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Online "Bill" Pay: Colorado Media Matters And The Colorado Model

I come to praise Bill Menezes, not bury him.

This really isn't about him in particular anyway. Back in November I squared off against Menezes on CBS4's election night webcast. We started off by discussing "how we got started" (first 5 minutes of the webcast)--and I made it clear to distinguish what for me is essentially a serious hobby from Menezes' professional and well-paid outfit at Colorado Media Matters.

He described the function of the "non-profit" "research organization" as a tool to "correct conservative misinformation" in the MSM by employing a "staff of researchers" using a "proprietary archive system" that enabled the organization to track, document, and expose what they perceived as a conservative bias. Agree with them or not, they have a clearly defined role, and have been aggressive in pursuing their objectives.

CMM, formally or informally, formed a large part of the online arm of the vaunted "Colorado Model"--now partially reduced due to the incredible success seen over the past three election cycles.

It is no secret that the GOP and conservatives and libertarians in general have been forced, at the very least, to play catch-up with their liberal/Democrat opponents. But what about benchmarks? In order to know where you want to concentrate your precious time, energy, and resources in any attempt to bring about parity with the other side (let alone any thought of leapfrogging them), it would be helpful to know what greased the wheels of the rather large and multi-faceted left-leaning apparatus employed here in Colorado.

And in politics the golden rule applies--he who has the gold, rules.

Or in this instance, he who has the gold and employs it wisely in a concerted, coordinated effort to spread a particular political message--wins elections.

Which brings me back to Menezes.

Here is a jpeg of the 2007 filing for Media Matters for America (click to enlarge):



Menezes' actual pay is almost beside the point. We already know that the director of CMM receives compensation, and that CMM was the first state-level division of the overall Media Matters operation.

As I said, Menezes is to be praised (and that is not a backhanded compliment either)--he has earned his keep, and the successes on the left in this state provides the clearest evidence that the "Colorado Model" and the implementation of organizations like CMM can produce immediate results.

So here's a note to the powers that be on the center-right, both here in Colorado and across the country--in case you were wondering how we got our a&$#*! kicked these past few election cycles, here is at least one reason. It's because there were some 100%-dedicated, full-time positions like this made available by the deepest of pockets on the left.

Just a thought.

Where Do We Go From Here? Conservatism 2.0 Conference

Michelle Malkin and Glenn Reynolds discuss the need for the GOP/conservatives/libertarians to continue to keep the "big tent" open and not circle the wagons and fire inward, as the right is often prone to do.

Second, a center-right new media/blogosphere convention in the style of a Kos-convention, without the moonbattery and tinfoil, of course. CPAC, held annually inside the beltway, would clearly not fit the bill.

Liberty On The Rocks Denver

Liberty on the Rocks:

Haven't heard of Liberty on the Rocks yet? It is a group of liberty minded individuals who meet on the first and third Wednesdays of every month in downtown Denver. Hear what the madam President and the regulars have to say.

Youth Movement--Not All Young People Are Obamatons

Young Republicans, conservatives, and libertarians (what, no monolithic vast right-wing conspiracy?) aren't prepared to concede the youth vote to Democrats, Obama, or socialism:

Wesley Dickinson, a 30-year-old Denver engineer, thinks the economy is forcing people near his age to confront politics more so than at any time since the 1970s economic downturn created a generation of Reagan Republicans. Since then, people have been able to live relatively comfortably and didn't care so much about what the government did; that no longer is true, he said.

"They haven't had to worry about the economy like our parents did," said Dickinson, a limited-government supporter who has had a keen interest in such things for many years. "The economy's been booming in general steady growth. And now we're getting into the first election times where people are scared."
. . .
Few young people read a printed paper, and many gathered at both Republican and Democratic young-voter gatherings in recent weeks said they don't own a television. They get their information from Web sites and even plan their social calendars through online networking sites such as Facebook.

And it is precisely because younger people can do almost anything in front of a computer monitor - organize a campaign event, donate money, air their opinions on a blog - that they are newly active, Justin Longo said. In the days of door-knocking and phone-calling drives 20 years ago, it was hard to hold down a full-time job and be an activist. Now, people of any income level and any work schedule can do so at any time.

"I'd like to think that without the Internet we would be so active. But I doubt it, because the costs of activism are so low this way," said Longo, 26, who is a "Web monkey" with the conservative Independence Institute in Golden. "With only a few key strokes, you put yourself in the role of an activist."

Internet users can find meetings or activities very specific to their peer and interest groups. This is how the postcard parties are organized. It's how 26-year-old Amanda Teresi founded Liberty on the Rocks, a group of free- market backers that gathers at bars twice a month in the Denver area to discuss politics or watch the presidential debate, as members did last week.

Activists from the center-right who can put to rest the image of the "good ol' boys" club of plder, blind GOP voters, with variations in ideology, diversity of backgrounds (the only true diversity), and a desire to foster advocacy of political positions with a decidedly non-progressive/liberal/socialist bent.

