Red State Has Launched!

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Congratulations to Tacitus et al. for the very handsome looking new answer to Daily Kos: Red State

The line up of excellent contributors, including our own esteemed Moe Lane and Sebastian Holsclaw, promises to make it a must-read for bloggers of all stripes and colors.

And just because it’s dedicated to re-electing as many Republicans as possible in the coming elections, don’t let that discourage you, my fellow liberal brothers and sisters, from posting there. Please do sign up and add your thoughtful, albeit disagreeing, comments as frequently as possible…That site, again is http://www.redstate.org

Now Fly! Fly, my pretties! Fly!!!

In all seriousness. Congratulations to Tacitus, Moe, Sebastian and all the Red State Contributors!

74 thoughts on “Red State Has Launched!”

  1. Those of you who are not fans of my posts here can rejoice in not seeing my posts at RedState. One look was plenty. Didn’t find the content or display interesting in the least but to each his/her own (are there any ‘hers’ left at ObWi?).

  4. It’s a kind of Republican attempt at The Onion, isn’t it? Or so the current top post headline would suggest: “Republicans Can’t Use Ronald Reagan’s Death For Political Purposes.”
    Tell that to Bush and Cheney…

  5. Jesurgislac,
    When i heard about your being banned from that site (and for that reason) i knew i could and would not ever post at Tacitus. Your not being there is his loss and is due to his dangerously closed mind. Unfortunately i grew up with too many people in Texas, where he comes from who think just like him. God help us all.

  6. oops…guess if you read across threads you’ll figure out I was having dinner with Wilfred the other night.

  9. The irony is delicious. “I won’t post there, because not enough people who think like me post there.” Still being a regular reader, I can assure you that Tacitus gets more than his fair share of poorly-thought-out leftist argument on a daily basis. One more or less hardly makes a difference.

  15. It’s hard enough to come here sometimes because Sebastian and Moe – though bright – have an amazing ability to ignore the cold steel dagger that kills their argument or undermines their molehill/mountain building.

  16. The new site doesn’t have anything to do with THIS does it?
    “the Republican National Committee will this month start paying Web site owners who raise donations for the party through their sites”
    http://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/12/business/12rnc.html
    30% kickbacks. Wow! that’s some “administrative costs”!
    And I thought you guys did this out of a sense of duty for the greater good.

  17. Ugh, one look at RedState and my worst fears are confirmed. Maybe it was finally seeing F9/11, maybe it was something in the water at my new place in Olympia, or maybe the fact that the poisons in the water of Manhattan have started to leave my system, but it finally dawned upon me that these people at Tacitus’ site and — let’s be frank — at RedState are going to vote for George W. Bush. These right vs. left arguments are all well and good, but there comes a point when we actually have to cast a vote, and I just can’t help feeling disgust with these otherwise well-reasoned people who just cannot see how much W. has hijacked all of their ideals and is duping Republicans like they’ve never been duped before. And there’s still this undercurrent that I’ve always believed but have been too civil to say in certain company: that conservatives are the enemy of the American way. So as much as I might have wanted to, say, a year ago, I will not be visiting RedState. It’s like arguing with bin Laden — what’s the point? I just don’t want them in power; I want them out of my country, even (though there’s nothing I can do about that). I guess I’ve been called anti-American by too many conservatives at this point, or maybe I’m adopting that good ol’ with-us-or-against-us attitude, or, again, it’s that there artesian water that flows out of the tap here in my hometown — or maybe it’s really just Liberal Outrage Fatigue Syndrome. But I give up.
    Sure, John Kerry is a douchebag, but I’m voting for him anyway. I suppose my own liberal ideals have been equally hijacked by him, but it should be pretty obvious by now that this is entirely beside the point. And yet . . . not only are there still people willing to vote for Nader, but there are still people who are going to vote for George W. Bush.
    Anyway, I came here from Kos’ link today; I think a moderate scene sounds much easier on my constitution. I can’t stand leftists (as much as Tac’s people seem to confuse them with liberals, yet get mad at me for making the inverse connection between conservatives and fascists), I can barely stand conservatives (who I still delude myself into thinking I might be able to enlighten), so as a run-of-the-mill liberal American, maybe this place might be more to my liking. And maybe I can make a deal with some of the Republicans lurking about: if you vote for Kerry, I will vote a straight-GOP ticket for any and all other candidates in WA this fall — after all, don’t you want that godless communist Gary Locke out of power? He’s history’s greatest monster!

