“But can someone explain to me how it is that the total number of votes cast in the Weblog Awards for best blog is only 37 thousand after days of voting, when you’re allowed to vote again every day. Doesn’t that seem remarkably low? “

My guess would be the same reason why I am terrible about calling people back, answering my mail, and always hang up on pollsters: people are busy. And, too, the more of these award thingees (I believe a Jonah technical term) that exist, the more people are going to ignore them. If I’m hardpressed to vote for NRO everyday, I can only imagine the lack of drive on the part of just about anyone else in the world.

As for winning things? Do I care? I care about some more than others. When the Center for Military Readiness gave us an award a while back for our military coverage, I was particularly honored–a great group with great taste, representing a great constituency. When we sweep Washington Post awards–no outlet of the VRWC–I can’t help but grin a little. But more than anything, it’s some of the amazing letters we get on a daily basis, the feedback both from readers, and minor and more grand successes–actions on the Hill we influenced and the like–that I’m most proud of. Some of the NRO successes I don’t even find out about–or do long after the fact. If we don’t get credit, that’s ok. As long as we’re doing the good thing, and maybe doing some educating and even entertaining simultaneously–on The Corner, on the homepage, through any of our features (David Frum’s diary, Kerry Spot, our regular columnists, etc.)…there’s more than enough reason to do it again the next day. And I’m fairly confident most days we’re at least doing that.