Kudos and Criticism
From journalists, esteemed scholars, other bloggers, etc.:
“Southern Appeal filled a special niche. [It was] almost like a more accessible First Things.”
“Had Southern Appeal been possible ten years before its time, you almost surely would have met [William F. Buckley Jr.].”
-Hunter Baker (former SA blogger, currently writing for Human Events and blogging at RedState)
“[SA]: THE Alabama Legal Blog!”
–John Derbyshire of National Review
“Following precedent ‘is fo’ suckas.’ Or so says prolific right-wing blogger Steve Dillard at Southern Appeal.”
“The awesomely right-wing bloggers over at Southern Appeal”
–Ian @ ACS Blog
“Feddie for Sandy’s seat! If you all haven’t been to Southern Appeal, well, you just haven’t seen the best of the best of the best of the best of the legal bloggers. The site a nice mix of the cerebral and the sublime…with a dash of Southern Comfort. So if you haven’t seen it, go there, and then THIS (Feddie for the Supremes) will make sense….”–Kay Daly
“And yes, Beckwith does write for Southern Appeal, a conservative legal blog that I actually enjoy quite a bit. We have major disagreements over many things, but they’ve got a bright bunch of scholars over there. And as usual with bright folks, their positions on some issues will probably surprise you if you think they are closely defined by casual labels like “conservative”. Feddie (the grand poobah of Southern Appeal), for instance, despises Roy Moore even more than I do, for crying out loud.”-Ed Brayton of Dispatches from the Culture Wars
“Feddie over at Southern Appeal catches a lot of grief in the comments here. And I’ve caught my share of grief over the years for linking to him, often supportively, often not. But the thing with Feddie is that, though we obviously have our political differences, he walks the walk, morally speaking.
A couple of latest examples: (1) seeing George Allen for what he is; and (2) denouncing the torture campaign. These positions are not, obviously, popular with his readers (as the comments illustrate). But as I say, he walks the walk. If the evangelical and social conservative movement were more willing to do the same, I think they would find a much more receptive, alliance-building audience on the other side of the political aisle. But when you see top leaders turning a blind eye to things like torture, it delegitimizes the entire movement. But anyway, kudos to Feddie for calling a spade a spade.”
“Feddie is . . . a recovering Southern Baptist who converted to the Roman Catholic Church, Inc., Opus Dei branch. That’s about like jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire.”
–raj
“Our biggest “adversary‿ would probably be Southern Appeal. They represent everything we at Demagogue oppose and vice versa, but we have managed to forge a respectful relationship with one another despite the fact that they are all right-wing religious nuts.”
“Feddie . . . should be on the SC. If Feddie is nominated, I will support him as vociferously as I do JRB. He’s the one who said he cares more about principles than about putting on a black robe. Also, he is so laden with common sense.”
–http://www.southernappeal.org/#comment-80822
“Feddie for scotus! SDIFS!”
“A different example – and the one I want to focus on today – is the camp of legal conservatives who are increasingly hostile to not just particular precedents like Roe, but to the very idea of precedent and stare decisis itself (in Supreme Court cases, that is). Justice Thomas is the most high-profile member of this camp. Feddie’s also in there, and he has even coined a motto for this camp – “stare decisis is fo’ suckas.” (T-shirt available here). The point today is not so much to assess the merits of the “stare decisis is fo’ suckas” view, but to show how un-conservative it is in the Burkean sense of the word. In fact, the Thomas/Feddie camp is quite radical in this sense – and very French . . . . And that brings us back to the “fo’ suckas” camp. Whatever else it is, that view is not a conservative one. It’s a radical one. And it’s radical because it tosses out the collective wisdom of the past for the abstract visions of the present. In a word, it’s “un-humble.” And in this sense, it’s very similar to the “un-humble” neocon foreign policy. Past practices are to be tossed out for the new visions. Damn the torpedoes . . . . But I still may go buy the T-shirt.”
“[Feddie is] the worst sort of bluenose”
-Grover Gardner (frequent commenter at SA)
“Feddie is apparently a recovering Southern Baptist who converted to the Roman Catholic Church, Inc., Opus Dei branch. That’s about like jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire.”
-Raj
“The excellent blog Southern Appeal . . .”
“Feddie Rules!! Okay, for anybody that somehow missed that very long post by Feddie a few posts back, you are missing one of the all-time great explanations of constitutional jurisprudence.”
“FWIW, there are at least three bloggers who will be federal appellate judges - [Feddie], Volokh, and Kerr.”