  18. wilfred, I can assure you, I’m nobody’s poodle. I calls ’em as I sees ’em. Apparently, though, Jesurgislac does need a poodle, and you’re all too happy to wear the ribbons and get the poofy tail. Woof, woof.

  19. Yeah, right. Adding my thoughtful comments over at Tacitus started out as an errant hobby and now the lovely Deanna thinks I’m nuts. Tho’ she might’ve come to that conclusion anyway. And maybe not always so thoughtful.
    But well done Red State! (And Moe, I hope this doesn’t mean you’ll be leaving Tacitus behind, poor little stepchild that it has suddenly become…)

  20. and now the lovely Deanna thinks I’m nuts.
    “and now”? That infers a change from prior assessments…
    (I kid)
    You know, Tacitus was just lamenting the other day how much poorer he feels with Jesurgislac’s dazzling commentary no longer lighting up his blog.
    (See I do kid)

  21. Petri dish of pessimism and protest?
    Oy veh.
    So does that make me a bacillus of blind Bush hatred; a sinister, objectively-Saddam-supporting spirochete; an e.coli of environmental extremism; or all of the above?
    But, good luck. I think. Kind of.
    🙂

  24. Tlacolotl,
    I understand where you’re coming from, honestly I do. I realize that even with all the information coming out about how there were no WMD and there was no connection between Hussein and the 9/11 attacks, folks will STILL enter a voting booth on Nov. 2 and cast their vote for Bush. It’s incredibile, I know, but they have an obligation to protect their children from those dreaded East Coast liberal values, you know.
    A President who’ll send the troops into a war on the worst kind of intelligence, who’ll send troops into war without anything even resembling a good post-combat plan, who’ll send troops into war despite knowing a much more threatening enemy is still at large and the resources spent on this wild WMD goose chase (including billions of dollars) might be better spent protecting our borders or getting serious about scouring the Pakistan/Afghanistan border, is still better than someone Rove can paint as a “liberal.”
    It’s a mystery to me, but there it is.
    Having said that, Red State is run by some good folks who are good Americans and just so happen to disagree that Kerry will be better for the nation than the incumbent.
    It’s a mystery to me, but there they are.
    Fatigue is understandable. Feeling you can make a difference if you can get one person to see the light is admirable. Wanting your choice to win so much it hurts is apparently universal though.

  28. I will not be visiting RedState. It’s like arguing with bin Laden — what’s the point? I just don’t want them in power; I want them out of my country, even (though there’s nothing I can do about that). I guess I’ve been called anti-American by too many conservatives at this point…
    Calling you that is a tempting proposition for this liberal. Sorry, wishing for a one party state conveniently expunged of all of your political opponents isn’t striking me as some sort of liberal and principled stance.
    Edward has a dead right here. I’ve had friends run (and sometimes win) for office as Democrats, and even Republicans and Greens. And while I profoundly disagreed with the latter two, I still trusted them more than nearly any elected officials of my party. If you’re to place your ideology before the humanity of people, you’re no friend of this country.

  30. I’m moderately impressed, Tlacolotl: you managed to insult just about everybody in your first post here – so let’s just skip the foreplay. You’re banned.
    Moe

  31. …. it finally dawned upon me that these people at Tacitus’ site and — let’s be frank — at RedState are going to vote for George W. Bush.
    Where’s that door prize?

  32. Tlacolotl:
    I can’t stand leftists (as much as Tac’s people seem to confuse them with liberals, yet get mad at me for making the inverse connection between conservatives and fascists), I can barely stand conservatives (who I still delude myself into thinking I might be able to enlighten), so as a run-of-the-mill liberal American, maybe this place might be more to my liking.
    May I ask a question? This is completely snark-free and without agenda of any kind and is solely for information: why do you believe that you are a liberal American?
    For the record I think I’d describe myself as a centrist; possibly a radical centrist.

