Can't we have better independent and third-party campaign coverage?

The two best blog-type sites out there that I am aware of are Bill Redpath and Richard Winger's Ballot Access News, and Independent Political Report.

Neither has comment moderation. Neither uses IP addresses or other things to block anybody, AFAIK.

BAN has long been run over by troll-type commenters who aren't even funny.

IPR has this "Nuña," about whom I've commented before, who's now more and more at BAN. He's some type of alt-right, alt-white paleoconservative, and a proven liar (and an Islamophobe with that). And, he's made what I consider a veiled threat. And, I've told Jordan at IPR about it. It has been hauled down, and they're going to look at their bigger policy issues.

I've seen this rodeo before at places like High Country News, which semi-caved to the wingers on their website, but then eventually turned off comments there, but still allows them on their Facebook page.

Look at Mondoweiss. It has a formal username policy, and it will ban you by IP if you break any of its rules.

OTOH, this shows that, despite many ardent third party protestors that "many people agree with us," uh, no they don't. Sadly, definitely not so on the left.

Counterpunch bitches about the duopoly enough, but then stans for anti-BDSer and hardcore duopolist Noam Chomsky AND duopoly fellator Ralph Nader. (Ralph is still butt-hurt over the Green Party in 2004 and Jeff St. Clair largely accepts that straight up, while also ignoring that Ralphie is against organized labor in many ways and sucked personally as a boss.) Alternet? Straight up BlueAnon.

Update, Oct. 25: It gets worse. This Counterpunch piece all but goes in the BlueAnon tank, talking about Republican election suppression while ignoring Democratic third-party ballot access election suppression. I've long, long said that Counterpunch, even more than other theoretically leftist political commentary magazines, is sorely lacking in establishing some sort of overall editorial direction and oversight in areas like this. Of course, managing editor Josh Frank himself has had a piece or two this year that came close to semi-officially stanning for the lesser evilism half of the duopoly. 

Places like Alternet, per a separate piece? Even worse.

The Nation? Bullshit from the likes of Green-hating John Nichols and Hillbot Joan Walsh, as well as pseudo-Communist Adolph Reed. Let's throw other names like his under the bus. Let's not forget that Noam Chomsky and the late Barbara Ehrenreich, a self-alleged Maoist, both stanned for the duopoly.