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The Spectacle Blog
I still don't have time to be my promised lengthier analysis of Dan Lungren's challenge to John Boehner, and I feel less of a need to do so now that Jim Antle has done his thorough and thoughtful column on the same. I still will try to make the time, and I'll again telegraph my conclusion that Dan Lungren is an unappreciated lion of the conservative cause.
But let me use this occasion to repeat a warning similar to those I've grumpily issued before: The right needs to stop finding reasons to nitpick itself to death. It's time for Palin critics to stop sneering at Palin supporters as if they are all a bunch of rubes, and for Palin supporters to stop acting as if all criticism of Palin is mere cultural snobbery. It's time for the economic conservatives and the social conservatives and the foreign policy conservatives to stop finding reasons to blame each other or rule each other out of the coalition and instead focus on why they should all stick together.
And it's time for the techno-wizzes and the techno-tards (I'm one of the latter) to stop acting as if one's choice of technology is an indicator of character or basic intelligence. (Okay, this is aimed at the techno-wizzes.) I have been absolutely appalled since the election to hear how much the younger techno-wizzes sneer at the 60-somethings who built the conservative movement just because the 60-somethings don't "get" the new technology. As if all wisdom relies in the ability to use Twitter, whatever the hell that is. And I heard multiple complaints yesterday that a news advisory from Lungren's office about a bloggers' phone conference called the event a "bloggers' row," when it was not a physical row but a conference call -- and as if Lungren himself had anything to do with the choice of terminology.
People, get over yourselves! Fast! And now! First of all, press secretaries put out news advisories. Press secretaries tend to be young. They probably damn well know what a real bloggers' row is. The terminology there was probably meant as a clever analogy. I mean, when it comes down to it, a "row" and a conference call achieve the same purpose: To have all conservative bloggers together in one "place" in order to concentrate the dissemination of the message. In this sense, even if the press secretary in question did NOT know the difference, well, who gives a flying fungo bat?!? Why does it matter? Why does that have anything to do with Lungren's fitness for leadership, or lack thereof (or as the expression goes, with the cost of tea in China)?
Just as the older builders of the conservative movement are wrong if they act as if the whole movement does not and cannot exist without them, and wrong if they don't take the younger generation seriously as leaders, so too is the younger generation not just wrong but friggin stupid if they do not value experience, not value the wisdom that comes with having been in the trenches -- and not have patience with people who don't know the difference between text messaging and emailing.
I'm right in the middle of all this, philosophically and in terms of age. I was born in 1964, either the final year of the Baby Boom or the first year of Generation X, depending on how you look at it. And in terms of the movement, I'm midway between its founders and its young guns. I value both groups. It makes me sick to see either group not value the other. And it really makes me sick to see how simple terminological differences and techno-differences can make one group not even be able to hear or to communicate with the other.
Jeesh.......
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More Blog Posts by Quin Hillyer
http://spectator.org/blog/2008/11/18/of-lungren-bloggers-row-and-ot
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Thomas| 11.18.08 @ 11:00AM
Mr. Hillyer,
Can't we all just get along? No. The Republican Party is going through a metamorphosis. It is changing. There is a power struggle taking place and there will be very little piece in the Party until it is over. You have the older, moderate Republicans who have been in control of the Party since the dawn of time. You have the young turks who want their shot at running the Party. And finally you have a third group, the Conservatives, who just want to have a voice in the Party. Until there has been a reconciliation of these groups, turmoil will exist. For, at the moment, all of these groups are moving in different directions. And, as long as the power struggle is underway, anything that differentiates one group from another is going to take on unwarranted importance.
Robert Stacy McCain| 11.18.08 @ 11:47AM
About techno-wizzes vs. techn-tards: I'm semi-tardic, but I think that advances in communications technology require that people in the communications business at least attempt to keep their skills current. I have been surprised by how many journalists resist learning even basic HTML, and others who don't seem to realize how to use the "reply all" function in e-mail.