  33. “And I thought you guys did this out of a sense of duty for the greater good.”
    If you were to read the article, carsick, you might note that this was a program designed to benefit websites that raised money for President Bush. For that matter, if you were to look around, you might also note that there isn’t any advertising of that sort on this site.
    But I am wondering why I spend $15/month for a site where I and my side of the political spectrum can be gratuitously insulted, so there’s that, at least.

  34. Moe:
    But I am wondering why I spend $15/month for a site where I and my side of the political spectrum can be gratuitously insulted, so there’s that, at least.
    That’s outrageous! I’m sure there are any number of sites where you could be insulted for free. 😉

  37. Moe,
    Even though I’m under a lucrative contract to Harley, since you’re a good guy, I’ll comp you insults if that would be helpful. Because, every knows… I’m a giver.

  38. You know, Dave, Mac, every other blipping blogger in the blogosphere is allowed to get huffy; did I not sign the right paperwork, or something?
    (Insert reluctant smile emoticon here)
    Moe

  39. Sure you signed it, but you didn’t get it notarized now did you?*
    *A free service of Macallan Tongue In cheek Enterprises, Inc., a subsidiary of VRWC Holdings International.

  40. Here’s the thing about RedState — if you don’t like the content and sentiments there, don’t freakin bookmark it. Even more specifically — don’t bitch about RedState because it doesn’t respect your opinion or the mods don’t let you insult the people there. Also, do not taunt RedState, do not expose RedState to air, etc….
    This is coming from somebody who shares some of Tlocolotl’s feelings about voting for Bush. I also, however, have some pretty dyed in the wool Repub parents and have to put up with them even though their politics make me gag. Try to get along, children. And please, let the Republicans play in their own sandbox undisturbed.

  41. heet,
    You’ll be amazed how much smarter your folks get as you get older… it’s like a miracle or something!

  42. Well, I tried to register (just so nobody could squat on my handle and then extort me for it. . I swear), but it failed with this:

    Failed to send mail. It could be a problem with the address you entered, or with the server. Or it could be because you are a traitorous libertine too busy letting the barbarians through the gates to get a valid email address. The error message is: “connect to localhost failed (Connection refused) connect to localhost failed connect to localhost failed (Connection refused) no (more) retries! May G-d have mercy on your wicked soul!”

  45. Moe
    I thought my post was a light hearted observation about RedState not OW.
    By the way, you’re wrong. (cold steel dagger anyone?)
    Read the article again. It is not as you state: “a program designed to benefit websites that raised money for President Bush.”
    The article states, “the Republican National Committee will this month start paying Web site owners who raise donations for the party through their sites.”
    And, above it states RedState is “dedicated to re-electing as many Republicans as possible in the coming elections”.
    Raising money for the party and working to get folks from that party elected are rarely mutually exclusive.
    Just sayin’.

  46. And, above it states RedState is “dedicated to re-electing as many Republicans as possible in the coming elections”.
    that was my characterization carsick, based on what I saw when visiting Red State. Not a statement by the site.
    Just sayin’…

  47. Phil: Hey, I saw that movie! Ewwwww!
    *shrug* To each their own. *purrs* *pounces*
    (I hope you meant the 1942 movie, not the 1982 travesty.)

  48. Well, as a good small-l libertarian, I’m required by law to like any movie that features Ed Begley having his arm pulled off.

