The First Superstar of the Blogging World

Probably like many readers of this blog, I watched Charlie Rose's interview with four prominent bloggers last evening. I had seen and heard Andrew Sullivan, Joe Trippi, and Ana Marie Cox (AKA: Wonkette) many times before, but not Glenn Reynolds.

Sullivan was effusive in his enthusiasm about blogging and generous in his appreciation of other bloggers and of those who read blogs.

Trippi, as always, was onto the significance of blogging. Like many of us, he views this technological application as being analogous to the invention of the printing press, with the exception that blogging opens itself readily to two-way communications. (Funny that Trippi hardly blogs, though.)

Cox was as perky as she usually seems in public appearances, her words and demeanor barely hinting at the profane and shallow commentaries that are the cornerstone of the blog she edits.

Reynolds was the one who most intrigued me and not just because I'd never seen or heard him before. His buttoned-down appearance surprised me a bit because he lists himself as a rock music enthusiast who's played in a band and been co-owner of a record label. Trippi seemed more likely to be that guy than Reynolds.

Furthermore, although he's a law professor, I hadn't expected Reynolds to be so professorial in his demeanor. He barely spoke. Perhaps he was drowned out by the verbal Messrs. Sullivan and Trippi. But I suspected another reason.

At one point, Sullivan referred to Reynolds' site as a "Grand Central Station" of the blogging world. (I refuse to here use the b-word ending in sphere that's usually applied to the blogging world! But Sullivan used that word several times.)

Inherent in Sullivan's description, which I think is apt, is the notion that Reynolds is a one-man collector, collator, and disseminator of information and opinions. This, in fact, seems to be how he forms his opinions, which can be seen on his other site, GlennReynolds.com. But on the Instapundit site, Reynolds is, I suspect, his truest self, the jurist who ponders all the evidence and based on his best judgment, doles out justice. In this case, justice is Reynolds' decision whether or not to give credibility or "legs" to ideas he runs across.

Frankly, it seems to me that Reynolds has earned his lofty perch. It not only appears to suit his personality, but the guy does the work. He must be a simply voracious and rapid reader. He may be one of the few people on the planet with the patience to sift through the good, bad, and awful to present his Reader's Digest versions of the day's best ideas to us.

We may disagree with his judgments. We may rue his blind spots.

But the guy clearly is and deserves to be, the first superstar of the blogging world.