Into the Belly of the Beast: A Conservative Goes to YearlyKos

Photo of Matthew Sheffield.

I wanted to go to the YearlyKos event but circumstances did not permit. Thankfully, at least one sane person did go. Rick Moran gives this account:

I can assure you that they are at least as similar to us as chimpanzees – except chimps are cuter and don’t constantly interrupt you when you’re speaking and trying to make a point. However, all that aside, liberals are pretty normal. They have a different sense of humor of course. And they may not laugh as much as conservatives although I wonder who will be doing the chuckling on election day 2008? [...]

One observation I would never have dared put in a piece for PJ Media or anywhere else I write is that for a movement and party that prides itself on inclusion, the gathering appeared very white. There were definitely more people of color than there would be at a conservative or Republican event. But as I scanned the faces of attendees to the Presidential Leadership Forum where almost all YKos was gathered, my rough estimate was 75% white – perhaps larger.

I read nothing untoward into this figure. The conference had no control over the color of those signing up (unlike the Democratic convention that mandates racial diversity in precise amounts to the decimal point). And it can hardly be called hypocritical when attendance was voluntary. I’m also sure they didn’t turn anyone away because of race.

And yet, there it is. Does that say something about the netroots? About America? Or is it inconsequential?

The fact that is that if it had been a GOP event and that high percentage of whites were in attendance, we’d never hear the end of it. So perhaps the netroots will grant conservatives a little leeway in their criticism next time, right?

Right.

Read the rest. La Shawn Barber has more on the blogging left's diversity problem:

I think the whole chasing-diversity thing is a bit ridiculous…but…since white liberals — not white conservatives, thank goodness — are the ones preaching it to the rest of us, I find them hypocritical and the situation ironic (and funny) when they end up with lily white conferences.

Look, I’m used to being either the only black or one of a few blacks at conservative and/or Christian bloggers conferences. Wish it were different, but I’m not complaining too loudly. I like going to events to meet like-minded people, regardless of color. I like being around the kind of whites who aren’t nervous about the “lack of diversity” at a particular conference or constantly asking me about “black” issues.

Ace, meanwhile, catches the Washington Post falsely burnishing the military record of Markos Moulitsas, calling him a "Gulf War veteran" when he actually never served in the region.

At least the Post reporter did note the gathering's diversity problem, something I would bet that  Bryant Gumbel never would do.

—Matthew Sheffield is the creator of NewsBusters and its Executive Editor.


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Conservative at KOS

The conservative must not have been too hard to spot.  How do you say "where is your tin-foil hat" in German? 

The American Revolution Continued

You'd have to presume he

You'd have to presume he was vomiting a lot...that would make it hard to be inconspicuous. God bless that brave soul and I hope he is able to make a full recovery. Talk about torture.....

You can't save the Earth unless You're willing to make other people sacrifice. Dogbert the Green Consultant summing up the elite left.

I agree with Rick Moran. The republicans are in trouble.


They are determined, well funded, optimistic, committed, and excited. The GOP is uncertain, underfunded, hopeful but pessimistic, dispirited, and seemingly leaderless, rudderless, and without an agenda.

I think the republicans are in far deeper doo-doo in '08 than they appear to realize.

If something doesn't change, and that right soon, Hillary Rhodam Clinton will not only be sworn into the presidency on a cold January morning in 09, but, scarier still, she will have a democrat controlled congress to play with, as well.

Help Fred defeat everybody.

I agree Dave. There seems

I agree Dave. There seems to be an ominous inevitability about Ms. Clinton. I sure hope I'm wrong, but... 

The dogs bark, but the caravan moves on.

- Arabian Proverb

Chris,

As I see it. the only real chance the republicans have is for there to be a top down overhall of that party's current incompetent leadership, and this needs to be done now, not six months down the road.

They also need to get really aggressive and start going after the democrats in a big way, which, for some reason, they haven't felt the need to do so far, despite the dimtwits providing them with opportunity after opportunity.

Sending Cheney out to liberal news shows (the only ones he seems to ever appear on) every six months to quietly discuss this or that with a hostile host, just isn't going to cut it.

Help Fred defeat everybody.

