Congratulations to the over five thousand of you who put Balloon Juice over the top in a tough category. I honestly had no idea that we could even compete with the excellent writing in the top 250 TTLB-ranked blogs. Few make it there by being lazy.
As for why exactly we won, I have no more of an idea than anyone else. Maybe more of our our readers like the blog better than the rest of their reading list, or it could have to do with how our traffic spends more time at the site than most blogs. Maybe you’re all dorks with nothing better to do. About the only thing that I can say for certain is that the moment we embedded that poll on our front page our vote count spiked and never slowed down. Even if it’s more proximate than ultimate cause, credit mostly goes to Xanthippas for prodding us into doing it.
With the responsible stuff out of the way, let’s get back to blogging. Using mystical powers granted to me by the fallacy files I can confidently make the following conclusions:
* Never underestimate the power of beer blogging. If a competitor is already doing it then you need to offer more and better writing about beer, some whiskey blogging and possibly a series on absinthe. That includes you, Pharyngula.
* While one can theoretically win without Michael Demmons, I wouldn’t try it.
* The curse of the Cole-bino. Until it atones for losing John Cole from the frontpage lineup, RedState may never win the big one again. Substitutes that could satisfy the karma gods include Jane Hamsher, John Amato and Atrios.
Bloggers, ignore my words at your peril.
Michael D.
I don’t know, man. I tried. Apparently, my attempt to sabotage the voting yesterday with:
THE PLANE GAME
didn’t work.
Krista
Do you really even have to think about that one, Tim?
RSA
To second Krista’s comment: “maybe”?
Ned Raggett
Someone knock up a cheesy Photoshop of a crying eagle in front of the RedState logo with an “11-09-07 NEVAR FUHGIT” LOLcat style caption.
(Twelve hours later at RedState:
kowalski: I would like to register my distaste at the existence of this parody in great detail, and outrage!
1 reply from gamecock: 5! And we’re going to win every state in next year’s election, and every open Congressional seat!)
Buck
I have read this blog multiple times daily for the past few years. In all that time I guess I have commented less than a dozen times.
I feel sure there are plenty just like me who show up every day, laugh their ass off and move along. Most of the community here is to the left of me politically but they tend to make very valid points at times and it helps to keep me searching my soul.
Ya’ll have the best blog on the ‘net. There is no doubt about that.
The addition of a gay Republican atheist makes it even more fun. And I am glad to see Tom back.
I am anxiously waiting to see what kind of blog this becomes when Democrats occupy the White House and have a veto proof majority in the Senate.
My only regret is that I did not know about the blog back when John was a rightie.
Billy K
DING! DING! DING!
OniHanzo
Probably never-ending bitching on our part about how they’re still just Republicans in drag.
But they draw the line at latex. Juuuuust barely.
Tim F.
Let me just say that I have only ever worn one wetsuit at a time.
Gold Star for Robot Boy
Sorry, but that throws into doubt this whole enterprise’s credibility
Ned Raggett
Are you kidding, Gold Star? That man is pure comedy gold of the best kind: the one that doesn’t realize the joke.
Billy K
Dems lack the commitment to don more than one wetsuit. That is why they fail.
Xanthippas
Aw, twern’t nuthin’!
(Looks down, hands in pocket. Kicks the dirt.)
JGabriel
Congratulations?
Dennis-SGMM
Isn’t this a bit like being the prettiest sheep?
Dreggas
Oh we’ll eviscerate them just as much I am sure.
Oh and am I the only one making the analogy between pure cowardess and late night votes to confirm Mukasey?
Notice they didn’t give any of the dem presidentials little if any notice of the vote including dodd who was vehemently against Mukasey and same with Obama.
John Cole
Now do I get my check from Soros and the virgins?
Hell, I will settle for just the virgins.
Bill H
While one can theoretically win without Michael Demmons, I wouldn’t try it.
I actually voted for you despite Michael D., not because of him.
And it boggles the mind that it was even close at any time between you and RedState.
Grumpy Code Monkey
Aaaaaand we have a winnah!
Libby Spencer
Sorry John, Soros gave me the money to spend the last week touring the internet cafes in the tri-state area and bribing strangers to vote for you.
As for the forty virgins, due to abstience only sex-ed they’re having a little trouble finding that many. You may to settle for four.
