E!! The True Conservative Story™

My new AZ-based blogger-friend Rachel Alexander was in L.A. for the Heritage Resource Bank and AFP and ATR events last week.  She wrote about some of it here.

I’m mentioned about 3/4 of the way down, along with the snark-lovely (snovely?) E.M. Zanotti and my new friend and reigning Twitter Queen Melissa Clouthier.

Also mentioned are new pals Eric Telford, Jon Fleischman, Todd Thurman and old pals at ATR.

Not mentioned is Twitter King Stephen Kruiser who has a great blog. And who also does a daily show for RFC Radio. And who has also been appearing on Pajamas Media TV lately.  And who has been invited to appear on FNC’s Red Eye. He was invited the day time conference but mostly hung out after hours and kept us laughing.  (Rising Star Alert!)

It would take half a day to create a complete Who’s Who list of who was there last week.  So I won’t.  But I will say this:

I was encouraged to hear so much talk – in lectures, on panels, in workshops, and after hours – about New Media and blogging and their place in the conservative movement.

My first mantra for the two-days can be summed up as this: 

Conservative organizations need to pony up and budget money for Technology and New Media both internally and as part of their overall communications plan.  We can talk about citizen-activists and grassroots efforts all we want – and volunteerism is powerful – but a lot of the things we need to accomplish cost money because they require significant time + intense labor. 

The Left is already spending millions on online marketing and activism; the Right is still behind.

(Note to my blogger buddies:  I’m going to see if I can get my hands on a few of Alex Castellanos‘ PowerPoint slides from Thursday so I can try to post some blurbs.  If anyone knows him personally, help a girl out.)

Mantra Two: 

Figure out some new messaging some of the time.  There’s a huge demographic of conservatives (ages 18 to 49) who passionately believe in our principles but who do not fit the stereotype.  

They are Middle Americans.  They work and live regular lives.  They budget and pay their bills and save a little.  And expect their government to do the same.  They don’t go to conservative leadership conferences.  They don’t read National Review.  They rarely (if ever) wear a tie.  They own guns and would use them if needed.  They’re pro-military, pro-defense, and pro-kill-the-SOB’s-before-they-kill-us-first.  They live life enthusiastically and at times a little irreverently. They love rock-n-roll or sh*t-kickin’ country music. They hate political correctness.  They love the flag.  They spend time with their kids and then send ‘em to bed so they can watch their DVR’d TV shows, read their news online, and watch South Park.  They laugh at (and make) off color remarks. They listen to RFC Radio.  They are tired of conservatives who are not Conservatives and Republicans who are really Democrats.  They are tired of being mocked and pigeon-holed and they really don’t give a damn about people in Washington D.C.

If you’re a movement person or organization, you should be asking yourself:  “How do I reach these folks?”

One of RFC Radio’s most popular talk show hosts – Stephen Kruiser of ”Planet Kruiser” which you can catch every weekday at 11 a.m. PST/2 p.m. EST and on Saturdays during the 5-hour KruiserPalooza – named Senator Chris Dodd the Tool of the Week.

VDH @  The Corner agrees and tells us why:

Senator Dodd’s Nine Lives Are about Up   [Victor Davis Hanson]

Let us count them . . .

1. He claimed that he had not the slightest involvement in the AIG bonus exemption that he in fact helped insert.

2 He got more AIG money than anyone in the Congress — more even than Barack Obama, who came in second.

3. He got a sweetheart deal on an Irish “cottage” from a crooked stock-trader.

4. He got two preferential discount mortgage interest deals from the now-bankrupt Countrywide.

5. He was one of the Fannie Mae-enabling overseers at a time it was going broke and giving senators like Dodd himself campaign cash — he topped out near $134,000 higher than anyone else.

6. He got a sweetheart profit deal from a condo joint-buy with crook Edward Downe, Jr.

7. He intervened with the Clinton administration to get the felon Downe pardoned.

8. He misrepresented the value of his Irish cottage that he obtained via the agency of the dubious Mr. Kessinger.

9. He is the nation’s premier hypocrite as he lambastes Wall Street crooks and insiders from his collapsing soapbox.

Well, those are the proverbial nine lives — so, Senator Dodd, time to go: “You have sat too long for any good you have been doing. Depart, I say, and lets us have done with you. In the name of God, go!”

