Turf Toe

Yeah, I got football on the brain.  So what?

Actually, I'd rather be playing Doom than posting, but I kind of felt the need to respond to something that the lads at Intelligent Discontent and Left in the West have been noticing, the growth of right wing blogs in Montana.  I know a little bit about blogging, and just hoped to share a few ideas.

What sparked the interest was the introduction of a blog so purely an GOP astroturf effort it isn't even funny.  That would be the Hardliner blog ... no dissent allowed!  Of course, the GoOPers already in play, and the new baby bloggers, are just loving the fact that all us lefties consider them all to be astroturf efforts ... it makes them feel all big like, I guess.  But they seem to be missing two very obvious points:  Nobody accused them all of being astroturfing, and neither they or their readers appear to know what astroturfing is.  (I think that's just part of being in the Fantasy-based Community, but some of them might figure it out ... someday.)

Simply put, astroturfing is an organized attempt by a central organization to gather popular support through the illusion that the grass roots already support the ideals or the organization in question.  It's marketing; "join our cause, cause the cool people already have ..."

The Hardliner blog really is an effort at astroturfing, with fake comments and everything.  Too bad, it's an unbelievably transparent and weak effort.  It isn't engaging to the reader, it has no personal identity and promotes no relationship between author and audience.  It reads like the GOP ebrief, but less informative and vastly more dry.  They are precisely as Jay Stevens referred to them:  Robo-bloggers.  I'd bet my bottom dollar that as many of us and the left read it and laugh, as those on the right who think it has value as a 'blog'.

However, just because the Hardliner can be dismissed as ineffective, one who pays as much attention to the Montana Blogo-world as I do would be very remiss in similarly shrugging off the rest of the wingnut explosion.  So let's us just take a look at a few of them, shall we?

I can't find much fault with Carol Minjares' effort, save that her blog has the clunkiest name for a website ever.  It's not that it doesn't make sense (that would be my world) it's just that it's completely freaking ugly.  Carol, I offer a constructive criticism:  if you have to post the pronunciation of your website's name, choose something else.

Mizzoolopoless is your fairly standard wingnut fair, because Carol is your fairly standard Republicant.  It's arrogant, dismissive of disagreement, and wastes vastly more time telling the opposition how to behave than actually promoting the conservative ideals.  However, Carol is engaging, personable, local (that's the biggy) and appears to seriously enjoy what she's doing.  It's a good site.  My only other suggestion is this:  if she's gonna waste her seemingly vast amounts of free time posting 6 times a day, she should expand the number of posts that appear on the front page of the blog.  (Strangely, I have the same complaint about Left in the West.)

The other enjoyable new wingnut website is Scoop Montana.  I'd link, but either through laughable error, or a blogwise death-wish, Scoop has made his site "invite only".  Not a good way to reach out and touch someone, bud.  I hope he corrects the issue, because Scoop had all the pluses of Carol, and a great sense of humor.  It was, and hopefully will remain, an enjoyable read.

The other newish conserva-blogs aren't really all that at all.  The Conservative Cowgirls at Ridin' for the Brand have a few problems.  They don't post much, a serious issue for most of the righty websites in Montana, what they do post is fairly simplistic and doesn't attack the enemy nearly enough to draw the rabid Kool-aid drinkers and they just don't get personal.  If you're going to start a blog with a name and persona that screams "personality", you really should include a dose of that in what you write.  They're Girls!  They're Cowgirls!  They're ridin' for the brand,  lazy GOP!  Ehhh, so far, not so much or all that good.

The comedy twins are the newest of the group.  I know that I've given Steve a hard time for being stupid, but at least he writes his pap with an advanced degree of skill.  The 'boys' at Montana Pundit write like poorly schooled 5th graders.  But let me light a candle for them, rather than we should curse their darkness.

Boys?  "Pundit" is what we like to call singular.  There are two of you.  That would be what we refer to as "plural", or "Pundits".  Spell check is your friend.  I don't have the finest spelling skills in the world, to be certain.  But then, I'm not parading myself in front of the world as a consultant or University student with this ugly nightmare:

Hagen- Former lobbiest in Helena and now living in bozeman and is a campaign/direct mail consultant

TJ-  Former inturn for Sen. Conrad Burns, and a curent student at MSU

Seriously, I'm tempted to believe that this is anti-astroturfing from someone desperately wishing to discredit wingnut bloggers  (that is, more than they do so themselves.)  So far, their content is simple restatement of the shallowest misconstructions of the happenings of the day.  Their attempt at audience appeal will meet success only if the audience is 13 years old, drunk or desperately seeking agreement, like Andy Hammond.  I'd hoped that they would offer something worthy of challenging, but this blog is just ... bad.

It is worth noting that Pogie overstates ... but not by much.  All of the conserva-blogs in Montana that have sprung to life recently are anonymously written, with the exception of Carol's (and mad-props to her for being forthright and personal.)  And I don't think it at all untoward that he refers to them as cowardly.  The Hardliner bans commenters that are not Erickson approved.  The Scoop guy had to have tried something to control access, or he wouldn't have his recent issues.  The Pundit boys have a great opportunity to promote themselves in business (consultant) and education, but prefer to remain hidden and obscured ... no doubts dressing for success (LOL).

