Goodbye Poli

[Please read my update posted here. I want to be clear that I am extremely grateful to Polipundit for giving me an amazing opportunity and I sincerely wish him the best.  We recently had a disagreement over the way that immigration, an issue near and dear to his heart, should be debated, but over the past two years he has given all of us, including commenters, almost unlimited freedom to express our opinions at his site. I owe him thanks for that and for his generosity in sharing his site with us.]

I just posted the following at Polpundit:

It is 1 a.m. and I still have a ton of things to do before I can go to bed and a child up with a fever for the second night in a row, but if I don't post this now, it might not get posted. Forgive me if this is a bit rambling or unclear. I am trying hard to choose my words carefully so that I don't misrepresent anything anyone has said or misquote anyone.

The fact is that I believe this is the last time I will be blogging at Polipundit.

I received a lengthy email from Polipundit tonight alerting us to an editorial policy change that included the following: "From now on, every blogger at PoliPundit.com will either agree with me completely on the immigration issue, or not blog at PoliPundit.com." I would provide additional context, but Polipundit has asked that the contents of our emails not be disclosed publicly and I think that is a fair request. There has been plenty written in the posts over the past week alone to let readers figure out what happened. Polipundit ended a later email with this: "It's over. The group-blogging experiment was nice while it lasted, but we have different priorities now. It's time to go our own separate ways."

My main concern now is that my past two years' worth of posts are maintained in archives so that I can access them. I often refer back to previous posts and it would be incredibly upsetting to lose years worth of work. There are some minor issues relating to ad revenue, and the like, but I suppose those loose ends are all that is left to tie up and I trust we can do so amicably.

It would have been nice to have been able to tell friends and family before publicly saying goodbye, but things just didn't work out that way.

What is really ironic about this is that the split is over the immigration debate and that is not even one of "my issues." I always deferred to Polipundit on the issue due to his background and passion on the subject. Lately most of my posts have not even dealt with immigration, but the ones that have were more about how I thought the tone and tenor of the debate had gotten out of hand, rather than the actual policy positions. I am sad that things turned out this way, but believe this is probably for the best.

When I started blogging at Polipundit I was told the traffic was around 2,000 readers per day. That number soared prior to the 2004 elections to over 100,000 on some days and now averages around 15,000. It is really hard to build a following in the blogosphere with so much competition and to have to walk away from a readership that I helped in part to build.  That is one of the main reasons I have stayed for so long. Polipundit was kind enough to split the ad revenue with us equally, too, and it has meant alot to me and my family. I will forever appreciate the opportunity I was given to blog here.

I will continue to blog at Byrd Droppings until I figure out exactly what I want to do.  Please visit me there and be sure to bookmark me and add me to your blogrolls.  I may decide to stay on my own, or I may join with some other bloggers to form a new group blog. There are pros and cons associated with each and I don't want to rush into anything. I will need some advice about how best to put blog ads on my site (I currently have no ads except Amazon Associates and a Tip Jar button) and will probably need some advice on some technical matters. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks so much for all of your words of encouragement over the past two years.  I hope you will continue to read me regularly.  Bye now. 

Update:  Thanks so much for all the emails and comments.  I will eventually get to them all, but it might take a while.

I  will be changing the name of Byrd Droppings to Lorie Byrd.com as soon as I can figure out how to do it. Thanks for your patience.  More later.

Comments

[KnightHawk]

This is sad.. not because poli exercises some some control over a particular issue, but because he'd end the whole group thing basicly over the issue. very sad.

[Korey]

Lorie,
I copied you on an e-mail I sent to all four bloggers at Polipundit less than two weeks ago.

It concerned the fascist impulse the site has taken on--to obliterate any trace of posts in disagreement, posts lacking any profanity whatever.

I was told by Mr. McClure and Mr. Drummond that I was, basically, a lunatic.

Lunatic--too harsh, eccentric, yes--but in the end, right.

Right from the begining.

Byrd Droppings is now my first stop every morning. Polipundit.com is a distant memory, one that calls to mind the worst impulses of the human spirit.

[Albert Hodges]

If you lead, they will follow.

Dont be saddened, you have lots of support and respect and you have a good future in the blogshere.

You are the only person who has been able to even get me to READ a post about American Idol! (I watch the show but wouldnt care to read a blog on it!)

God bless you...Dont worry.

[Dan]

This is truly an appalling development.

I've had disagreements with you, and as you know, I haven't held back criticism of the Administration, especially the overall style of the Administration.

But for him to break personal bonds of friendship, forged in the fire of political AND cultural close combat, over a political issue, is simply inexcusable.

It's not the act of a gentleman. And that's a fact.

