole is probably a chic pick. I'd also say anything by Peter DeVries, he's my favorite humor fiction writer.
Please finish this sentence: "When I'm not blogging, you'll probably find me..."
out somewhere with my wife (2 weeks and counting!). I think if I didn't say that I'd be in trouble.
What has been your favorite blog post, or your favorite story to write about?
I've been able to really dig into the California budget crisis story -- which isn't about a budget crisis, actually, but a political process crisis -- in ways that I don't think others have. I'm pretty proud of my work on that issue and what we've done at Calitics. If we do get a major shift in how the state governs itself, I'd like to think I played a (very) small role in making that happen.
Which blogger(s) do you consider indispensable, if any?
I read lots of bloggers every day, and I find all of them great, but I'd say my co-blogger Digby. Steve Benen at The Washington Monthly is another must. I'm not sure he's human -- maybe just some liberal blogging robot.
Who's your favorite non-liberal blogger?
The Next Right is at least trying to do something interesting, although I don't always agree with them. Actually, they've gotten away their original intention of new conservative organizing a bit. I also don't mind Reihan Salam, he's back blogging at National Review's "The Agenda".
Who's your favorite active politician? Least favorite?
Favorite is absolutely [WI Sen.] Russ Feingold, followed by my home-district Representative Henry Waxman, who actually knows how to get things done in the legislative process. Least favorite? I try constantly to understand how any American could pull the lever for [OK Sen.] James Inhofe.
Care to venture any predictions about the 2010 CA gubernatorial race?
[GOP candidate] Meg Whitman will spend $50 million dollars. That's a pretty safe prediction. Other than that, I think the Democratic grassroots are unenthused by their choices, and the same dynamic may exist on the Republican side. My personal view is that we could elect Noam Chomsky or John Birch and have the same structural barriers to governance in California, so we'd better deal with them first.
What would you realistically like to see Democrats accomplish in 2009?
They have to get a health care reform bill passed. The stakes are too high right now. I think it can be done if the White House recognizing the easiest way to get it done, through demanding that conservative Dems don't join a Republican filibuster. They can vote their conscience on the final bill after clearing cloture.
If you could give President Obama advice, what would it be?
I'm sure he gets plenty of advice. I would say that he doesn't have to fear the critics in Washington who may call him too partisan if he enacts legislation that people outside Washington generally like. There's much more to be gained by advancing policy that helps people than pleasing elites. I don't see a lot of that yet.
What keeps you up at night?
That Washington has just become too broken, too wired for the status quo, too difficult to enact real change, that those who bought into Obama as a transformative figure just pack it up and go home.