I thought Fred was going to

I thought Fred was going to swoop in and save the GOP?

bal,

LOL-As things currently stand, unless the current do-less-than-nothing leadership of the republican party is sent packing, the election of '08 is going to be a blood bath, regardless of how things are going in Iraq.

I'm not sure Fred, on his own, can prevent that. Hell, I'm not sure the second coming of Ronald Reagan himself would save it for them.

Help Fred defeat everybody.

Ah, do-less-than-nothing

Ah, do-less-than-nothing leadership. Now you know how I feel...

bal,

LOL-That just shows that incompetence is no respecter of party affiliation.

Help Fred defeat everybody.

dave r, this blogger seems

dave r, this blogger seems to agree with you. I think it will boil down to Rudy and Mitt. 

CV

And herein lis the rub. I like both of them for many of the same reasons, particularly Rudy, who has demonstrated for all to see that he has it in the leadership department.

However, from where I'm sitting, Florida, New York and California are going to go for the democrat candidate in '08. That is a huge block of electoral votes. In order for the republican candidate to have any chance at all, he is going to have to roll up the remaining southern states. I just don't see Mitt or Rudy being able to do that, though I think Rudy has a better chance at it than does Romney, as I believe Rudy would win here in Georgia, particularly if up against the Hildebeast.

I think Thompson could do it, but not from sitting on the sidelines. I understand the strategy he is using, but if he sits out too much longer, he risks irrelevency. At some point, you have to either go, or get off the pot.

John may be right, as he may have already waited too long.

Help Fred defeat everybody.

Yes, I really like Rudy (

Yes, I really like Rudy ( though I will keep an eye on him concerning gun control ) because of his leadership and passion. CA is toying with the idea of changing how they do the electorial votes...by county instead of winner takes all...that would be awesome! As California is really three states...south, mid and north ( South, San Fran and everything else ). I grew up in northern california.

I think Mitt has a better chance of winning the south against hillary than does Rudy...even with the Mormon factor, but I think Rudy would win NY from Hillary. CA will go to hillary, Florida I don't think she will win, though it will be close.

I do find it interesting with the Bloomberg factor...with Steve Forbes ( who I really like ) we heard all kinds of mantra about him buying votes...will they say the same about Bloomberg?

Don't be too sure about

Don't be too sure about Florida, Dave.

Here in lovely lib land (Broward County, home of the hanging chad)....the vote will go dem, no doubt.  Probably in Palm Beach too (what's up with the billionaires?).

But much of Florida is pretty conservative.  The central and northern parts of the state are inhabited by conservatives....and the population in South Florida was a net negative for the first time ever last year.

Granted, my fellow Floridians are pretty, um, not-so-bright.....but there are plenty of us of the (R) persuasion....remember, we have only one (D) senator....granted, our guv & othe senator are RINOs....but in the big race, an (R) is an (R) is an (R).

 

Blonde,

'K. I stand corrected here (let's hope). Florida is huge in all this.

However, I still don't thing Rudy or Mitt can deliver the south, even if together on the same ticket.

Given the discombobulation of the current (hopefully soon to be ousted) republican leadership, whoever turns out to be the nominee will have to pull a Nixon, and dump the party label, as he did campaigning for his second term.

Otherwise, we're hosed.

Help Fred defeat everybody.

Dave, Thompson is playing

Dave,

Thompson is playing a little too hard to get. His entry, if it comes, will be sort of anti-climatic. You're right about the current leadership. They are worthless and clueless. They have lost any fire they ever had in their bellies. They have surrendered to the business-as-usual mindset. 

The dogs bark, but the caravan moves on.

- Arabian Proverb

Chris,

I think Fred made a mistake by not announcing sooner, and he may pull it out yet, but he needs to announce now, not wait until next month.

I see no one else in the party that has any chance at delivering the south in '08.

Help Fred defeat everybody.

Wow... Just love the

Wow...

Just love the optimism by all above.

Guess I may as well just give up and cry and go eat some worms.

Thompson/Hunter '08!

....so there!

bt,

LOL-I'm going to remember that on that bitterly (in more ways than one) cold January morn, while I'm busy packing my bags for that flight to the Cayman's, while watching HRC being sworn in on TV, promising to pervert, prostitute and destroy the Constitution of the United States, with her claw placed firmly on the Bible.

