Residual Forces

I’m going out on a huge limb here, but it seems Paul @ Powerline may be going soft on conservatism.

On the front page of today’s Washington Post, we learn that “liberal bloggers” have made a “target” of centrist (sort of) Democratic Rep. Ellen Tauscher of California. This is the kind of story that some conservative bloggers used to argue shows the destructive influence of the liberal blogosphere on the Democratic party. But that was before some conservative bloggers started doing the same thing to Republican members of Congress.

But at least conservative bloggers don’t get quoted making bombastic pronouncements like this one from the power-crazed (but to-date impotent) “Subcomandante” Markos of the Daily Kos — “Absolutely, we could take her out.”

UPDATE: Just to be clear about this, there’s nothing wrong with bloggers on either side of the divide opposing incumbent members of Congress whose positions on key issues the bloggers deem unacceptable. Doing so, especially on a regular basis, will likely hurt the party the blogger generally supports, but bloggers can hardly be criticized for putting cause above party.

Sigh!

[AAA's Consciousness: Um, AAA, do you really want to bark up Powerline's tree?

AAA: Because I like "making bombastic pronouncements" about people I usually agree with when I think they stray from where I think they should be.]

I think the best way to explain the notion of “making bombastic pronouncements” is that there is a maturity on the center right of the blogs that works for most people (myself excluded) as a filter of not saying anything dumb that will hurt one’s credibility. The lefty bloggers don’t worry about that, because the Democratic politicians take blogs seriously.

Republicans fear the blogs and do all they can to only give notice to “the good ones” who “do no harm”. Our big bloggers know that to be given the privileged access, once saved for the impartial MSMers, they had to play nice. It is not often that you see the biggest center right bloggers lash out at wayward Republicans.

Now, I do know from last cycle that by being “nice” you are given far more access to Republican inner circles than with out. Since my return to conservatism first, party second, I have found I am treated as an enemy of the State Party and senior officials. (I understand, that is not out of line with how out of line I have been. I am not complaining, just saying.)

So I have to wonder what the point of the Powerline post is…. Is it to show how the Democrats are the whipping boys and girls by their netroots, or how the Republicans refuse to acknowledge the untrained monkeys ‘on their side(?) on most issues?

Powerline is widely held as the most influential of center right bloggers, and rightly so. They are bullet proof when it comes to facts and content accuracy. But just how involved are they in Republican party grassroots politics?

[AAA's C: You're going to blog hell.

AAA's C: So get to it.]

Speaking on Minnesota political blogs only, there is a very large politically active lefty blogosphere. They are given/fed/paid to cover politics as they see the world in largely the same hue as the Democratic party leaders and officials. Their mutual goal is shared, discrediting conservatism and accumulation of political power in the hands of socialist friendly Democrats. There is tolerance of diversion and dissension for the end goal on the left.

[AAA's C: The point?]

On the political right, we are treated as media. We are rewarded for good behavior and punished for poor, regarding on our postings/rantings. When we speak out of turn, editorialize on RINOisms, or refuse to regurgitate press releases we are treated as “the enemy”. There is little room for dissenting opinion, and incumbency is akin to sacred royalty.

[AAA's C: The point?]

I understand not having dissent around, trust me, it has its time and place. In the Summer of 06, I had many battles over what I dubbed the “hypocritic oath”, of doing no harm come election time. I still stand by that, and will have to make some tough choices next Summer in who I will and will not support through this blog.

But I see the pre-endorsement period as the cleansing time. Our candidates are busy making law, and we NEED to hold their feet held to the fire. Now is the time to discuss priorities and agendas. Now is the time to weed out the worthy, and those not based on their records.

Now is the time that those lucky enough in the Republican party, to have had base support and have won elections, to be making laws and setting policies that will have lasting affects to earn our blood, sweat, and tears. Now is the time to cleanse oursleves of bad ideas and political pandering not circling the wagons for the sake of electoral cycles to come.

[AAA's C: That point.]

Now, I’m sure Powerline is above the ‘paid to’ level that too many center right bloggers and pundits. OK, look, I have a running beef with them for their “ignore”-ance of the local blogs, and most of us have lived under their shadow ever since Rather-gate. That’s fine, they took down Dan Rather, what have I done for Republicans lately? ….. (don’t answer that!)

Long post short….

[AAA's C: Is this where you get to the point?]

…. are the big names on the political right beginning to play nice with political heavyweights like McCain, Romney, & party leaders, and hence forth squashing dissent for anything other than their own readership and sources? I see a mentality brewing amongst some, where they seem to think they are all knowing, and owed exclusivity.

[AAA: Hmmmm, that seems like they think they are above reproach, or holier than thou, just like elected Republicans.

AAA's C: You're an idiot.]

Now some (OK, most) the notoriety the Powerline’s get it is deserved. Most of us are hobby online keyboardists who are one flannel set of PJ pants and a computer upstairs short of the MSM stereotype. But a bunch of us are in the trenches, fighting the fight for conservatism door to door and face to face, not for readership and talking head appearances on Cable networks.

There is a war underway for this party & what it really stands for and it is going on between those who believe in conservatism to the bone, and those who use it for electoral (or readership) success but refuse to stand by it when times are dire or the polls say they are. I feel a lot of us on the center right perform a very valuable service with our “putting cause above party”.

With out us, our unprincipled candidates now elected officials and policy-lawmakers, who take conservatism for granted, would never know they are out of line. Besides, if our elected Republicans can’t stand for what the Republican party claims, what in the heck is the point of having the party in the first place?

[AAA's C: What the heck?

AAA: Isn't it clear?

AAA's C: No !!!!!!!!

AAA: grrrrr, I was going to relax tonight before I saw this post, but I had a memory of how my Dad used to always say,"just tellin' it like it is"...... ]

So, here’s the question, is Powerline hedging their bets that party above principles & conservatism is better for them blogtastically? Are they now joining the ever growing chorus of people on the center right who read the 2006 election as a referendum on conservative policies and playing nice to remain connected, rather than a failure of elected Republicans standing for conservative values?

[AAA's C: Just ask it and get this post over with!]

Is Powerline selling out conservatism to remain pertinent in who evers’ eyes they take more serious than us lowly “putting cause above party” bloggers on the center right, like the MSM and Republican newsmakers, so they may, themself, remain pertinent?

[AAA's C: happy?

AAA: I didn't expect air conditioning free Wi-Fi in blog hell.]