03/20 09:24 AM

I wish I had that many.

Thanks to all two readers who have sent concerned emails asking if I am ok.

I am fine and just very busy with two new projects that are leaving me with very little time for browsing the blogosphere and offering my three cents here on E!!

The first project – RFC Radio – is the brain child of my All American Media business partner and dear friend Andrew Riley.  Ideally, he would do all the work and I would reap the benefits.  Alas, he says he needs me to help with the To Dos.  And check his spelling.  And help make Duane feel guilty for missing our conference call last week.  (there, I did it)

The second project is Nevada News Platoon. Apparently, in a fit of extreme congeniality during which I hallucinated that I have spare time and that I am independently wealthy and do not need to paid for my work, I agreed to be the volunteer editor of this soon-to-launched grassroots news and blog site.

The gist is that we will cover news and politics in Nevada from an openly conservative and/or libertarian perspective.  We will not advocate for political parties, but we will unapologetically promote free-market, small government policies.  And provide valuable information to Nevada citizens who would like to Do Something about the current sad state of affairs.

February 5th is the “soft launch” (that’s New Media talk for all you greenies) and then the ”hard launch” and related fanfare will be sometime in March.

If anyone wants to help, here’s what I need from the conservative and/or libertarian citizens, activists, bloggers, writers, media-gurus, and leaders in Nevada (choose the one that fits):

- Commit to visiting the News Platoon site weekly and signing up for our news briefs

- Comment on our blog posts and stories so we know what you think

- Forward select Platoon news items to help spread the word (at your discretion)

- Send me news tips and story ideas (now and on an ongoing basis)

- Keep me informed of all your interesting political and business activitites (this is your opportunity to share info or expertise that only you have and maybe shed light on things for the public)

- Write letters to the editor (me) when you are upset about something going on in NV

- Refer bloggers and citizen journalists to me as potential contributors

- Tell anyone who’s not reading us that they Should Be

I think that about covers it.

Oh - and if anyone figures out how to squeeze more hours out of the day, please let me know.

Those of you who read E!! regularly know that I never ask for money and have NO advertising on my blog.  I don’t even have a Support button on my side bar.  But today I’m asking for two kinds of donations:  money and/or a minute or two of your time.

It’s not for myself but for a worthy and Fun Project.  (Click here to see our Cool splash page!)  RFC is a partner project of All American Blogger and is owned by All American Media, of which I am a founder and apparently an employee of some sort.

Radio for Conservatives will be a 24/7 internet radio station PLUS interactive website CREATED BY AND FOR CONSERVATIVES.  As the splash page so succinctly says, we will feature News, Rock, and Talk.  And as you can see from the splash page, we will look really cool while doing it.

(What kind of News, Rock, and Talk, you ask?  Oh, my Dearies, it is the kind you will Love.  You will laugh.  You will cry.  No doubt you will ask, “Where has RFC Radio been all my life?” and “Who are the creative geniuses who dreamed all this up?”)

If you choose to help us out with a few dollars, all donated funds will go directly to equipment and software costs and/or service fees.  None will go to our team who will continue to slave away for free in our quest for Liberty and Virtue. 

So far, due to the generosity of 9 contributors, we have raised $376 of the $600 that is needed for a Go - so we are more than half way there.  If you can spare a few bucks, please donate.  And if you have any questions, shoot me an email and I’ll be glad to tell you more.

Also, sometime in the next few weeks, I invite you to contribute to the RFC launch by forwarding our flash page around and leaving a pithy comment on the RFC STUDIO LINE:  623-582-3432.  We will play the best of them on February 16 and throughout Launch Week!

Example:  “Hi!  This is Bill calling in from El Paso, Texas!  Just wanna wish y’all the best and say I think RFC Radio is going to be hotter than than a stolen tamale on the Fourth of July!”

Example 2:  “Hi!  This is Beantown Bloggah callin’ in from freakin’ Beantown, where else?!  I heard you RFC guys ah wicked smaht, so I’ll be listenin’ except when I gotta run to the packie.”

Etc.

Thanks for your support and let the RFC count down begin!

Update:  Here’s more on RFC from our friends at Politeia.