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is a big factor to consider, at least when debating the policing of interaction in any medium.  If the author/editor/policeman is able to directly interact with each and every commenter, then the likelihood of a stable environment goes quite high.  Jeff Sullivan used to have a smallish audience back when he was LeoneForThird (4?), but his writing style and overall readability have won him one of the sportsworld's biggest team-centered blogs.
There are simply too many people interacting to allow for 100% free engagement rules.  Once you get into his type of traffic volume, the spectrum will be completely represented on pretty much any variable, whether it's political, social, economical or even geographical.  I agree with Ice about disliking the *types* of rules that LL enforces, but I understand that they're absolutely necessary.  For example:
I used to be a poster on bloodyelbow.com, which is the premier MMA site out there.  The quality of writing, analysis and newsfeed is unmatched anywhere.  I know, because I've tried to find its equal.  They banned me because I disagree with a fundamental principle that one of the chief editors espouses, and I did so quite eloquently and effectively.  Their rules and enforcement are harsh, really harsh.  But it's because of those rules that their quality is unmatched.  They attract people (like myself) who don't get bogged down in the mindlessness which all-too-often permeates online interactions (for whatEVER reason), and who can interact intelligently and debate issues fairly even-handedly.
The other big sites out there have no such rules, and there's basically zero point in reading the threads because of the degenerative nature of the comments.  At BE you would find tons of good info and insight in the threads, often making the article itself pale in comparison to the community contributions.  Everywhere else, it's basically just the same as a newspaper blog, where you have to work a little harder than you're willing in order to amplify the original article.
So while I dislike the rules at the premier sites out there, I do understand that they serve a purpose and I also enjoy the environment that such rules (generally) help create.