GREETINGS MERCURY RISING “Reader”/”s”: “Phoenix Woman” (has anyone ever noticed that her and Ken “Avidor” Weiner have never been seen in the same place?) apparently thinks that any reference to Bradlee Dean is not only a) a wholehearted endorsement of every minute facet of his worldview, and b) since I am a Republican, proof that Bradlee Dean really really double-dog is is is is is an honest-to-Pete “GOP insider”.
And “her” “point” is that Dean and the “You Can Run…” crew aren’t really “obliquely involved in politics”. Which I wrote because, in 2010, they were pretty, well, obliquely involved in politics. Sure, they did a political talk show; but unless “Phoenix” can show us some evidence that Brad and Jake actually particpate and are involved in some sort of party activity on a regular basis, “she” is really talking out her ass – or as we conservative bloggers put it, “Phoenixing”.
Further proof that
a) if logic were gasoline, “Phoenix Woman” couldn’t drive around the inside of a cheerio, and
b) if you read Mercury Rising, you’ve either had a stroke, or are trying to give yourself one.
On to the actual article
——–
With the backmarkers out of the way, it’s time to recognize the middle of the pack – the Minnesota conservatives that are the eleventh through twentieth most-hated by Minnesota liberals.
Just as explanation, I weighted all votes by their position on the voters’ lists. Thus a first-place vote got ten points, second-place nine points, and so on down to tenth place, for a point. I also calculated a “passion index”, which is just a fancy way of saying the average points the subject got per vote; the higher the “passion index”, the more high-point votes the subject got. Rankings are in descending order of point totals.
So without further ado, here we go!
20. King Banaian: My long-time NARN cohost, conservative economist and candidate for the Minnesota House in district 15B, Banaian squeaked onto the Top 20 with three votes and the second-lowest passion index in the group, barely ahead of Erik Paulsen. I suspect he’ll do much better in the election this fall.
19. AM1280 The Patriot: The station that broadcasts such controversial fare as Bill Bennett, Hugh Hewitt and Michael Medved – also the NARN – is hated by many for being a dissenter at all.
18. Taxpayers League of Minnesota: The group behind the “No New Taxes” pledge, the TPLoMN has been blamed for everything from the 35W bridge collapse to full wastebaskets in state offices. Tied for the highest passion index in the 11-20 group.
17. Bradlee Dean: Host of “Sons of Liberty”, minister at the controversial “You Can Run ButYou Can Not Hide” street ministry, and Andy Birkey’s constant stalkee, the regional leftymedia has turned Dean into a strawman representing all that is evil about Minnesota conservatism, notwithstanding the fact that he’s only tangentially involved in politics.
16. Scott Johnson: The Powerline blogger pummels lefty figures from Dan Rather all the way down to Nick Coleman without breaking a sweat. Liberals hate that.
15. Rep. John Kline: He wins the Second District with the same kinds of margins Betty McCollum and Keith Ellison get in the Fourth and Fifth. Unlike the dim McCollum and the always-frothing Ellison, Kline is a competent congressman.
14. Rep. Laura Brod: One voter commented “the left hates conservative women more than anything”, and Laura Brod has become one of the strongest figures in Minnesota conservatism – a “prairie Sarah Palin”, said one voter. And that adds up to votes! Youtube videos of her running verbal rings around DFLers in the house are a favorite among Minnesota conservatives. Lefties hate fun.
13. John Hinderaker: My NARN cohost and Powerline contributor is widely, but mildly, detested; he got the most votes of anyone in the 11-20 group, but also drew the lowest passion index – lower than his blog partners Johnson and Mirengoff, lower even than Banaian or his NARN 1 co-host Brian Ward. This is, however, a great base from which to improve for next year.
12. Phil Krinkie: Former “Doctor No” of the legislature and then head of the Taxpayers’ League, Krinkie has stood in the way of DFL spending, which is like getting in a Christian’s path to heaven, or a Packer fan’s access to beer – it’ll get people exercised.
11. Carol Molnau: Pawlenty’s lieutenant governor and former Transportation Commisioner, Molnau has been conservative and female – two words that act on liberals like holy water on vampires.
Tomorrow at noon – the Top Ten Minnesota Conservatives that Minnesota liberals hate!
“irregardless”
Why, Mitch, why?
Because I can…
Wait. K-Rod is lecturing me on word choice?
Phil Krinkie has never been involved with the Free Market Institute. He is President of the Taxpayers League of Minnesota. Please make the correction. They are 2 distinct organizations. David Strom has been with both organizations and Pat Anderson was the previous President of Free Market Institute.
#20 with a bullet. Sweet.
I DO expect a spreadsheet, btw.
K-Rod is lecturing me on word choice?
No, he’s lecturing you on choosing words that aren’t words at all.
(Sounds like it might be liberal fascism to me.)
Nah, irregardless is a word. Not a very good word, though. My desk copies of Strunk & White and the American Heritage Dictionary both find the word, shall we say, hinky.
Where I come from, we use linguistic proscriptivists for firewood.
If King gets a spreadsheet, I hope we all get to see the results, although the methodology won’t boost your cred as a critic of surveys.
This “poll” should be titled “Which Conservatives Do Conservatives Think Liberals Hate?”
If you don’t define the word “thee” to Bubbasan’s satisfaction he will jump all over your sh*t. We know that.
If King gets a spreadsheet, I hope we all get to see the results, although the methodology won’t boost your cred as a critic of surveys.
Well, we all know how vital that is.
This “poll” should be titled “Which Conservatives Do Conservatives Think Liberals Hate?”
And that would be invalid precisely how?
Think we don’t know?
Quimby,
There’s an old saying that goes like this:
“Lighten up, Francis.”
“lecturing”
That’s a bit strong of a word.
I was just a bit surprised that a man of your stature would set such a low standard. Aren’t there any wordsmith ethics anymore?
On second thought, CQ:
the methodology won’t boost your cred as a critic of surveys.
Doh. Can’t believe I missed that.
OCTOBER 28, 2010:
MITCH: “Look at the crosstabs; the Minnesota Poll that shows Emmer down by three points oversampled Democrats by 20%”.
QUIMBY: “But what about that for-the-fun-of-it poll you did last summer? There are questions about its methodology! Doesn’t that invalidate everything you have to say on the subject?”
MITCH: Dammit!
wordsmith
Speaking of words that should never be used…
I prefer “word-worker” myself.
Strunk and White recommend “word to your mother.”
I like “grammatical engineer”.
Not “linguistic cowboy”?
Leave the title of “engineer” to us actual engineers, Mitch. 😉
How about “verbiage conductor”.
If you promise to never, ever, ever use the word “wordsmith” again, even if a terrorist is holding a gun to your head, then you have a deal, KRod.
So be it, that word is now verboten in linguistic etiquette.
Banned like a conservative on a leftyblog!
I look down my nose at elitist engineers. *looks down his nose*
Shoo! Back to your choo-choo! 😉
Word, yo.
Gesundheit, Troy.
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