It’s been a hard year for a lot of conservative activists – including bloggers.
Remember, especially in Minnesota, the GOP relies on volunteers to do most of its grunt-level organizing, sign-posting, call-banking and door-knocking – the stuff for which the DFL pays a small army of “activists”.
And each and every campaign in recent memory – 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006 – has been a “Make Or Break” campaign for the Minnesota GOP; in each election, Minnesota flirted with purplehood; Minnesota’s legacy as a big-L “liberal” state hung in the balance, and held on by a thread.
For Minnesota’s conservative volunteers, for four straight election cycles, it was “just one more big push”. And they delivered; they turned out in droves; they worked countless hours; like the patriots that won this country’s independence, they devoted hours and weeks of their lived for the pure love of the cause; the Democrats’ paid help, like a horde of Hessians, showed up because that’s where the money was.
And they worked wonders. They got the word out. But for the Ventura fluke, they’d have gotten Norm Coleman into the governor’s mansion in 1998; they contributed mightily to his performance against Wellstone, before the late Senator’s death; they almost pulled off what a generation ago would have been unthinkable – putting Minnesota in the Red column, twice.
And they’re tired. Some of them are very, very burned out. I’ve talked with some of them, men and women with families and day jobs and lives, who’ve put all of them to some degree aside every two years for going on a decade now.
And some of them don’t know that they can do it again.
It’s similar among bloggers. The “Class of ’04” – the surge of center-right blogs and writers that kicked off during the ’04 campaign – was, and remains, the most dynamic group of political bloggers in the US. But you could feel a collective fatigue, in some ways, after the ’06 elections. Many of the ’04 blogs went dormant; some of the bloggers flamed out (although the MOB’s attrition is lower, I suspect, than for just about any other group of 100-odd blogs you can find); others, tired of having to churn stuff out every day, dropped their own blogs to join one the big superblogs (Freedom Dogs, Anti-Strib, TvM) that are positioned to be so very important in this next go-round. I know I took a step back from politics for a while after the election, and I’m still not entirely back into it.
Yet.
But that’s going to have to change. There’s a new election season coming up, and it’s going to be huge – even without the Republican National Convention and the hordes of mischievous pranksters following it to Saint Paul next September. It’s going to be a donnybrook, on the state and federal levels, here in Minnesota. The Presidential context will once again have Minnesota teetering on the brink of Red and Blue, and our ten electoral votes are mighty tempting to both parties. The Senate race will be the dirtiest in Minnesota history, and the ACORN volunteers will be floating down our streets on waves of George Soros’ money. In Minnesota, Tim Pawlenty stood athwart the flood of DFL tax-‘n-spend proposals like the Finns at Suomussalmi, outfoxing and outmaneuvering his bovine, lumpen enemies and their “All Your Money Is Ours!” platform. The Dems’ majority in the House is built on sand, with a bunch of seats held by DFLers who won by paper-thin margins in traditionally-GOP-leaning districts; expect them to pour on the money, the dirt, and the media play to keep it that way.
So the GOP is going to have to call on the things that really make it a contender in this next election; its’ strength in the parts of this state that actually pay the way; its volunteers that make it competitive everywhere; and finally, the alternative media, blogs and talk radio.
Who’s going to pull that all together?
Well, stay tuned.
“Who’s going to pull it all together?”
Mitch’s post is spot on. Which I’m sure brings a smile to bitchieclown’s face. But I can answer the question in two words. Two words that energize the base…even makes ME want to walk on crushed glass to deliver lit to a door…
Fred Thompson.
And if those two words don’t galvanize the base…I’ll give you two more that WILL…
Hillary Clinton.
Put them all together and the base will spring into action.
My heart skipped a beat yesterday when I read the headline “Thompson bows out of race for primaries”.
Dave & Bill C – Out of curiosity why Fred Thompson?
Fulcrum:
#1 Fred does have a TRUE conservative pedagree. I’ll admit (as he has) that there are a couple mistakes that he made (see: McCain-Feingold vote). But compared to the current President and any of the wannabees, he’s the best of the bunch.
#2 Half of politics is being able to deliver a line and convince people with your oratory. Bush is a failure at this when he reads a teleprompter. Great in-person (I’ve met him). Whom better than an accomplished actor for this?
#3 He’s not Hillary.
Also he’s not very bright and doesn’t work hard. “Reaganesque” in other words.
Ah…bitchieclown uses the standard “He’s stupid” response. Based upon…? Nothing. As far as the work ethic goes, that’s another myth from the 1990’s.
Fred’s done almost nothing so far…and he’s leading or within a few points of leading in many polls…including against the Dems. That alone should scare the paint off bitchieclown’s face.
“Who’s going to pull it all together?”…Fred Thompson.
Yes, but when?!
Has he waited too long? Does he have some sort of strategy regarding his timing? I feel he may have lost his momentum.
“others, tired of having to churn stuff out every day, dropped their own blogs to join one the big superblogs (Freedom Dogs, Anti-Strib, TvM) that are positioned to be so very important in this next go-round.”
Simply untrue Mr. Berg……I started blogging at Anti Stri because I just needed one more thing on my already full plate!
LL
jroosh:
Fred’s current contract with “Law and Order” ends on 9/1. The reason he has not announced and started a full campaign is that the re-runs of the show could be jeopardized by the Equal Time clause. Hence the wait. Besides, is it just me or did the 2008 campaign start WAAAAAY too early anyway?
Besides, is it just me or did the 2008 campaign start WAAAAAY too early anyway?
(at least one hand rises…)
While I didn’t start before the 2004 election, I started blogging just after the 2004 election.
Frankly, I’m more fired up about the 2008 election than about any other election.