Damn cold day, that will be.

Help Fred defeat everybody.

worms aren't so bad...its

worms aren't so bad...its the tequila that will kill ya :)

...and for the record, never had tequila, though for a science class we did eat grub for lunch. Worms on pizza, tasty :)

Fellows, What are you

Fellows,

What are you doing? You are beginning to sound like the liberals with their doom and gloom! It is August 2007...the way that Dems eat their own (example: Clinton being criticized for "swiftboating" Obama). I will not concede at any point that Hillary is going to be my President! What in the heck do any of these liberal Dems have to offer the Country? Nothing! We have to hope and pray that the American people are smarter than what you think.

Thanks msh...Geesh...I

Thanks msh...

Geesh...I am gone a few days and I get back to this doom and gloom already.

I refuse to believe we have lost already...especially to Shrillary...only way that is going to happen is if there is a major name third party person who can split the vote ala Perot....

Snap out of it!

It is early yet!

Deserve

First of all, if the American public is goofy enough to elect Hillary as presdient (or any other dem for that matter which gives the socialists control of everything but the supreme court) we deserve what we get AND it will take decades to recover from the ensuing damage. One reason will be that they will suppress free speech and criminalze Conservatism within the first 90 days.

Secondly, I want you to pay special attention to both political conventions in the summer of 08 when the cameras pan around at the participants.  You will never see such a stark difference, JUST IN THE APPEARANCE OF THE PEOPLE and the way they conduct themselves. I always watch this and it is amazing. The dem convention looks like they went out and gathered all of the citizens of Mortimer Snerdsville and packed them all in one place. I have never seen such a bunch of stupid and goofy looking people in my entire life. And then we wonder at the politcal beliefs that they embody??????? Isn't it just a little obvious? DUUHHHH! 

" And where conservative

" And where conservative radicals tend to be younger (age being a leavening factor among conservatives)"

Does this explain the liberalism of many older Republican senators? That older Republicans, like Robert Novak and the late Sen. Goldwater criticize todays conservatives?

 

The dogs bark, but the caravan moves on.

- Arabian Proverb

When it came to

When it came to mindlessly-increasing spending on useless crap like the tax and spend drugwar, former Senator Goldwater had a point, IMO. And if anyone thinks you'd have had a Ronald Reagan Presidency without Sen. Goldwater, well, we disagree on recent history, I guess.

The problem with our party today is the same as the problem the Democrats have. I call it the bipartisan big-spending-lobby, both in and out of office, because a way-too-big government has seduced almost-all of one & much of both major political parties...

And if you want to see something somewhat-unrelated but really funny, take a look at this meltdown video from the already perpetually-agitated Jim Cramer when it comes down to his buddies' money suddenly-evaporating. "Please, Fed, create loose money for my rich buddies! And if you don't, I'll hold my breath 'till my face turns an even weirder shade of pink!!"
JMR

Rally online with fans of Dr. Ron Paul.

Through spokespeople,

Through spokespeople, Goldwater criticized Republicans for much more than spending - to the point where people were questioning if his words were, in fact, coming from his liberal second wife.

The dogs bark, but the caravan moves on.

- Arabian Proverb

Kos Huffington

So mostly white people were at Kos.........and ONLY white people were allowed to blog about it on Huffington feeds.

What caught my attention though was the lack of intelligence on Huffington in comments about what was going on there......or perhaps no intelligent thought was going on there.

 

*HIC IACET ARTORIVS REX QVONDAM REXQVE FVTVRVS

Borrowing A Strategy

Not so much a comment on the Kossacks as a repsonse regarding the GOP's chances in 2008.

As much as I hate to give credit to the leftoids for anything, they have had some degree of success in dividing conservatives and even getting many on the right to stay home on election day. This is a strategy we need to answer in kind.

It's generally accepted that when the right criticizes the left, it's for being too liberal, yet frequently when the left criticizes the right, it's for NOT being conservative enough. The result is that the right gives the libs a badge of honor, while the left succeeds in factionalizing conservatives.

Conservative candidates, pundits and campaigns need to do a much better job of pointing out where DemocRat politicians are failing on the far-left agenda.

