I/we count coup on Howell Raines.

On behalf of the Right side of the blogosphere, that is – hey, it’s a Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy, remember? That makes apparently noncausal chains of events OK – and I use his Guardian article as proof.

Now, just so we’re clear, I’m not counting coup because of the information found within (short version: Howell Raines really doesn’t like President Bush, wants Senator Kerry to kick Bush’s butt in the upcoming election and is worried that Kerry won’t); we can’t claim the ability to pick his opinions for him. Neither am I counting coup because he’s no longer editor-in-chief for the Grey Lady: triumphalism aside, our esteemed Lefty colleagues would dispute that the Right Side of the blogosphere has that kind of oomph, and frankly, they have a point. I’m not even counting coup just because I feel like it. I am counting coup because I had a perversely pleasant feeling coursing through my veins as I read this article, and when I figured out why the reason made me chuckle for a good five minutes.

Look at the article again. Note the tone; brash, brutally cynical, unapologetic. Note the rhetorical and ideological red meat; it’s nice and juicy, just the way the base likes it. No namby-pamby centrism here, by Jeebus; straight dualism, right down the line, and Raines has enough anger stored up to swing away at both Satan Bush and John Kerry. He’s really, really worked up about it, to the point where he made at least one* elementary error while in the throes of artistic creation… and yet the title to his article was curiously leaden, which suggests to me that it was written before the red haze went across his vision. In short, I really do think that this may be the most interesting article that I’ve ever seen coming from Howell Raines. It may be the only interesting article that I’ve ever seen coming from Howell Raines.

I’d say that he’s well on his way to becoming a proper partisan political blogger.

Of course, he’ll need some polish, maybe a chance to get comfortable with the unique nature of blogging for a bit. No sense in learning on the job if you don’t have to. Therefore, I suggest Atrios as mentor – similar political stance, and all that, and he is one of the most influential Leftist bloggers out there. Under his guidance Howell should be ready for the big time in nothing flat. So, let me be the first to give a big old Right-Wing Death Beast anticipatory welcome to Howell Raines. Glad you could come on down.

And, see? The drawbacks to fighting dragons were seriously overstated.

(via Captain’s Quarters, just like everybody else)

Moe

*McGovern, Dole and Bush I certainly qualify as war heroes, and if you’re counting primaries, so does McCain.