The Oscars of Northwest blogging

Hey, I've just gotten word that Red State Rebels is a winner in the 2005 David Neiwert Awards, given "to honor the achievements and accomplishments of the Pacific Northwest's most active progressive bloggers this past year." It's the first year for the awards, given by the Northwest progressive Institute, and RSR got the nod as one of two blogs offering "most valuable local coverage." Here's what NPI has to say:

"If you take a survey of most of the regional progressive blogosphere, you'll find that most people are blogging from in and around the Seattle or Portland metropolitan areas, which are the Pacific Northwest's two biggest urban centers. Despite this trend, there are a number of bloggers living outside of these two urban centers who have managed to set up shop on the Net and are offering important coverage of their communities. Two of the most valuable blogs the regional blogosphere has are Red State Rebels and McCranium. The first, Red State Rebels, is run by Julie Fanselow out of Boise, Idaho, and has been 'resisting conservative extremism since 2003.' Scroll down the page and you'll read about everything from local grocery powerhouse Albertsons to what's happening with the local Drinking Liberally chapter, and a lot more."

43rd State Blues got one, too, for Idaho's "Best Community Driven Blog." Verrrry cool. And while I've never considered RSR to be a primarily local blog, it has been veering that way as I focus my national thoughts at Grassroots for Grant (which I aim to see nab a 2006 award for Best Campaign Blog).

There's a whole lotta blogging going on in the Northwest. Read the full list of honorees here (and read and recommend NPI's Daily Kos diary about the awards here).

Comments

[Sara]

Congratulations - I know I'm glad I discovered you and the rest of the Idaho blogosphere. Keep up the good work!

[Julie in Boise]

Thanks, Sara. I'm glad to have heard about your work, too.

[Bubblehead]

Congratulations, Julie. I just figured out that you're part of 43rd State Blues as well, so I guess I have to change my thinking about that site a little and decide that they're not that bad... except for Binky Boy, of course.

[Julie in Boise]

Thanks, Bubblehead. Yeah, I'm sort of the kinder, gentler element at 43rd State Blues. The beauty part of that blog is the variety of posting voices ... not just one person yammering like you and I do.

And you know that when they hand out awards for submarine/political blogs, you'll be in that number.

[Lucinda Hormel]

Felicidades Julie! Wonderful to see when quality work gets recognized for its genuine contribution to our society!

[Senator Elliot Werk]

Julie:

Your recognition is well deserved. I only wish we had many more progressives like you!

Elliot