“Feddie will get nominated to a district court if he plays his cards right — makes a name for himself in his community, maintains ties to the Fed Soc’y, etc.”
“Welcome to the most bombastic blog on the internet, where even casual posts on whiskey and college football can sound like a thundering Scalia dissent.”
–Jeff (a regular commenter on SA, and all around swell fella)
“On an unrelated note, just wanted to add that while traveling last week whilst wearing my Feddie tee, 1 person in the Austin airport, 1 in the Denver airport, and 2 folks in Salt Lake City smiled and commented, “Hey–you read Southern Appeal, too?” Good times, good times.”
“Feddie is to the right of Tomas de Torquemada . . . but Ghengis Torquemada was better on capital punishment”
“Feddie should’ve been an anonyblogger. Now, given his spirited opposition to Miers, he hasn’t got a salamander’s chance in Maine of being named chief janitor of the Soliciter General’s office by GWB let alone to a Federal court.”
–http://www.southernappeal.org/#comment-78434
“[Feddie,] I appreciate the time, effort, civility, and clear thinking you employed in the comments section on the Schaivo case at SA. Thanks.”
Best wishes, MW
“Feddie offers a typically thoughtful response.”
“From an old favorite—really, the first blog-like publication I ever read, a site an old boss of mine introduced me to—I ran across a Garrison Keillor piece in The Nation, Confessions of a Listener. He writes, talking of his taste in radio, that he doesn’t tune in to hear “earnest liberal English majors” like himself: ‘I go to church on Sunday morning to be among the like-minded, and we all say the Nicene Creed together and assume nobody has his fingers crossed, but when it comes to radio, I prefer oddity and crankiness.’
Essentially, I feel the same about blogs. If someone’s going to push a viewpoint to which I’m already mostly sympathetic, I won’t find it interesting unless it’s connected to facts I’m glad to learn (Oxblog; Registan). Otherwise, I’m going to head back over to Southern Appeal to check out the entertaining rants there and remain utterly unconvinced of the virtues of preserving traditional marriage. Only when it comes with the wit and humor of a writer like Keillor will I enjoy hearing my own views affirmed.
–http://www.crescatsententia.org/archives/2005_05_10.html#005382
“Neo-Catholo-Facist Opus Dei wannabees.”
“And then let us waft our attentions over to the picture on the banner of Southern Appeal, showing Robert E Lee mimicking the classic George Washington praying-in-the-snow pose, for right below that sub-kitsch sacriledge is Southern Appeal’s gloriously self-inflated slogan: “Giving the bayonet to the “dictatorship of relativism” since 2002.”
Since two thousand and two, you say? My, isn’t that quite the pedigree you got there, Colonel Sanders! . . . .
Pretentious, derivative, obtuse, [and] bombastically militaristic from behind a keyboard . . . .”
–http://brownbagblog.com/WordPress/?p=75
“Steve, for what it’s worth, I just wanted you to know that I appreciate your stance on the Schiavo case very much. I was just looking over SA and kept finding posts claiming that Congress’s action has weakened the state courts. I disagree, and I kept looking for a post by you that would take the other side. Of course I found it, and I’m glad to see it . . . . Your priorities are in order. Some of our Southern friends on the right, I’ve found, flirt with (and occasionally embrace) a form of nostalgic Stoicism that borrows more from Marcus Aurelius than the Christian Stoicism of the late Middle Ages or early Renaissance did.”
All best, WM
“Y’all gotta one damn fine blog! An erudite buncha Catholic lawyas, with a touch of Southern pecan panache! Be understandin’ the nuances of Separation of Powers and Federalism, too! Hot damn! Y’all can count me in –long live Thomas and Scalia.”
“We have enjoyed this weblog for a while and been somewhat tardy in adding it to Our scroll. One things is for sure: this writer’s animosities towards attorneys would dissipate quickly if there were more of them like the SA crew.”
–I. Shawn McElhinney of Rerum Novarum
“Stephan Dillard, one of the brighter minds and most solid citizens on the internets, did his own “10 Minutes with NPR” this weekend. Of course, whereas mine consists of sitting in my car listening to people with soothing voices and perfect diction tell me what to think of today’s news, Mr. Dillard actually got his dulcet drawl on the show to discuss the Miers’s nomination and blogging. There is much iron in his words. Have a listen — it don’t cost nothing.”
“Fix Bayonets: A new must-read for me at Southern Appeal. Nice to know Johnny Reb isn’t ashamed of his heritage, unlike John Bull. Giving the bayonet to the dictatorship of Relativism since 2002. Nice. General Lee and Papa Benedict. A brilliant combination for a blog.”
