It’s a shame that the OC political blog wars have reached such a fever pitch that one faction has resorted to legal threats against another. As noted elsewhere, at least one claim appears to be unsupported by law (putting at issue the motive behind the legal threats – an ethical concern for counsel). Nevertheless, this appears to be just a flash point in a larger, long-running conflict. These conflicts serve no useful purpose and the parties should give it a rest.
Political blogs are important to state and local politics. They allow dissemination of information, education about important issues, and lively debate over candidates and issues. With the decline of traditional political news reporting and analysis, they give people a place to go to seek information and viewpoints. This is all the more important when the state and nation are at a tipping point.
Unfortunately, some of OC’s political bloggers have such animus for one another that they’ve long engaged in mutual personal attacks that detract from the political debate. As noted, one group is threatening legal action against another, threats including at least one claim that appears fatally flawed.
It’s at times like this that an attorney asks his client to take a step back and answer the threshold question, “What do I want from this?” This prompts a conversation that often leads to settlement. This conversation can be complicated by conflicts-of-interest between the client and attorney (who may be motivated by contingency arrangements or dreams of “attorney’s fees”). Most people who have been through litigation would say that it is long, painful, costly, and distracting.
Given the information available, it seems long and costly legal action would gain little, if anything, for the parties involved. For those reasons, most people would likely say the parties should settle their dispute and stand down.
In the larger context, OC’s political blogs should call a cease fire in the political blog wars. Many of the personal attacks that go on between the bloggers demean both the attacker and the attacked. Neither do they do anything to advance the debate.
California’s political issues and candidates need debating. The state is swirling down the toilet. Yet, the party establishments dawdle about business as usual. At such a time, these conflicts serve only to distract. This serves no one, whether on the left, right, or middle. For the sake of millions of California families, give it a rest already.
Rogue,
I agree! We have already offered to swap URLs with the guys at the Liberal OC. We also have added their blog, and Red County, to our blogroll. And I have deleted the sidebar ads that poked fun at the Lib OC crew.
The ball is now in their court.
Um, Art? You might want to pull down the picture of gerbil at the top of the page?
It could signal attempts to ratchet down the vitriol…..
Red,
Great idea. That will take me a bit longer to do, but I will start working on a new masthead. Those pictures are a bit stale…
yes, I vote for that fugly picture of Nguyen LOL lets add it to your banner/masthead
Best post yet, Rogue.
As you note, this has been going on a long time. I parodied it two years ago:
http://orangejuiceblog.com/2008/04/cant-we-all-just-get-along/
…and this is the menagerie of fat bastards, androgynous homunculi, and strident self-obsessed skanks with whom I’ve been condemned to share air. Can’t we all just get along?
PS good improvements on the masthead, sides, etc. Art!
Even the “Star” and “National Inquirer” gets threats and sued.
High brows will always think their stuff don’t stink.
That is what is good about Art’s Orange Juice, he (and the rest of OJ) know it all stinks to high heaven.
“I agree! We have already offered to swap URLs with the guys at the Liberal OC. We also have added their blog, and Red County, to our blogroll. And I have deleted the sidebar ads that poked fun at the Lib OC crew.”
The pre-litigation correspondence serves only for a purpose to test strength of your opponent and not to settle.
You have blinked Mr. Pedroza. This is not how to avoid a litigation.
Do you believe that a bully will stop if you show willingness to comply with his demands?…. of course not.
The proper response would be bigger blow.
Expect more threats and eventually answering a complaint for money Mr. Pedroza.
You should contacted an attorney like myself before you started responding.
You call this blog wars? In the old newspaper days, publishers would dynamite each other’s offices! This is all petty nothingness, and the public demands more!
Cyber-squatting ain’t cool on either side, but whatever: it happens. Trade, get this episode over with, and move on to the next one…
“This is all petty nothingness, and the public demands more!”
Well thank you for speaking for all of us. However, we all don’t want more.
Amen, Rogue, Amen.
Here on this blog and the many others in the county and country people come to express what they think and feel.
Freedom of speech is a protected right. I have seen and read posts here and on other sites that might personally upset an individual or two.
This is going to happen, it has been happening since the begining of time. Personal attacks should end, but without limiting individual right to express themselves.
So let’s set aside our personal feelings and get on with live already.
“Unfortunately, some of OC’s political bloggers have such animus for one another that they’ve long engaged in mutual personal attacks that detract from the political debate”
WTF Rogue E? Isn’t that exactly what some posters on this site do? Indeed, the primary “culprit” of this activity here is the one who is the subject of the letter from LOC’s attorney.
If there is any truth in that letter and I think there would be hard pressed basis to show the material facts are false, then I think y’all got a problem – or at least Art does.
BTW, I find it sorta funny that you are bloviating about leagal ethics when you are basically offering legal advice to a client and critiquing other’s legal arguments on a blog. Not much confidentiality to those communications, are there? Hopefully you aren’t really representing this blog or Art in this. Otherwise one might argue you have waived the privilege.
I believe Rogue Elephant was *gently* criticizing his colleagues here, and I concur with him.
Vern,
For the record, Dan and company hired a lawyer after I sent them an email offering to bury the hatchet. Take from that what you will.
I am still trying to resolve this mess with them and have, as mentioned, offered them the URLs in question in return for the ones they bought, to initiate all of this, pertaining to Sean Mill and myself.
That’s right. They started this. We did not. Now we want to move on. Let’s see if that is true for the other side as well.
Now that they no longer have their Twitter or Facebook accounts to slander us in anonymity anymore they now want to threaten with lawsuits. Vern seems to buy into the belief that we are the “evil” ones and that the others are the “victims”.
Hey Vern, the next time you talk to your buddy “Tommy Boy” Gordon ask him what happened to the Twitter site he and the others used to have in which they viciously attacked Art, myself, Art’s wife and children, my family and others. Have another glass of the kool-aid they are serving while your at it.
Good points & praiseworthy, Art. I’m just trying to explain to “No Longer FTP” something that seems really incomprehensible to him – a blog where not everybody is on the same page on every little thing.
Vern,
It is not unlike herding cats! I have yet to see any other blog like this, except for maybe Tony’s blog up in Fullerton.
Makes for more interesting conversations…
The trouble is, is what set’s OJB apart and FAR ABOVE the others is the Maverick nature of the editors, posters and commenters.
If OJB retracts too much it becomes baked in the cake just like Red County and LOC.
Good move by Art and staff for pulling the ad’s. You don’t have to puss out to be reasonable.
BTW – The subline should be “OJB “The thinking man’s blog”!
Let us see how they respond. If we have to fight to be able to keep the best blog in Orange county I will be the 1st to help in doing so.
But the better option for all the blogs is a mutual truce and understanding that we are just not going to see eye to eye on a lot of issues, and that often we have different sources of information that may at times conflict.
I am not advocating one way or the other, but being a recent victim of cybersquatting myself (with a TM company name) I can relate to both sides…however Art I believe you forwarded these sites, at least in the beginning to very bad places.
As far as a truce….it is a nice thought but if there is one..it won’t last long.