Maybe it’s because a group of Tea Party / conservative bloggers helped launch Marco Rubio’s primary fight against Charlie Crist, in a story rarely told anywhere except here, Give Some Credit To “Not One Red Cent”. That group of scrappy misfits (I’m going to catch hell for that characterization) rose up in response to the NRSC deciding to preordain Crist the Republican nominee.
Or maybe it’s because Ted Cruz launched his campaign, in his words, on a conference call with bloggers, while the establishment fought for David Dewhurst.
Or because the conservative blogosphere backed Mike Lee and Rand Paul, but did not back a challenge to Orrin Hatch.
It’s not just who won, but who worries about winning.
My post the other day, RNC Report — 100 pages and not a single word about bloggers, has received a great response.
I don’t think this was a response, but it seems others have noticed as well, via Jeff Reynolds of FreedomWorks yesterday, NRSC Creates Blogger Outreach Position To Facilitate Communications:
This week, the Republican National Committee released an “autopsy” on how the GOP lost the election in 2012 and where it can improve its branding going forward. William Jacobsen [sic] of Legal Insurrection noted that the 100 page report failed to mention New Media and bloggers as an opportunity to improve communications. However, the National Republican Senatorial Committee has seen the power of New Media and has decided to take a more proactive approach. The NRSC recently hired Bill Murphy to direct blogger outreach.
Murphy, Director of BlogBash, appeared at a blogger’s briefing at CPAC this past weekend and said, “They get it now. Their whole team is fired up and ready to reach out to all the conservative online activists and all the bloggers. You (bloggers) will start getting a lot of emails from us, and if you have any comments or any kind of criticism, we will appreciate hearing from you.” Murphy previously served in a similar capacity on the Romney campaign.
It will be interesting to see if they reach out to bloggers and activists that are aligned with groups such as FreedomWorks where there has been pushback against the incumbent protection machines. Will they make a concerted effort to strengthen the party by choosing many voices instead of one? Many believed that the RNC report served as a roadmap for centralizing power at the top, instead of allowing the grassroots to help craft new election strategies. The true power of the decentralized media is the ability to have many voices and perspectives. Time will tell if the NRSC will embrace the democratization of media, or will rather seek to homogenize the message.
Time will tell.
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Comments
Professor: Good on ye! Keep your eagle eye trained on that bunch of “Maybes,” ready to fire when needed. Some of us will too, as needed.
Congratulations Professor!
The smart ones are reaching out to the blogs because they recognize it is one of the best ways to reach their base. It is also a really, really easy way to read exactly where the base is by the blog posts and comments.
Like so many others, I read internet sites like Breitbart, and the blogs – Legal Insurrection 🙂 – for my news instead of being lied to by the democrat media. It is a huge audience available to them if they are serious.
You are right – time will tell….
I’ve broken with the RNC, yet they call me 2-3 times a week, still. If I didn’t know better, I’d think they were a branch of Scientology.
My argument is that with the Internet, I can place my limited and hard-earned dollars where I want them to go. Not all Republicans are created equal, and I am finding myself more and more at odds with the RNC.
Their argument goes in an endless circle. Don’t you want Republicans to win? We only come in for the general election and support all candidates.
The disconnect between the two is that the RNC supports and sustains the “establishment”, who is often at odds with my candidate. If he/she wins, I feel that the RNC does not get behind them 100%, which I am prepared to do.
It’s no wonder we are getting our asses handed to us. We are like a lot of lone knights fighting against the Borg. But where is any kind of unity, when Rancid Prius cannot even see the value of blogs in the modern political struggle?
I am f-ing appalled.
To the RNC: “I don’t have a dime to spare, until you freakin’ grow a pair!”
Not to worry Professor. We accept the term ‘misfits’ since we sure as Hell don’t fit into the current political scheme. While all we expect is a return to the Constitution and its Original Intent, the Professional Politicians, their myriad of like minded minions and the outright criminals that rule over us pledge their allegiance to ‘The Commerce Clause’.
In fact, may I humbly suggest a bumper sticker campaign:
“Don’t feel like you fit in? Join us – The Misfits for the Constitution!” or words to that affect.
re: ” “They get it now. Their whole team is fired up and ready …blah, blah, blah, blah, blah….we will appreciate hearing from you.” Murphy previously served in a similar capacity on the Romney campaign.”
The Romney campaign, eh? Well, that sure did end well. I need to go self-medicate again. Why not just go ahead and crown Obama Ruler for Life or hand the crown to Hillary – unless McCain want’s it.
Why didn’t Murphy just say, “Prepare yourselves for the UFO alien anal probe – we’re going to pin you to the wall like the bugs we think you are!”
“They get it now. Their whole team is fired up…”
“Murphy previously served in a similar capacity on the Romney campaign.”
Funny, gut-busting even. Does anyone really believe this sh*t? I’d say fire the RNSC and the entire GOP hierarchy but what would be the point. Who will do the firing and rehiring? No, it’s too late. A hostile takeover or burning it to ash are the only options.
Got an email from the RNC yesterday asking for funds to reach out and get feet on the ground for the next election. Aside from my skepticism as to the existence of a real election in 2014; with the Republican “leadership” in the House consistently voting with the Democrats and against the Republican caucus to give Obama victory, with the RNC trying desperately to erase any differences on issues between themselves and the DNC, and with a significant part of the Republican Senate caucus trying to win the Pierre Laval Collaboration Prize, they can take their fund requests, fold them until they are all corners, and amaze their proctologists.
We need a SECOND party.
Subotai Bahadur
“We need a SECOND party.”
Well said.
Just saw this from a commenter at GATEWAY PUNDIT:
List reformatted to save space.
20 REPUBLICAN senators voting to fund Obamacare, led by the “man” who recently got up in front of Conservatives and promised to fight.
And those gou3 cao4 de5 bao4jun1men5 want me to send them money so they can screw me over again??!!??
I don’t think so.
Subotai Bahadur
The answer is the latter, neutralizing and co-opting. The blogger quoted saying, “They get it now,” couldn’t be more pathetic whether he’s one of them or one of the duped. As long as Fox News exists and as long as Rupert Murdoch and Roger Ailes run it, that’s how long the establishment GOP will be empowered to bully and destroy anyone who could help us save this country. Codevilla has written about these people extensively for those with battered wife syndrome who still think there’s hope.