“Although I pretty much disagree with everything you say, you say it well. Scalia would be proud.”
–TP
“Steve, you fool! Now that you’ve shown you’re a minor deity, you can never hold a judicial or elected office.”
“Steve Dillard may be frighteningly conservative, but at least he’s a frighteningly conservative gentleman.”
–Will Baude (Crescat Sententia)
“I’m fond of Southern Appeal. Check ‘em out.”
–Mark Shea of Catholic and Enjoying it!
“Excellent post, Steve (that’s not to say that I agree with you, though).”
“Steve, saw your link to this piece on NRO Corner today. Great work. Judge Pryor and others like him are lucky to have folks like you willing to take the time to correct the lies disseminated about them, being, as they are, silenced by the canons of judicial ethics. Keep it up.”
“Steve Dillard is a local attorney who has had a long career in the judicial and intellectual sides of American politics. He offers up an outstanding Blog, exceptionally well-written, intelligent, incisive. His point of view is unabashedly Southern. Take heed, O Democrats, Ye who took the South too long for granted.”
–Luke
“[Feddie has] the Lord in his heart, but Rush [Limbaugh] is in his typing fingers.”
–GDB
“[Feddie is a] Opus-Dei-linking, General-R.-E.-Lee-sacralizing, silly-bowtie-wearing, Pope-Pius-IX-name-checking, neo-Confederate Federalist Society martinet . . .”
–Skelly Wright (of Arbitrary and Capricious)
GROWING SOUTHERN APPEAL [Jonathan H. Adler]
“Those who have not visited Southern Appeal recently may want to take another look. In addition to Feddie, regular contributors now include the Mobile Register’s Quin Hilyer, Samford law prof Michael DeBow, and the Coalition for a Fair Judiciary’s Kay Daly.”
Southern Appeal was mentioned by Hugh Hewiit of The Daily Standard (The Weekly Standard’s web site) in an article entitled “The Catholic Test, Part 2: Big media has been avoiding the new Democratic religion test, but the blogosphere has answered the bell.”
“Southern Appeal comes to my defense: Another legal blogger gets my back.”
–Jonah Goldberg (National Review)
“Southern Appeal [is] the source on the Pryor battle!”
–Kathryn Jean Lopez (National Review)
“Those interested in more on the Pryor nomination should check out Southern Appeal, Pryor’s biggest blawg booster.”
–Jonathan H Adler (of National Review)
“For updates of all-things-Pryor, check out Southern Appeal.”
–Jonathan H Adler (of National Review)
“Feddie provides the play-by-play on this morning’s Senate Judiciary Committee meeting on the nomination of Bill Pryor.”
–Jonathan H Adler (National Review)
“‘Southern Appeal’ . . . has been providing the Web’s most comprehensive pro-Pryor coverage.”
–Howard Bashman (of “How Appealing“)
“As the blog ‘Southern Appeal’ continues to demonstrate, press coverage of William H. Pryor, Jr.’s nomination to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit is sufficiently voluminous to merit a Web log of its own.”
–Howard Bashman (of “How Appealing“)
“Southern Appeal [is one] of my very favorite blogs”
” Feddie and Howard have done an absolutely marvelous job of keeping track of, and offering some contributions to, the coverage of General Pryor’s Eleventh Circuit nomination. The eerie negative focus of pols and pundits on Pryor’s Catholic faith has been, well, disturbing, to say the least.”
-Matt Conigliaro (of Abstract Appeal)
A Totally Cool Blog: This fellow, who says he’s a “Southern Catholic Federalist” and I were obviously separated at birth. He’s got his links organized as “First Brigade” (as in, “YOU ARE . . . the FIRST BRIGADE!!), likes Bourbon, and has a link to Ben Silver. The only thing remaining is to find out if he’s a KA like me . . . .
“By the way, this is somewhat humorous. I’ve been reading Southern Appeal for a while. The other day I had a conversation with a friend of my about a guy named Steve Dillard — very smart, very articulate, an all around great guy and conservative. The thought struck me — man, Steve should be blogging. Well, today I’m blogging away, follow a link, and what do you know, Steve is the guru behind Southern Appeal. I emailed him to say it was my blond moment of the day.”