  49. Moe says, I’m moderately impressed, Tlacolotl: you managed to insult just about everybody in your first post here – so let’s just skip the foreplay. You’re banned.
    Did you really ban Tlacolotl because in a thread about RedState he said he didn’t like it? When he says he hates lefties do believe that he actually hates lefties? I assume he’s expressing disfavor with the approach to politics favored by the Rachael Corries of the world. I didn’t for a second think he actually hated the people.
    I don’t think that Edward did either. His reasonable response to Tlacolotl’s post was soothing and encouraging. It more than balanced T’s emotional post and the two together make for compelling reading.
    Tac seems justifiably proud of the new site. Now I like Tac, and I hope he grows rich and successful, but I’m very torn between providing whatever small contribution I can to help Tac and having that same small contribution help continue what I think is a disasterous Bush presidency. When T said, “…but it finally dawned upon me that these people at Tacitus’ site and — let’s be frank — at RedState are going to vote for George W. Bush.” I was very amused but it also expressed my most serious reservation about the site. And when Tac responded, “Where’s that door prize?” well, how funny is that?
    So Tlacolotl made his emotional comment it led to additional compelling comments and some amusing snark. Isn’t that what a good comment does?
    Finally, there is a sentance in T’s comment that reasonable conservatives would find objectionable. When he says, “conservatives are the enemy of the American way.” he’s admitting to an opinion he was loath to profess before. But what do it mean? Well, there are many, from the right and the left, that claim that the aquisition of power by movement conservatives has been an American Political Revolution. Bush’s unilateral rejection of international treaties, the undermining of the Geneva Convention, well the list goes on, is forging an American Way unlike the one that came before. Bipartisan America spent several decades trying to build the UN before movement conservatives tried to marginalize it. My point here is that there is an honest perspective from which T’s objectionable comment is high in truth value points. It’s a comment that perhaps deserves objection – but not punishment.
    Tlacolotl didn’t curse, he didn’t call anybody names, but he is guilty of showing a bit of passion. You showed your own passion when you banned him. If passion is a thing that will get you banned are you next?

  50. Moe says, I’m moderately impressed, Tlacolotl: you managed to insult just about everybody in your first post here – so let’s just skip the foreplay. You’re banned.
    Did you really ban Tlacolotl because in a thread about RedState he said he didn’t like it? When he says he hates lefties do believe that he actually hates lefties? I assume he’s expressing disfavor with the approach to politics favored by the Rachael Corries of the world. I didn’t for a second think he actually hated the people.
    I don’t think that Edward did either. His reasonable response to Tlacolotl’s post was soothing and encouraging. It more than balanced T’s emotional post and the two together make for compelling reading.
    Tac seems justifiably proud of the new site. Now I like Tac, and I hope he grows rich and successful, but I’m very torn between providing whatever small contribution I can to help Tac and having that same small contribution help continue what I think is a disasterous Bush presidency. When T said, “…but it finally dawned upon me that these people at Tacitus’ site and — let’s be frank — at RedState are going to vote for George W. Bush.” I was very amused but it also expressed my most serious reservation about the site. And when Tac responded, “Where’s that door prize?” well, how funny is that?
    So Tlacolotl made his emotional comment it led to additional compelling comments and some amusing snark. Isn’t that what a good comment does?
    Finally, there is a sentance in T’s comment that reasonable conservatives would find objectionable. When he says, “conservatives are the enemy of the American way.” he’s admitting to an opinion he was loath to profess before. But what do it mean? Well, there are many, from the right and the left, that claim that the aquisition of power by movement conservatives has been an American Political Revolution. Bush’s unilateral rejection of international treaties, the undermining of the Geneva Convention, well the list goes on, is forging an American Way unlike the one that came before. Bipartisan America spent several decades trying to build the UN before movement conservatives tried to marginalize it. My point here is that there is an honest perspective from which T’s objectionable comment is high in truth value points. It’s a comment that perhaps deserves objection – but not punishment.
    Tlacolotl didn’t curse, he didn’t call anybody names, but he is guilty of showing a bit of passion. You showed your own passion when you banned him. If passion is a thing that will get you banned are you next?

  52. I have to agree with Fabius. It’s one thing to try to encourage civility, it’s another to enforce it with a sledgehammer. You’ll make the the site and the dialogue a lot poorer the latter way.

  54. Do not taunt the happy fun Moe, for it is his playground and he makes the rules.
    Admittedly, my first reaction to a few of the lines from Tlacolotl’s post was, “whoops, he is /so/ getting a Posting Rules warning for that one.” It’s not that he said much I haven’t /felt/ at one point or another, he was just impolitic enough to do his thinking out loud–and probably didn’t realize that the siteadmin is a VRWC Deathbeast ™. 😉
    That said, Moe, you /have/ had a fairly itchy trigger finger lately, and I think it just went off in Tlac’s general direction. I understand why, because the lines of civility have been extremely strained of late–but those above raise good points about the effect heavy-handedness has on the quality of discussion. It is a fine line, and not an easy one to walk.
    Anyway, my bottom line: I think Tlac has something to contribute. He’s honest, and a second reading of his comment will show he’s genuinely struggling with his convictions and positions in a way which makes for good discussion.
    That’s my appeal for a second chance. If this is not up for further discussion, then I will say no more.