These aren't your typical post-grad, ex-College Republicans.

You can check out the musings and reports from Wes, Justin, and Amanda at Peoples Press Collective.

Liveblogging The Colorado GOP Convention

Welcome to SP's liveblogging coverage of the 2008 Colorado GOP Convention . . . scroll for updates and live video/liveblogging . . . joined by Ben DeGrow of Mount Virtus and Night Twister

Night Twister is liveblogging the convention, and Ben DeGrow and I have joined his running commentary over there.

Bob Schaffer accepts the nomination for US Senate for Colorado (part 1):


Part 2:


Sen. Wayne Allard addresses the convention attendees (part 1):


Sen. Allard, part 2:


Rep. Tom Tancredo addresses the convention attendees:

Rocky Mountain Alliance 2.0

Ben DeGrow explains the relaunch of the Rocky Mountain Alliance--version 2.0 for 2008:

In 2004, the Rocky Mountain Alliance of Blogs was formed - a loose collection of Colorado conservative bloggers who combined forces to grow new media influence in our state.

Times change. New blogs come. Old ones go. 2008 brings the birth of the Rocky Mountain Alliance, version 2.0. Below you will find not only links to each of our sites but also a feed you can scroll through to see our latest posts.

Some of the original cast remain, strengthened by the fresh blood of some high-quality newcomers. The goal of the Rocky Mountain Alliance 2.0 is to promote our shared conservative vision of limited and accountable government, freedom, and personal responsibility - in Colorado and in our nation, the result of the most brilliant and noble political experiment in human history.

You are invited to visit each of our sites and leave your comments.

Members

* Best Destiny
* Daily Blogster
* The Drunkablog!
* Geezerville USA
* Mount Virtus
* Night Twister
* Rocky Mountain Right
* Slapstick Politics
* Thinking Right
* View from a Height

Projects

* Ritter Watch
* Schaffer v Udall

I have posted the RMA 2.0 blogroll in the sidebar, along with the RMA 2.0 blog feed.

CU Boulder's "Professor of Conservative Thought and Policy"

It'll never happen.

Drunkablog has more.

If it does, it will most likely be a milquetoast "conservative" or not even a conservative at all.

One endowed chair for conservative thought does not intellectual diversity make.

Michelle Malkin is similarly not impressed.

Colorado Weekend News Roundup--030808

What a kick--Rep. Douglas Bruce's prospective primary opponent picks up endorsements, plans to raise $50000 to unseat the unpopular legislator, and then proceeds to win top-line designation on August's primary ballot, 57-43%, in the El Paso County General Assembly.

Just in time for the Democrat National Convention--ACLU lawsuit changes rules for rallies and protests at the Colorado state Capitol.

Speaking of the DNC--The City of Denver and Mayor "Teflon" John Hickenlooper plan "democracy" film contest--"cinemocracy"--in honor of the Democrats' August convention and for those who aren't able to get into the Pepsi Center. Also coming will be "Dialogue City," "a participatory arts festival to bring people downtown."

DIA Wi-Fi keeps lid on "provocative" content--and by provocative we mean almost everything, including the magazines available from the airport vendors.

Outgoing CU President Hank Brown points out the painfully--yet understatedly--obvious: CU perceived as aloof by Colorado residents, with a tendency toward looking "inwardly".

Despite being the GOP nominee and gaining the endorsement of Colorado's Republican heavyweights, John McCain will have an uphill battle convincing some Colorado conservatives not to sit on their hands come November.

Mark Steyn At CPAC

Video of Mark Steyn's eloquent defense of conservative principles and skewering of liberal shibboleths this past week at CPAC.

Diane Carman's Parting Shot--Love A Democrat, Because They Are More Diverse

Liberal Denver Post columnist Diane Carman has some parting words for her fellow Coloradans as she moves to a position at CU-Denver's School of Public Affairs, and can't help but take a swipe at the state's conservative majority:

Next, learn to love a Democrat.

This is easier than it looks because unlike Republicans, they come in an array of colors, sizes, net worths, sexual orientations and attitudes. There's got to be one among the thousands who will be visiting Denver next summer whom you can tolerate, even if you've been living in Delta all your life and have never seen one before.

Here's a tip for those of you in El Paso County: Don't approach them with your handguns drawn. It leaves the wrong impression.

Not unlike the rest of liberal elites in the MSM, Carman paints in uninformed, broad strokes of stereotypical generalizations--all Republicans must be WASPs, male, heterosexual and wealthy. If anything, Colorado's GOP/conservative constituency is anything but ideologically unified, and no, not all Republicans own guns or have conceal-carry permits.

Note to Carman--you get real (and do some factchecking, fer chrissakes!). Transferring from the rarefied confines of the MSM to the ivory tower of academia doesn't exactly represent much of a stretch ideologically or professionally, does it Diane?