We have a very genuine shot at retaking the majority in the Minnesota House. In fact, considering how many idiotic statements they made & all the super-sized tax increases that they passed, I’d say it’s our’s if we work hard.
With Congress’s approval rating hovering in Jack the Ripper range, it’s quite possible to retake the House. The Senate might be a bit dicier but still very doable.
I prefer Fred over Rudy but I’m very comfortable with either. Either would make a vastly superior president than would Hillary or Obama.
As I said, it’ll take lots of work but it’s doable.
Finally, I’ll just say this to people that say that there isn’t a dime’s worth of difference between Republicans & Democrats: You’re right. In the Minnesota legislature, there isn’t a dime’s worth of difference; there’s billions of dollars of differences.
Our mottoes for 2008 should be two old Reagan maxims:
Your 80 percent friend isn’t your 20 percent enemy;
It’s amazing what we can accomplish when we don’t care who gets credit for what.
Besides, is it just me or did the 2008 campaign start WAAAAAY too early anyway?
(at least one hand rises…)
Ditto!
LL
“Also he’s not very bright and doesn’t work hard. “Reaganesque” in other words.”
Well, we wouldn’t want to revisit those days again. I am sure I am not the only one that remembers the late 70’s with fondness. The double digit inflation, 20% to buy a house, housing foreign students in our Iranian embassy, gas lines, our talking tough with the USSR by umm….not going to the olympics. our malaise. Oh, to have those days back again.
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I feel a strong second wind rising…
Lassie, you are the wind beneath my shorts.
…the wind beneath my shorts.
Mangy Clown, don’t you wear those baggy polka-dot pants donned by your fellow jesters?
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I wish I had an 80% friend to back. I’d have to work to get Coleman to 50%. Good luck rallying the troops. Let me guess, the party plans to scare us with the Supreme Court (Harriet Miers), tax cuts expiring and Illegal immigration (Dude, where’s my wall?)
And yes, 2008 started way, way early. Clinton didn’t announce until September.
Contrary to popular opinion, we won’t be cleaning up our “super blog” for the election, people can go to Powerline if they want clean. But thanks for the compliment!
As I already mentioned in LL’s post, I have no intention of “cleaning up my act”. I have perfected my plate-throwing technique, and my change-up is awesome.
You’re right. those aren’t good enough reasons to get motivated. Might as well grab the ball & go home.
“Also he’s not very bright and doesn’t work hard. “Reaganesque” in other words.”
Really, the whole “smart” thing seems to be so over-rated. Who gets to say what “smart” or “bright” is? I saw a gal in the store the other day who I knew from waaay back. She was valedictorian of her class….married a biker, lived “rough”, did meth, both got busted….he went to prison (for the 3rd time) she remarried a guy that looks just like him (cuz she had his image tattooed on her shoulder, so…) and now still lives rough but with 75% fewer teeth! But, at least she was “smart”!
Some people just don’t get it. Getting people fired up yet again is not going to be easy. The base has been called racist talk Radio Lackeys by our own party. Many Republicans still don’t understand why they got turned out last year.
At what point do sane people look at that people that have repeated lied to us and let us down and admit that they aren’t trustworthy? If we continue to support anyone with an R behind their name we are worse than the Democrats, at least the people they vote for believe in the socialism they are selling.
You can’t ask for an educated base and then get pissed when they hold your feet to the fire.
Scary Colleen thinks intelligence is overrated. Surprise.
“Reagan was dumb”
“Bush Sr. was a wimp”
“GW is Hitler”
Insert CD 2 now.
“Rove is a Svengali”
“Rumsfeld is a bad, bad man”
“Cheney is just evil”
You’ve just heard Volume 1 of The Best of The Democrats Mantra”. All for the low low price of $29.99. Act now and we will include a framed swatch of the real Monica Lewinsky’s dress. Do not pass up this opportunity to own a piece of history and Bill’s DNA! The 2 CD set is the perfect addition to any Democrat library. Play it anytime. At home! On your Segway! At your next topless sit-in after the folk protest songs have dried up! Available at all your finer urban organic food boutiques.
Your witless, scattershot attempt to be funny, wagthedog, shows how hard it is to turn church-lady moralizing and a slavish devotion to the interests of rich white guys into comedy. I encourage you to keep trying, though in private until you get better at it.
Mitch is the only funny wingnut I know. My theory is that he’s funny and he’s a conservative for the same reason: he’s a natural contrarian. Most of the rest of you, unfortunately, are just dreary authoritarian types. The quality of your humor is generally on par with the captain of the football team making fun of the retarded kids in the lunchroom.
making fun of the retarded kids in the lunchroom.
I’m sorry you had to experience such cruelty ac, but it sure explains a lot.
Mitch is the only funny wingnut I know.
While I accept with gratitude the seltzer-drenched comment, I only appear tall because I stand on the shoulders of P.J. O’Rourke and Dennis Miller.
(insert Sally-Field-like soliloquoy)
“Your witless, scattershot attempt to be funny, wagthedog,”
Wagthedog? That passes for a witty rejoinder? You need new writers, clown. I get more humor from a Times editorial.
I’m working on it. Paintedhog? Dumbasalog? Angryclown’s comedy biorhythms are off today. But I can still tell you’re not funny.
Paintedhog? Dumbasalog? Well, I take it back, you’re right, you should be lecturing others on the nuances of comedy. You’re the Dane Cook of the Shotinthedark forums. Or is that Carlos Mencia?
Don’t worry, painted…bitchieclown is to comedy as Ronald McDonald is to fine dining.
TvM observed: “the center-right blogosphere has been rode hard and put away wet.”
Careful, you’ll make Colleen too excited.
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