Relying solely on the Nader effect in 2008 won't be enough. There is plenty of incongruity in the positions of the greens, the unionists, the welfare addicts, the peaceniks, and other left wing factions that with a little well-placed instigation, we should be able to turn the DNC into a tribal battleground that will make the factionalism in Baghdad look like a church picnic.

Meanwhile on the right, we need to keep our eyes on the big picture and realize that what goes on in the bedroom and what goes on in the doctor's office are miniscule issues when weighed against the the DNC agenda of appeasement and socialism.

Discretion being the better part of valor, we need to set aside petty intra-party differences on abortion, gays, and god, and then start fighting the DNC instead of fighting each other.

(NOTE: This was meant as a reply to Dave R's sub-thread above, but I'm still figuring out the new software.)

Thompson/Giuliani 2008

According to the U.S.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, whites make up 80% of the population. (Whites non-hispanic make up 67%.)

So Rick Moran's big revelation seems to be that YearlyKos...looks like America.

FDR won the War on Terror in ten words

But most Americans didn't

But most Americans didn't say "screw them" when 4 Americans were murdered and butchered in Iraq. Kos himself said that.

And most Americans don't say "I'd rather die in a terrorist attack than see Valerie Plame outed". A Kos poster said that just today, and was hailed as a genius by his fellow Kos Kids:

http://www.dailykos....

I think you'll find that Americans support the military (the most recent Harris Poll rated "military officer" in the top 5 of most prestigious occupations, and the number from July of 2007 had in fact gone UP to 52% from a low of 34% while Clinton was President.

Most Kos Kids do not:

http://www.dailykos....

I'll gladly adress your points...

...If you address mine.

Do you agree that Rick Moran's criticism of YearlyKos's ethnic make-up is irrelevant?

 

FDR won the War on Terror in ten words

Well, Howie, if I could just get past the idea the KOS is releva

Well, Howie, if I could just get past the idea the KOS is relevant.

Catch my drift.

ACA

...

Quoted from:  'Acaiguana Notes from the Bomb Shelter' (soon to be a movie at theaters near you)

That Ain't Drift...

It's backwash.

"Sir, pay no attention to the people who say the glass is half empty,
because 32% means it's 2/3 empty. There's still some liquid in that
glass is my point, but I wouldn't drink it. The last third is usually
backwash." -Stephen Colbert

FDR won the War on Terror in ten words

I agree that KOS gets too much credit for idiocy.

Your tag line is misleading.  FDR wasn't fighting a War on Terror as 'Terror' is defined today.

He was not fighting a war where religous zealots were destroying peace from behind women's skirts.

If you revisit the battles of the Pacific, you will understand this post.

ACA 

...

Quoted from:  'Acaiguana Notes from the Bomb Shelter' (soon to be a movie at theaters near you)

"So, first of all, let me

"So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we
have to fear is fear itself—nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror
which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance."

Yeah, it's different today.

FDR won the War on Terror in ten words

Their Not Nameless

Rosie O’Donnell: "Well, then, get away from the fear. Don't fear the terrorists. They’re mothers and fathers."

So, yeah, it's different today.

Killing them with kindness isn't working.  Time to get scrappy with the Donkeys.

I See Your Rosie and Raise You a Coleridge

"In politics, what begins in fear usually ends in folly."
---- Coleridge

FDR won the War on Terror in ten words

9/11... What?

"A man who has been in danger,
When he comes out of it forgets his fears,
And sometimes he forgets his promises."
---- Euripides - Iphigenia in Tauris (414-12 BC)

PS - You must have very strong arms to raise Rosie.  And a very good poker face. 

Killing them with kindness isn't working.  Time to get scrappy with the Donkeys.

stat

i think Howard saw rosie and rose Coleridge (probally to throw at her in defense)

LOL Another reason to

LOL

Another reason to raise Coleridge - If nothing else then to block out the vision of the demon beast who's earthly name is Rosie.

Killing them with kindness isn't working.  Time to get scrappy with the Donkeys.

FDR won the war on Terror

FDR won the war on Terror in ten words?

Actually, FDR won his war by invading nearly a score of countries, several of which had not declared war on the US nor harmed us in any way, and by suffering hundreds of thousands of KIA in a war lasting four years.