“Hall of reciprocity . . . . And Southern Appeal, “The random musings of a Southern Federalist and his co-conspirators”, notably including Prof. Michael DeBow of Samford U.’s Cumberland School of Law, who’s written some great stuff on the tobacco-Medicaid litigation. The site is also your one-stop resource for commentary supportive of the appeals court nomination of Alabama AG Bill Pryor.”
“Blogs you ought to be reading: Southern Appeal: A clear-eyed look at law issues and Southern stuff.”
“Here is an excellent, conservative-libertarian weblog you might be interested in . . . [Southern Appeal]. The fellow running it is a local attorney, a Southerner, an adherent of a strict interpretation of the good old U.S. Constitution. His name, Steve Dillard. You will hear more about this fellow in the coming years, he brings a rare insight and intelligence into politics national and regional. I am listening to him as I type, for he is guest hosting a local talk show . . . .”
–Luke Angelo (of the Gosepl According to Luke)
“Southern Appeal has a new blogger, Mike DeBow of Samford University, who is active in the Federalist Society and has a number of good public policy pieces in Regulation. I first encountered Mike in the late 1980s, when he wrote a piece for Regulation attacking a line of research I was engaged in. (James DeLong defended it last week in Tech Central Station.) It is about time he joined up. I told Mike he should be blogging months ago, and he offered the feeble excuse that he was too busy. Fooey! Welcome to the blogging world, Mike.”
–William Sjostrom (of AtlanticBlog)
“Southern Appeal has been all over the Pryor nomination issue. Feddie also rightly condemns Justice Roy Moore’s grandstanding on the Ten Commandments monument. Of course the federal court’s decision was incorrect and outrageous, but it is equally outrageous for a chief justice of a state supreme court to flout the rule of law.”
–Ryan (of Sarcastic Southerner)
“Southern Appeal has everything you need on the withdrawal of M. Estrada.”
-Robert (of Incommunicado)
“Is it just me, or did anyone else read Feddie’s message above in the voice of William F. Buckley?”
-Kenneth G. Cavness (of Cogicophony)
“Greetings — great work on the blog. I’m sorry to learn, though, that you were
here in beautiful Michiana all this time, working for the esteemed Judge Manion, but never came by Notre Dame Law School to chat with the many folks who like your work.”
Best wishes,
Rick Garnett, Assoc. Prof. Notre Dame Law School
Adam White of White Noize (and Ex Parte fame) named Southern Appeal the site o’ the week recently, noting “[i]n honor of the First Filibuster of William Pryor’s nomination, this week’s site of the week is Southern Appeal. SA has been the forum for the staunchest proponent/defender of Attorney Pryor. His site, long a mix of various legal and political issues, has been dominated in recent weeks by the Pryor nomination … and “Feddie” has contributed invaluable intellectual ammunition to the good cause. He mixes commentary, brief and long, with collections of links to the daily coverage. He has received prime recognition from Howard Bashman, National Review Online, and many other Internet commentators. Now, he has received prime recognition from this commentator, too.”
“Feddie over at Southern Appeal has finally revealed who he is, where he’s from, and where he’s going. There’s even a picture of Feddie, the “Howard Bashman” of conservative, Southern poly-blawging. For coverage of the Bill Pryor nomination saga, and just about any other topic that interests people such as myself, you just can’t beat Southern Appeal. Feddie and I both share a fondness for, among other things, practicing law in the South, Civil War history, and of course, the good ole seersucker suit. Good luck Feddie as you begin the next phase of your career tomorrow!”
-Nate of Carolina Conservative Review
“I don’t know where you go for information on Federal judicial appointments and the political wrangling thereover. I read what Feddie over at Southern Appeal has to say. Heck, I was reading Feddie back before he became one of the most influential law blogs.”
“Conservatives are funny: At least Feddie is: I love the oh-so-subtle jab @ the 700 Club in this post.”
-Mr. Poon (of SMP)
“Feddie, at Southern Appeal, has an excellent post answering a question, posed to him, “What is a Federalist?” I highly recommend SC readers taking the time to stop by his site and check it out.”
-Nathan (of Southern Conservatives)
“Y’know, Andrew Sullivan was off and racing the other day on Constitutional law, a subject about which he knows little, and Bill Pryor and Nino Scalia, subjects about which he apparently knows less. I thought about saying something; then Feddie said it better here and here and, indeed, in other spots too. Helluva blog, that one.”
–T. Crown (of T. Crown’s Musings)
“A very divided Supreme Court handed down a couple of decisions on Affirmative action yesterday. If you want some thoughtful, comprehensive, and intelligent analysis of the subject I would suggest . . . Southern Appeal.”