Mike
Surely that should be the curse of Rocky Cole-avito.
And I think I just answered your question about dorks, too.
Michael D.
Awww. How sweet! Hugs?
bago
You would think the senate would have caught up to the 21st century and offer telecommuting, teleconferences and email alerts to prevent this kind of shitfuckery from happening.
canuckistani
I voted BJ for the pure, unrefined snark, and because this is the only place I have ever seen a picture of Steely McBeam.
It has nothing to do with being a dork.
Excuse me, my mom has my lunch ready.
ThymeZone
Why did you win? Because your audience likes you guys and respects what you do here, and we don’t say it very often, and this was a chance to say so when it means something.
Looking for a really short answer? Intellectual integrity. You guys have it, not many do.
Large congrats and I hope you repeat next year.
And yes, I am sometimes a dork with nothing better to do. Thank you for giving me something to do.
Dreggas
Umm about those virgins. Well see, I wanted to test the merchandise, make sure they were quality and all….
and to quote Jeff Dunhams puppet Walter: “Who the hell wants 72 virgins? I’d rather have 72 sluts who knew what they were doing!”
Jimmmmm
I voted for you just to piss off the RedState.com’ers.
Dreggas
Seconded.
Tax Analyst
Sometimes you have to be careful what you wish for, so don’t forget to specify gender, that is, if it matters to you.
Tax Analyst
Yeah…like they said.
double-plus-ungood
FYI, they’re spelling Balloon Juice as “Ballon Juice” at the linked-to WeblogAwards site.
srv
BJ had more votes than Ace for Best Conservative Blog. So ya would have won there.
canuckistani
Oh, were we doing serious answers? TZ nails it then.
RSA
Why don’t they go for full Frenchification? Ballon Jus.
Ned Raggett
Le Jus de Ballon
demimondian
Le Jus de la Ballon
Tony Alva
Two words: Cat Blogging
Salmon of Trout
Oh God. I so hope that RS starts referring to BJ as that from now on.
Hope hope hope!
Dreggas
99 luft ballons?
Ned Raggett
Sing with me (sing for the years?)
Ned Raggett
Got 99 blogs (RedState ain’t one)
Zuzu
Ahem, you do realize that that quote has made it to the illustrious pages of Human Events, don’t you? As evidence that you have been “newly converted” to the dark side.
http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=23305
And they give the credit to who else but Daily Kos for “pimping” you.
Dreggas
I remember not long ago VH-1 classic ran an entire marathon that was nothing but the different remixes and redo’s of 99 luft ballons, there were so many videos and redo’s that they could literally fill 3 hours.
The Other Steve
Ahh, the new subtitle for the blog.
MyPetGloat
Congrats BALLON JUICE.
I doubt the misspelling was diliberate. The Wizwanks couldn’t even pull that off compentently.
Face
/sighs, nods head.
bernarda
Congratulations.
However, there is something wrong in the Science Blog category. Several hours ago after polling had closed, Bad Astronomy was the winner with 6,000 votes over Climate Audit with also over 6,000 votes, but dozens less that BA.
Now they are both listed at 20,000. Why was rightwing climate change denier CA promoted to equality?
Julie
Wow, I think Michelle Oddis rushed me at the Tri-Delt house back in the day. That by-line photo is Tan-Fastic.
Punchy
WOW that bitch is hawt…I’d change parties to toss that salad…
Dulcie
JayZ would be proud!
ConservativelyLiberal
Corngrabulashuns John, Tim and Michael! Wow, I post at the top blog and did so before it became famous! Anyone want an autograph? ;)
The link at Human Events (to vote for RedState) may have said RedState, but one poster there said that it registered a vote for BJ. If true, that would be hilarious!
I bet this just pisses off the RedHeads at RedState. I knew from the first time I read a post there that they were “Number Two”, and IMO they will always be “Number Two”.
Excuse me, I have to go take a RedState.
D-Chance.
So where’s the button/banner? Why win an award if you aren’t going to put the trophy up in the display case?
jcricket
That’s awesome. Right up there with the whole “Santorum” thing :-)
Psycheout
Excuse me, I have to go take a Balloon Juice.
Hey, you’re right! That is awesome!
jcricket
Not as good as the all-time favorite thing I yelled at a co-worker once across the retail floor.
Shatner? It damn near killed her
(maybe you had to be there)