The Phantom Publog

The title is an homage to Walter Lippmann's book The Phantom Public. As a scholar and professor of rhetoric, I don't share his pessimism regarding the value of public deliberation but I do understand his frustration regarding the expectations of omnicompetent citizenship. This blog is my attempt to be less of a "phantom" and contribute something to the larger conversation. My guess is that few will read this blog but, as my graduate advisor might say, the manner in which I enact the blog is more important to democratic citizenship than the power and reach of the blog itself.