The Winners of the 3 Quarks Daily 2010 Politics Prize

         

Lewis H. Lapham has picked the three winners:

1. Top Quark, $1000: Stephen Walt, Why America is going to regret the Cordoba House controversy
2. Strange Quark, $300: Huffington Post, The Two Most Essential, Abhorrent, Intolerable Lies Of George W. Bush's Memoir
3. Charm Quark, $200: The Philosopher's Beard, Politics: Can't Someone Else Do It?

Here is what Mr. Lapham had to say about them:

As an editor, I take seriously the craft of writing. The political blog at its best accounts for the editorial process—for the checking of facts as well as the redrafting of manuscripts; the political blog at its worst disregards even the semblance of considered judgment, leaving the internet user to portion out the wheat of informed opinion from the chaff of paranoid rant. The readers and editors of 3QD nominated more than forty pieces of internet writing, then narrowed the field by a public vote to nine finalists. I cannot say these are the best pieces of political blog writing on the internet, but they are representative of the impassioned rhetoric that has engulfed the public political discourse.

In accordance with the rules of the 3QD political prize, I have chosen three entries that exemplify the spirit of the times.

1st Place: "Why America is Going to Regret the Cordoba House Controversy" by Stephen M. Walt

A measured, thoughtful response to the religious intolerance that surrounded the "mosque" at ground zero.

2nd Place: "The Two Most Essential, Abhorrent, Intolerable Lies of George W. Bush's Memoir" by Dan Froomkin

This post uses the publication of George Bush's memoir Decision Points as the occasion to reexamine the Bush years and remind us of the facts embedded in the history of his presidency.

3rd Place: "Politics: Can't Someone Else Do It?" by Thomas Rodham

A philosophical look at the constraints imposed upon liberal politicians during their terms in office. They expect too much from their time in government and their constituents expect too much from them.

Congratulations also from 3QD to the winners (I will send the prize money later today--and remember, you must claim the money within one month from today--just send me an email). And feel free to leave your acceptance speech as a comment here! And thanks to everyone who participated. Thanks also, of course, to Lewis Lapham for doing the final judging.

The three prize logos at the top of this post were designed, respectively, by Sughra Raza, Carla Goller,  and me. I hope the winners will display them with pride on their own blogs!

Details about the prize here.