Readers Speak Up III: Top Stories of 2008 -- U.S. Edition

Catch all of the Most-Commented Stories of 2008:
***South Dakota stories
***Madison stories

I caught heck from a reader or two for talking about Sarah Palin all the time this fall. But it wasn't just me: John McCain's running mate was comment gold. You all wanted to talk about her, too, so much so that five of the ten most-commented posts on the Madville Times this year had "Palin" in the headline.

So, Palin or not, here they come: the national posts you, faithful readers, wanted to talk about the most in 2008.

10

Palin Reveals Psychic Powers [9/13]: I take it back: if Gov. Palin really could read Barack Obama's mind, she would have known he knew exactly what he was doing every step of the way.

8tie

McCain Acts with Honor, Defends Obama Against Racists and Fearmongers [10/12]: Even John McCain had enough decency left to publicly reject the lies some of his supporters spewed.

8tie

Obama Caves to Bush; Clinton Stands for 4th Amendment [7/9]: Don't say the Madville Times was an unmitigated love fest for Obama. He torqued off many of us freedom-loving bloggers by siding with President Bush on FISA and the continued violation of the Fourth Amendment.

6tie

Sarah Palin, Omniscient [10/1]: What papers do you read, Governor Palin? "All of them." Unbelievable.

6tie

France Not Perfect, But Universal Health Coverage Still Great! [7/14]: We'd have heard a lot more about universal health care if my man Dennis Kucinich had been the nominee. But sit tight: Secretary Daschle may move us toward the kind of health care that France, Canada, and most of the rest of the industrialized world have realized produces better health outcomes for less money than our broken system.

5

The Selfishness of Joe Wurzelbacher: The Plumber Is Plumb Wrong [10/16]: My first post on Joe the Plumber dectupled my daily hits, as everyone spent the 24 hours after the last Presidential debate playing Google-P.I. trying to find out who Joe the Plumber really was. Shady as he seemed, no one ever produced evidence that Wurzelbacher was a McCain plant (or an in-law of Charles Keating). This post addressed what really mattered: that Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher symbolized a thoughtless selfishness that could hardly be called patriotic.

3tie

Palin Installs Tanning Bed in Governor's Mansion [9/16]: Why did the silliest posts spark so much conversation?

3tie

Palin Comparison: McCain Takes Youth and Inexperience off the Table [8/29]: I put this analysis up the day McCain announced his VP choice. No rumors, no distortion, just the facts about Palin's basic qualifications and how they erased one of the best arguments McCain could have made against Obama: experience.

2

Palin Misquotes Albright, Condemns Self [10/7]: Short post, long and vigorous disputes in the comments section.

1

Obama Respects Second Amendment; NRA Keeps Lying [9/24]: The 2008 champ! 43 comments! The conversation wasn't always pretty, but I can take it... especially if it exposes the paucity of true civic spirit behind some political movements.

Obviously, the Presidential election dominated the most-commented stories. I find it interesting (and a little disappointing) that more conversation didn't spring up around some of the other big national stories of the year, like the mortgage meltdown, the stimulus checks, and the big bank bailouts. With the election over, we'll see if the 2009 conversation turns more toward those heady economic topics.

But you never know what the new year will bring. Whatever happens in 2009, if it affects Lake Herman and South Dakota, I'm eager to blog about it. I hope you'll keep reading and commenting... and tell your friends to do the same!

Thanks for an exciting and intellectually challenging 2008. Here's to nothing but good news and good conversation in 2009!