By Paul Goldfinger, Editor @Blogfinger
Since Blogfinger was founded in June, 2009, we have avoided politics as much as possible. We only explore local politics when candidates show up in the Grove or if there are issues that we need to discuss with our Neptune Committee members. Even then, it is about issues and not about elections. We rarely endorse a candidate unless they have been particularly good friends to Ocean Grove.
Sometimes we take up issues which might touch on politics such as the Pavilion matter, the ACLU in the Grove, the struggle with FEMA, or the Constitutional issues of free speech and freedom of religion as they pertain to our small town.
The day after the recent Neptune Township Board of Education election, a Grover told me that he went to vote, and “nobody was there,” meaning that there were few voters. That was my first inkling that there was a problem. We have traditionally taken no interest on BF regarding the BOE elections except once when a Grover was running for a spot.
Then, out of the blue, a Neptuner contacted us to complain that Blogfinger didn’t promote the election and that only 74 Grovers voted. He alleged that more votes from the Grove could have prevented the election of big spenders to the BOE and that we needed to pay attention because of the secondary effects on our taxes and our children.
By allowing this somewhat political subject onto BF, it elicited intelligent and practical conversation, but in the process of making valid points, two individuals mentioned a possible abuse of the robocall system. No evidence was given, but I allowed it because it seemed like an interesting topic having to do with the election result.
Then there was silence, but 4 days later, a Grover made a comment where he wanted to bring up: disarray in the Republican Party, domination by the Democrats (“they operate with impunity”,) influence of politicians on the BOE, and racism in Neptune Township.
Here are four examples of the red lines that I will not cross on Blogfinger. Political topics, if considered by us, must be mostly about Ocean Grove–in some way. The one exception is our coverage of healthcare, but even that is about the issues of quality and practical medical-practice related subjects —we never go after politicians on this subject.
Of course there are grey zones, but we do our best to be consistent.
Editor’s note: Once again I have received a comment from someone who wants to push us into extensive political news coverage regarding the robo call issue, the behavior of the Mayor in relation to the Board of Education election, the makeup of the school board, and the apathy/voting behavior of Grovers.
As I just stated, I am not interested in continuing with such political topics, for a variety of reasons. It has been our policy to avoid politics, and I will continue that policy.
There are other avenues for such coverage.
A blog is an Internet tool for expressing any concept. An individual blog is limited only by the blogger’s imagination and by the technology, which keeps improving. There are easily over 150 million blogs worldwide, and over 400 million people read blogs each month.
Is there a judicial/legislative/regulatory definition of a “blog?” From perception of existing ones throughout the nation on diverse subjects, it appears to be “a personal statement.”