–Rick DeMent (of “The Rant”)
“My favorite federalist is, predictably, incensed at the Lawrence decision . . . . Today Feddie aims the full brunt of his vitriole at Andrew Sullivan. When I first read the tenor of SA’s posts regarding Mr. Sullivan, I assumed that if he had done such a good job at raising Feddie’s ire, he must be doing something right. I was all set to defend his honor, until I started to read what he had to say, and realized that SA’s comments are right on in this case. Mr. Sullivan’s attempts to cast aspersion in the direction of Bill Pryor are ill-founded. All evidence points towards Pryor being willing to apply the law, even when doing so offends him. Just as liberal judges who personally oppose the death penalty are often called upon to preside over trials in which it is imposed, so too are conservative judges called upon to strike down statutes that unduly burden a woman’s constitutional right to access abortion services. And even though I agree with the result in Lawrence, Mr. Sullivan’s defense of that case makes me almost want to rethink that stance . . . .”
–Donald (of “All Deliberate Speed“)
“If you want to see the intelligent conservative response to Heldman’s points, as opposed to the tripe printed in NRO, go to Southern Appeal. He doesn’t convince me, but he’s worth reading.”
–Daniel Goldberg (of “Trivial Pursuits”)
“While I disagree with SA’s politics, he does a fine bit of layering when he makes compelling and objective arguments regarding the interpretation of the Constitution.”
–jennyd (in a comment to the following post on the Demagogue blog)
“I added Southern Appeal to the roll call . . . . Even at my most kneejerk, I can’t fault Feddie for lack of decorum, and I should be willing to try to appreciate the strict federalist position (anathema though it has become to me recently.)”
–Kriston (of “Grammar Police“)
“Thanks, as always, to Southern Appeal, who finds some really great stuff, and who I think has the best site around.”
–Nate (of Politics & Law School)
“Check out Southern Appeal, which is a blog run by a self-proclaimed conservative/federalist from the south. I guarantee you an interesting read!”
–Jason M. Nemes (of “Sixth Circuit Blog“)
“I found Southern Appeal . . . a political kind of blog offering up some pro-Pryor writings and some insight on the Constitution. Very informative and intelligent.”
–Susan Prince (of “Sisters’ Weblog“)
“Just a quick note to say thanks for linking to my new blog, and to let you know that I enjoy reading Southern Appeal very much. You — well, you all — do a great job.”
– Matt Conigliaro (of Abstract Appeal)
Reader e-mails:
“You’re performing a terrific service by covering so closely the interest-group maneuverings against General Pryor. I’ve alerted quite a few people interested in this fight to your fine blog. Keep up the good work!”
-M.D.
“Just wanted to drop you a note saying that it is a pleasure to find your blog.”
-RMB
“I’m a huge fan and a daily (sometimes more than once) reader of your blog, it’s the best! I’m a conservative Southerner who practices law in a small town in . . . North Carolina. It’s so refreshing to read the insights of another like-minded Southern federalist like myself who is also trained in the law.”
–JG
“I came across your blog when Pryor was first nominated, and I’ve enjoyed it immensely ever since. Thanks for keeping me updated!”
–Jon
“SA has been one of my favorites ever since I came aware of it (via, of course, Bashman).”
–AW
“Great Blog!”
-K.H.
“I enjoy your blog . . . keep up the good work!”
-K.K.
“Was just working on my own blog, when I noticed your blog on the “Fresh Blogs” list. I just wanted to commend you on a blog well-written.”
-R.K.
“I read your two recent exchanges on secession, Federal growth, the Confederate States and causes of the war. Those are absolutely excellent arguments, and I’m glad you made them . . . . I am probably of a similar political outlook as you . . . and I’m glad to find somebody who shares my opinions and is willing to take the trouble to voice them clearly. Thanks a lot, and I’m starting to become a regular reader of your blog!”
-T.H.
“I am an avid fan of your site. I wanted to send my admiration, and condolences, on your recent posting regarding the Civil War. Your state your position well, and it is reasonable and virtually unassailable with logic. I fear(and your piece, in recognizing that fights about the CIvil War are really fights about today’s politics, bolsters my fears) that your arguments will not convince your opponents, but instead will only be a tool to marginalize you. In other words, you may be right, but kiss that judgeship good-bye. I console myself with the assumption that you consider honesty, integrity, and honor to be commodities that are not for sale at any price, much less as a bad trade for a robe and gavel.”
-M.P.
“I want to thank you for an excellent and informative website.”
-C.W.