  55. Edward
    As I stated above, it was only a lighthearted observation. An off the cuff joke taking advantage of the timiing of the news report and the announcement of the new blog.
    It was not intended as a researched indictment.

  56. Anyway, my bottom line: I think Tlac has something to contribute.
    Not really. Once he’s passed over to “the other side has no validity” dark side, he may as well just start Godwining his posts – what’s the difference? If you want to discuss those sorts of statements, there are plenty around to quote and prompt an argument. Doesn’t Streisand still have a website?

  57. So Mac is for the banning. I’m just taking a poll to see if the banning is going to break down on political lines. Along time ago, before I became all nice and everything, I use to refer to Republicans as belonging to the party of punishment. Lets see if that tag still has currency.

  58. So Fabius is for mischaracterizing comments. I’m just taking a poll to see if the mischaracterizing is going to break down on political lines.

  59. Right. That’s one point Macallan, one point Fabius. It’s a dead heat, and with Macallan’s last return it’s anybody’s guess whether Fabius will be able to serve it past him this time…

  60. I don’t know from micharacterizations. But mayhaps I misunderstood. Do I put you down as yea or nay on T’s banishment based on his first post? I must confess I thought you were extraditing him to Streisand’s blog.

  61. Well, mark me down as a discordian objectivist who thinks Tlacolotl should not only be banned, his/her children should be banned even unto the seventh generation and his/her name should be stricken from the lips of all true citizens on pain of death.

  62. I’m prone to mischaracterizations, sidereal, and as your vote seems a bit nuanced would you redstate, er, restate, for the record, whether yea or nay?

  63. his/her name should be stricken from the lips of all true citizens on pain of death
    Fine by me, I don’t even know how to pronounce “Tlacolotl”.

  65. Fabius,
    I’m agonistic on whether or not the guy should be banned, I sort of think that’s up to the OW folks.

  66. Hey where’s Moe’s smart response?
    As I said before…”an amazing ability to ignore the cold steel dagger that kills their argument.”

  67. I have a life, carsick.
    As to your original point, I was already going to concede that your comment about my motivations for operating this site and contributing to redstate could have been legitimately seen as a joke, and thus an apology on my part for the misunderstanding was called for.
    Satisfied?
    Moe

  69. Macallan says I’m agonistic on whether or not the guy should be banned
    Proof that Republicans are the party of punishment…
    (Sorry, Mac: I don’t normally pick on typos, but that was a particularly funny one.)

  72. Redstate is a Republican forum that will only accept posts that are in agreement with Republican points of view. If you have a perspective that doesn’t fall within the narrow boundaries of Republican thought, then you will be banned from posting at their site. They have very strict rules regarding this, and will not tolerate posts that include opposing view points. They say they have these rules in place to protect their identity as a Republican forum. However, I have seen many people falsely claim that Democrats may post there. This is true, as long as they don’t post anything that would go against Republican beliefs. This is not a place that tolerates opposing points of view. If your interested in a forum that accepts everyone, regardless of your party affiliation or political views, than there are many other good sites available. You are welcome to post comments at: independentminds.blogspot.com

  73. Guess that means that you’re a Republican then, Edward. You too, Harley. (Shaking head) Man, it’s always the quiet ones.
    Moe
    PS: Although I am gratified to see that ObWi is apparently at the point where random bloggers think that it’s worthwhile to troll us for links. Folks, give it up for Edward, Katherine, Sebastian and von! 🙂

  74. Actually Moe,
    After a few days I’m finding the comments sections of Red State much less hospitable than Tacitus. Maybe it’s the format (too many posts to police), but some of the rhetoric there would have gotten folks banned on Tacitus, or at least I liked to think it would.
    I do wonder if that’s the same way Republicans feel about Kos, so I’m not wanting to make a big deal out of it. Just kind of surprising is all.

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