In fact, some people refuse even to learn how to do elementary keyboard functions. When I was at the Washington Times, I'd be called over to consult on the editing of a story and -- wishing to see something that was one screen lower -- I'd say, "Page down." And the person who was sitting at the keyboard would ... reach for the mouse. GRRRRRR! There is a key whose specific function is "page down," and another called "page up," using those to navigate up and down is infinitely more efficient than reaching for the mouse. But no matter how many times I told people about it, they still kept ... reaching for that mouse.
adagioforstrings| 11.18.08 @ 12:27PM
Re: Palin
Palin supporters were simply reiterating Reagan's 11th commandment that Republicans are not supposed to frag other Republicans. I don't perceive that the most avid Palin supporter, I suspect herself included, who assert that she was perfect & beyond criticism. However, employing a sports analogy, you don't expect your team's fans to boo you if you miss a basket...that's what the other team's fans do.
Danny Glover| 11.18.08 @ 2:39PM
Amen to your point about the current technological/generational divide in the conservative movement. And I say that as someone who is in your age group (just turned 42) but who has been steeped in new media professionally for more than a decade.
A few years ago, I was aggravated only by the elitism and willful ignorance of the Luddites in both the political and media worlds who didn't "get" technology. These days, I'm equally put off by the arrogance of up-and-comers in both realms who think they know it all and hold their elders in utter contempt.
The zeal and innovative spirit that come with youth are virtues. So are the knowledge, experience and wisdom that come with age. Until the get-off-my-lawn grandpas and get-thee-to-the-retirement-home punks of the conservative movement decide to work together, neither faction will get far.
Mark J. Goluskin| 11.18.08 @ 3:31PM
Excellect analysis! I too am your age, Quin, and came of age under Ronald Reagan's presidency. What it is is that people need to realize something about that time. Mr. Reagan had to deal with a bloated Democrat House and marginal Republican senate until 1986, when the Democrats retook the senate. Compromises were done for obvious reasons. When the GOP had it all, they became Democrats. That is why I am frustrated. As far as critisizing Gov. Palin, I have no problem on POLICY grounds, not what the Dinosaur, Drive-By, Mainstream, Obama-Worshiping Media has done with her personal life. Really. As far as modernizing the communication of conservatism and the Republican party, it is utterly nessecary. But, I am with Mr. Reagan in getting 80% over nothing. Now that the Republicans are out of congressional power, they need to look at what issues will propel them back in areas of the United States that they are weak, such as New England.
J. Peter Freire| 11.18.08 @ 4:31PM
This was effectively: "HEY YOU KIDS! GET OFF MY LAWN!!!"
Oh, but what am I saying. Yes, the kids *are* emphasizing that they know everything, yet again. But they're being louder about it now because very few on the right have taken them seriously until now, an electoral defeat.
J David| 11.18.08 @ 4:51PM
It will soon be irrelevant, as the Marxist will deal with the internet the same way that he will deal with other rightwing media "enemies of the State". Don't think it will be business as usual for the internet while everyone else is censored off the air...
PoliticalJunkieNow| 11.19.08 @ 9:41AM
Born in 1964, you are not a Booomer nor an Xer; you are part of Generation Jones, born 1954-1965, between those two generations. This is quite relevant in understanding the new leadership of the GOP, and its future. Palin, Pawlenty, Steele, and Jindal for example, are all Jonesers and the flavor of their conservatism was shaped by their generation's particular shared formative experiences and political coming of age era.
Here's a 5 minute video with over 20 top political figures discussing the existence and importance of GenJones: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Ta_Du5K0jk In this video, you'll see top conservatives, like Michael Steele and David Brooks, self-identify as part of Generation Jones.
You'll find much more on this page, with lots of articles (e.g. from the NYTimes, Newsweek, etc.) and other videos of other top pundits, all talking about the emergence of Generation Jones, and its impact on election '08:
http://www.generationjones.com/2008election.html