Eight hundred thirty posts (so far) this year. And it wasn’t a big election year. What follows is a list of our top traffic generating posts written in 2013. One such post generated the equivalent of two to three months of normal traffic in the period of two days. That one went viral. Posts from previous years still generate considerable traffic – that’s another beauty of the Internets. We didn’t include those posts on this list.

Here’s our list.

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At Number 1:

At the Missouri State Fair last night (August 11, 2013)

Yes, the rodeo clown/Obama incident at the Missouri State Fair. The promoted post (and photo) by a registered user garnered around 35,000 unique hits over the course of two days. The thing is, if the poster had known how to attach a photo at the Great Orange Satan his post over there would have probably dropped like a rock in the queue. Instead…

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At Number 2:

Of state fair rodeo announcers and clowns: res ipsa loquitur (August 12, 2013)

Our post on the rodeo clown incident on the day after.

Jason Rosenbaum ‏@jrosenbaum

This quip from ShowMeProgress’ @MBersin makes me chuckle: “Anyone interested in some posts on campaign finance?” [….] 5:33 PM – 12 Aug 13

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At Number 3:

HB 170: so much for “originalism” (January 16, 2013)

A tenther gun nullification bill (what else is new?) in the Missouri House. Who knew that people were interested in lunatic fringe right wingnut legislation making its way through the General Assembly? The bill was sponsored by Representative Casey Guernsey (r).

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At Number 4:

Why does Ann Wagner think she speaks for me? (September 26, 2013)

Representative Ann Wagner (r) and Obamacare. The gift that keeps on giving.

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At Number 5:

License Bureau Blues (April 25, 2013)

A Penrose cartoon posted here and mentioned in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch sent traffic our way.

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At Number 6:

Vicky Hartzler: Wallowing in the pork trough while children do without (July 22, 2013)

Representative Vicky Hartzler (r), one of “…fourteen Republican representatives who voted – are you ready – to cut the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits from the farm bill while retaining massive agricultural subsidies they themselves receive…”

Representative Hartzler (r) consistently provides us with plenty of material to cover.

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At Number 7:

Forward! On to the Stone Age!: The Editorial Life of Peter D. Kinder (January 2, 2013)

A sampling of Lieutenant Governor (and possible 8th Congressional District candidate) Peter Kinder’s (r) newspaper editorials written back in the days when they didn’t buy electrons by the terabyte.

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At Number 8:

Missouri Women United – march and rally in Jefferson City (April 27, 2013)

Yes, we still live in a world where we have to protest this stuff.

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At Number 9:

HB 291: keping misooree stoopit (January 4, 2013)

Representative Rick Brattin (r) strikes another severe blow against intelligent…

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At Number 10 (tie):

The high cost of the Missouri GOP’s Obamacare tantrum (March 31, 2013)

We talked about republican intransigence on Medicaid in Missouri. We’ll continue to do so.

Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D) at the NRLCA convention in St. Louis – August 13, 2013 (August 14, 2013)

The National Rural Letter Carriers Association held their convention in St. Louis. Representative Emanuel Cleaver (D) spoke:

“…And keep in mind that when I left Washington, uh, almost two weeks ago Congress had sent thirteen bills to the President’s desk. The smallest number in the history of the republic. And most of those were naming post offices. [laughter, applause] That’s hardly postal reform. [laughter]…”

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Honorable mention:

Norman Rockwell ain’t got nothin’ on the real Kansas City – part 3 (September 7, 2013)

Our posted videos of Representative Emanuel Cleaver’s (D) town hall on Syria were cited by Digby (another a-list national political blog). They didn’t provide the post URL, but instead linked to the main Show Me Progress URL. It did generate a lot of traffic.