I'm sure this is emotionally grueling for you, know that my thoughts are with you.

[John Galt]

I've been alarmed at Polipundit's increasing craziness. Pretty soon his blog will lose all traffic.

[HNAV]

I am sorry to hear this Ms. Byrd.

It is a sad loss...

It was a fine group, and I really appreciate your fine work.

Polipundit is making a huge mistake.

I strongly recommend, Yourself, DJ Drummond, Jayson, and Alexander K. McClure continue a shared blog in the future.

Can I add Byrd Droppings to my blogroll?

It would be my pleasure...

[JB]

Lorie, just paid my last visit to PP. I thought that one thing that separated us conservatives from the libs was the civility that was always shown on the discussions boards, and that there could be diverse means to reaching a common goal. sadly, many of the folks at PP are now adopting the Kos/DU approach: shout-down and silence anyone who doesn't agree with you on every issue. Name calling and profanity must be the new sign of being a "true conservative."

Poli just needs a couple of ball bearings to roll around and clack together in his hands while he looks for the strawberries that Bush stole.

[JB]

(Different JB posted above.)

Poli lives and dies by illegal immigration. We all have our passions. However, he has lost quite a few readers tonight by muzzling the bloggers who have added charm, humor and clarity to a wide-range of topics.

He will now preach to the BDS-afflicted choir.

Passion is nice. But passion does not equal sanity.

[shiloh]

Lorie Byrd -
of all the lunatic authors on that site - you were the last lunatic i would have chosen to go.

figures.

i don’t know much about this Poli fellow - but he’s not giving your cause anything to celebrate by proving what a small & intolerant tent he lives in.

good luck. (& i hope the kid feels better)

[Adjoran]

It only goes to show that putative conservatives are not immune to the virulent and deadly Bush Derangement Syndrome.

I'll be checking here for developments.

[Laura Lee Donoho]

How strange. I tried to get on PoliPundit last night to read YOU after the president's speech. I couldn't. I kept getting some strange message. Betsy's Page alerted me to your leaving PoliPundit. Maybe you should just become LoriePundit.
It is a sad end to a very good blog but you have loyal readers and I am one of them.

[Ironman]

It's sad, but I fear similar splits are happnening in the physical world of politics too.

I would have been nice if the GOP could have figured where it stood on immigration without talking to Ted Kennedy first. It would have saved us huge grief now

[Kitty]

Lorie ... I forwarded your e-mail to Pat at Brainster [ http://brainster.blogspot.com/ ] He might be able to help you with the ads. He was a saint helping me with such techie things.

So sorry to hear about this. I fear Poli will not enjoy the success he has in the past.

[Kirktoe]

Just bookmarked this site.

It's really eye-opening to me to see that there ARE some conservatives like Poli and some of the bloggers who have some prejudice in them when it comes to immigration. While I'm not too happy with the immigration policy over the last 20 years (or lack of it), I have no problem with people of different ancestry coming to this country. That's why we are the shining city on a hill (as Reagan called us).

I think what we're seeing is a battle between the isolationists (i.e the Patrick Buchanan's of the world) and those of use who favor legal immigration.

At any rate, this will be my new blogging site (since I was thrown out of leftcoaster.com and threw myself out of poli).

[Jeanette]

Lorie, in the long run this is better for you. You didn't need all the commotion that was going on there, and like a good hairdresser your readers will follow you. Heck, I even changed dentists just so I could follow my hygienist, so following you here won't be hard. God bless you and let me know what I can do to help you.

[Flint]

Lorie,

I realize that this has been a difficult situation for you to endure - and for that I'm sorry.

Personally, I'm relieved. I miss reading your comments. I stopped reading Polipundit many months ago because I got sick of reading Jayson's incoherent and childish comments.

I sent emails to you and Poli hoping somebody would put a cork in Jayson - hoping that you would post more on your own blog.

So, while I'm sure this was a difficult choice and transition for you - I welcome it.

I have just bookmarked you - and look forward to again hearing your comments and insights on political happenings.

[Mike]

Call it a blessing. Polipundit had become so noxiously racist as to be hardly readable--yet I would come to read your posts.

There are more than a few who are happy about Polipundit showing his true autocratic colors!

You go, girl!

[Kitty]

Ankle Biting Pundits said they would welcome you with open arms!

http://www.anklebitingpundits.com/

[plou]

Lori, I e-mailed Polipundit 2 days ago and basically said I would not longer visit the site because of the unreasonable venom he ws directing to the President.

One of the reasons I was sorry about that was missing your valuable and reasonable discussion mixed with humor - Poli has none.

So instead, I will check out your Byrd Droppings and follow you wherever you may "fly". The same with DJ.

Good luck, and keep blogging - please.