Still searching for a Rightroots movement
November 07, 2008 3:33 pm ET by Eric Boehlert
You would've thought conservative bloggers would have tried to build a counterpart to the liberal netroots before the 2008 campaign. But this cycle has been, in our opinion, a debacle for the right side of the blogosphere which, incredibly, is still trying to build a network of bloggers, commenters, and activists that even vaguely resembles what liberals have created.
Listen in as the Rightroots tries to get off the ground.
P.S. If there's a silver lining for the right it's that it took, for liberals, the heart-breaking defeat of John Kerry in 2004, to truly energize the netroots movement. Perhaps the same will happen to the Rightroots in the wake of McCain's loss, although we have our doubts.
I guess I'm just never going to get the media's fascination with the words "right" and "left" and "conservative" and "liberal" in discussing Law and Government and Public Policy, when what they're really talking about is REPUBLICANS and DEMOCRATS.
Why refer to "conservative bloggers" when what is certainly meant is REPUBLICAN bloggers?
Why refer above to "a debacle for the right side of the blogosphere" when is certainly meant is "a debacle for the REPUBLICAN side of the blogosphere"?
I follow National Policy as you all do, in the administration of our Federal Government, and in the work of our Congress.
There is a REPUBLICAN Party, and a REPUBLICAN National Committee, and many members of Congress who call themselves REPUBLICANS, and even put the letter (R) next to their names to signify the same...
I know of no "conservative" party or "right" party, or of any "conservative" or "right" national committee...
But now that I think of it, I do know of Members of Congress who think themselves right, all the time... many of them are sure they are right, and will say so at every opportunity... but I do not know why those who would disagree with them (disagree they are right) would do them the great and strange courtesy of calling them "right".
I don't get it.
I don't get why you call them "right".
I know why they call themselves that, but I don't get why you take the bait, and call them "right" too.
They're REPUBLICANS.
The (R) doesn't stand for "right"... rarely if ever, do REPUBLICANS in Congress stand for right, so I'm at a complete loss why you would call them "right".
Two lefts don't make a right, but three do.
If their unconcious of the connections already existing btween the neocns and the media. The reiforcement and repeating of their talking points, then I'm a little suspect of their intelligence. Wasn't pajamasmedia supposed to be on top of this, with supporting funds?
Silver lining? If they're not in the same place, they can't take a similar road back.
What are the great changes in policy, in ideology, between Kerry's platform and Obama's plans?
My guess is the Rs will decide one of two courses: To either tear up the positions that have "worked" for them (right up until they were repudiated in 2006 and 08, not to mention how great they worked for the country as a whole), or convince themselves that they just fought too clean and fair.
The simple truth--the facts--those things we've been so pointedly ignoring of late--is that the right wing is simply far, far worse at any act that involves creativity. Like, you know, the arts, in any of its many forms.
Television/film: um, Jon Voight, for christsakes. I'll spot you Kelsey Grammar, but it's a small spot. Then, let's think of all of that great conservative music, a problem embarrassingly brought to light with *every goddamn song* that McCain tried to use on the trail. What about that great republican comedy--I give you Greg Gutfeld, and don't *even* try to give him back. "An American Carol".
The problem is that the only thing they're much better at is the acquisition (and ownership) of wealth and power.