Pat Schroeder: Conservatives Want Slogans, Read Less Than Liberals

Liberal Congresswoman Pat Schroeder of Denver. Remember her? Well, according to her liberals read more than conservatives--'cuz all they want is "slogans". What is the margin? Liberals read 9 books/year, conservatives . . . 8! Those stupid moderates only read 5!:

Liberals read more books than conservatives. The head of the book publishing industry's trade group says she knows why—and there's little flattering about conservative readers in her explanation.

"The Karl Roves of the world have built a generation that just wants a couple slogans: 'No, don't raise my taxes, no new taxes,'" Pat Schroeder, president of the American Association of Publishers, said in a recent interview. "It's pretty hard to write a book saying, 'No new taxes, no new taxes, no new taxes' on every page."

Schroeder, who as a Colorado Democrat was once one of Congress' most liberal House members, was responding to an Associated Press-Ipsos poll that found people who consider themselves liberals are more prodigious book readers than conservatives.

She said liberals tend to be policy wonks who "can't say anything in less than paragraphs. We really want the whole picture, want to peel the onion."

What about "no war for oil", "bush lied, people died", and "health care is a human right". If you did a comparison, the platitudinous left draws on more cliches and slogans than a Hollywood movie and marketing campaign combined.

Rove, President Bush's departing political adviser, is known as a prodigious reader. White House spokesman Tony Fratto said Schroeder was "confusing volume with quality" with her remarks.

"Obfuscation usually requires a lot more words than if you simply focus on fundamental principles, so I'm not at all surprised by the loquaciousness of liberals," he said.

Ever heard a liberal wax poetic on their pet cause? Or a moonbat pontificate on their soapbox for five minutes or more while promising that they do really have a point or question?

An economy of words isn't a sign of ignorance any more than verbal diarrhea is an indication of intelligence.

Jonah Goldberg has more on Schroeder's moonbat statement. Newsbusters takes apart the AP-Ipsos poll.

Around The Blogosphere 081407

The Colorado Index detects bias against GOP/conservative blogs at The Denver Post.

Ben DeGrow is really going to miss his Rovian talking points!

From the other side--the Democratic National Convention recognizes the importance of the blogosphere, and plans to include bloggers as much as possible. The GOP really needs to make sure they do not ignore the blogs in the next election--and as the Politico points out, they have been doing just that:

To Ruffini, the Republican problem online is rooted in an older culture that has stopped innovating and has failed to embrace the sort of cooperative networking practices and freewheeling activism that collectively has produced so much new energy on the Democratic side.

Face The State finds a couple willing to challenge Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper's assertion that the poor can't survive on their current food stamp allocation.

Tuesday Link Sweep--Ousted CU Prof Phil Mitchell Speaks

'Cause I'm too busy:

Ousted CU professor Phil Mitchell sends a letter to the CU GOP, more background here:

May 1, 2007

Dear Friends,

A few weeks ago the new director of my program at CU—The Sewall Residential
Academic Program—confirmed that she would not be renewing my contract at CU.

So I have been fired. The process that was begun two years ago is now complete. At that time I alleged my firing was motivated by hostility toward me as a
political and religious conservative. I am certain this is still the motive.

In the past year the History Department at CU sent two professors into my
classroom who gave me negative teaching reviews. Then the new director of the
Sewall program did the same. It was as though they working off the same
template. These negative evaluations were sent to the Dean of Arts and Sciences
as justification for my firing, in spite of the following:

• My student evaluations are among the highest in the history of the university
and are the highest in my department.
• I have won almost every teaching award one can win at CU, some of them many
times.
• I have won more teaching awards than all the other professors in my program
combined.
• I have won more teaching awards than all my critics combined.
• The last senior member of the History Department to evaluate my class—last
February—opened his summary with, “It was a treat to be there and watch a master teacher at work.”
• My peer evaluations have ranged from very good to outstanding for twenty-three years.
• One history professor recommended I be retained to teach the other professors
how to teach.

My firing is blatant act of political and religious discrimination. It shows
nothing but contempt for the students of the University of Colorado. Apparently
student feelings mean nothing.

If you would like to write emails or letters on my behalf I recommend the
following addresses:
• Bud.Peterson@colorado.edu; Chancellor of CU, Boulder
• Gleeson@colorado.edu; Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences
• Phil.Distefano@Colorado.EDU; Executive Vice Chancellor, CU, Boulder

It would be fine with me if you sent me copies of your correspondence. Thank you
for your support and prayers.

Phil Mitchell
micaiahministries@comcast.net

---

Best Destiny explains why Colorado "Big Education" has big consequences.

Drunkablog catches Glen Spagnuolo's long-windedness, and new plans for Ward Churchill/Recreate68/TransformColumbusDay.

The Political Pale Horse exposes the enviromoonbats' true evil.

Moonbattery updates on confessed Vail arsonist Chelsea Gerlach.

Conservative CU Professor Ousted

For his beliefs or for failure to meet faculty requirements?

Ben offers a few thoughts. PirateBallerina has some background on ousted professor Phil Mitchell.