Dear Dennis Rehberg,

I thank you for whining about the 'liberal' bias of Internet information in Montana.  It has given us 'libruls' a new playmate in Carol Minjares.  But next time, could you please establish a competence clause before unleashing the rest of these folk upon your thinking constituents?  Thanks in advance.

Love,

Wulfgar.

Comments

[Dew-R-Lite]

I thought it might be a football post. The Bills found a way to lose, doggone it.

I thought the first week of the NFL had some interesting games and somebody told the announcers to STFU about TFFQ. (the former falcon quarterback).

Carol, Scoop, Craig all seem like they bring some honest balance with their homespun populism.

[Rebecca]

I wrote about something similar that happened last year when the Common Sense Montana folks moved into the state on behalf of Conrad Burns on my blog. They set up a website just like ones operating in other states, and even had a presence on Blogspot. But all of it was 100% pure Astroturf.

You'd think they'd set up good, responsive blogs first before complaining about the lack of traffic.

[Steve]

Astroturf = Netroots = MoveOn = George Soros

It is always seems that when someone accuses another of some dishonesty, it is well worth it to see if they are the pot or the kettle.

[Wulfgar]

Oh, Steve. I know you're jealous because I mentioned others more silly than yourself, but you needn't go overboard to regain my attentions. No, kitten. Netroots does not equal Move On or George Soros. You'll be hard pressed to prove that they do (so much so, you won't even try; you'll just whine about how I'm being mean again, hitting you with the truth and all.) Please try again, but given your obvious limitations ... don't expect success too much.

[mlu]

I enjoyed this post. You're frequently witty and insightful but often you're a little too wulfgarish for me, but this was good.

I'm a little averse to rhetoric that charges opponents with being stupid, maybe because I work in education and have developed an habitual restraint against assuming that the cause of stupid behavior is stupidity. It's a long and dismal story . . .

I wish there were more good Conservative blogs in Montana. I read yours sometimes and I used to read Singer's just because I like to listen to people talk about state issues, but it's also nice from time to time to hear from people I actually agree with.

Cheers.

[Pogie]

Overstate? Me? :)

Nice post.

[moorcat]

I am somewhat surprised you didn't mention ECW. I realise that you and GeeGuy have had issues before but his blog (at least when focusing on the Great Falls issues) is pretty interesting. Of Course, you stuck with the new Conservative Blogs..

Good post. I was kind of surprised when I couldn't get to the Scoop anymore. Now I understand why.

Thanks
Moorcat

[Dew-R-Lite]

Scoop is up and running

[Steve]

Oh Wulfie, you silly little boy. Your test of astroturfing holds up very well for the Netroots. Just look to see what the talking points are from MoveOn and follow them to the Left blogs, and from there to the opinion pages of the Missoulian.
The least they could do is ask that not everyone uses cut and paste for their posts. But that would imply independent thought.
Oops, new concept, sorry to scare you.

[Wulfgar]

'Still don't understand the term, do you Steve? Nope.

And trust me. You *really* don't want me doing a comparison of your drivel to every other wingnut website out there.

[Steve]

Which Wulfie is this? The one who uses Super Ball logic (Circular and prone to large leaps) or the juvenile one (Writes nonsense, then claims he is just writing to piss people off when he is caught at it)?
Or the thoughtful, educated intelligent Wulfie? Sorry, that's an imaginary creature.
The only reason I read your site is because I learned a long time ago, that even idiots can get lucky.
You are tending to prove the exception to the rule.

[Tanaria]

Ahhh, wook at the sad wittle man trying to insult somebody, but of course it fails. *yawn* Hey Stevie, since when is a ball circular? It is spherical, I mean really! I've seen more nonsense from the things that you say. Once again, dead fish, in a barrel. And I can tell you, saying the same exact true things isn't astroturfing, of course, since you say the exact same talking points as the Right-Wingers... (I mean, Lieberman, a Democrat? Come on, he's an independent now)

[Steve]

Relax Tanaria, I really am quite happy. I know that you are concerned.
So, your argument is that if the Left repeats the same word for word statements, then it's because it's true?
Dream on yourself girl.
And Lieberman does caucus with the Democrats and was a Democrat until the Netroots under the direction of Kos tried to get rid of him for Lamont.
Thanks for reproving the point.

[Wulfgar]

Steve, you shouldn't get drunk in the morning; it's unseemly, even for a lawyer.

[Steve]

Hey, I've been admitted to the bar for quite some time now.

[Tanaria]

Heh, he still isn't a Democrat, he's an Independent. He left the Democrat party, because he got miffed that the Democrats of Connecticut didn't vote for him in the primary. It is pretty simple. Democrats didn't want him, so he left. I know that simple facts seem to be beyond your vision, which, thank you for reproving that point. After all, you are a very expensive free lawyer! And I STILL get many laughs from that one. Heh, expensive free lawyer... So amusing.

[Daddy G]

Hey Wulfgar...Doom? Boy, you intellectuals sure know how to spend a Saturday night!

Boy, the liberals in Montana sure are on the cutting edge of social interaction.

Do you use the entire Kleenex box next to your bed when you're done with Doom and stick in "Girls Gone Wild - Wild in Missoula"?

[Daddy G]

Hey Wulfgar...Doom? Boy, you intellectuals sure know how to spend a Saturday night!

Boy, the liberals in Montana sure are on the cutting edge of social interaction.

Do you use the entire Kleenex box next to your bed when you're done with Doom and stick in "Girls Gone Wild - Wild in Missoula"?