Over the past few years, I've been living and breathing the technology + politics Revolution. I've worked on House and Senate campaigns, and also in House and Senate official offices. And, of course, I've always volunteered for Republican campaigns.
When I left Congressman Jack Kingston's office to start my own company, I told my colleagues that it was time for me to move to the front-lines of the modern media Revolution where I could help the Party by spearheading new projects and initiatives, blogging, vlogging, identifying best practices for a smarter application of technology, and reporting back on our progress.
One thing which has become increasingly clear to me and many others is that the Republican Party - the establishment - has failed to effectively engage and embrace Web 2.0 strategies. While the Internet has grown rapidly, the Party apparatus and its top officials are operating in a disconnected, Web 0.5 world. The result is that our message is failing to penetrate the modern world where millions of independent voters and modern Republicans spend a majority of their time.
A deep and growing partisan digital divide between Republicans and Democrats has been dug. In fact, losing our Republican majorities in the House and Senate during the 2006 Election cycle could have been prevented had we connected with a mere 82K voters throughout the country in key races.
While losing the majorities was bad, the worst is yet to come.
A report released in January by the Pew Research Center found that "Gen Next" voters, those between the ages of 18-25, are the "least Republican generation" of the past two decades. According to the report, "48 percent of young people identified themselves as Democrats or as leaning to the Democratic Party, and 35 percent as Republicans."
While Gen Nexters currently associate with the Democratic Party on Election Day, the results of the study confirm that Gen Nexters are actually quite sympathetic to our cause. A majority of Gen Nexters are "less critical of business," they are "the most likely of any generation to support privatization of the Social Security system," and they "are more comfortable with globalization and new ways of doing work." As you might expect, where Gen Nexters most distance themselves from traditionally Republican issues is with social conservative views.
Many people over the age of 30 connected with the Republican Party during the years of Ronald Reagan. But for those of us under the age of 30, Reagan is merely someone we admire and study about in history books or through stories our elders tell us. We weren't fortunate enough to see the Republican Party through the lens of Reagan.
If Reagan were alive today, would he use YouTube religiously to connect with us better?
Absolutely.
So why do ALL of our current conservative leaders ignore us completely. Perhaps because we're not Tim Russert, Sean Hannity or Mike Allen? Maybe because we don't own a mega-publishing company or Fox News?
Actions speak louder than words. "Republican politicians don't care about us." True or not, that's the message we're receiving.
Campaign operatives know all too well that the only thing that matters on Election Day is votes, which is why they spend millions of dollars trying to move large blocks of voters through persuasive TV commercials, and why it focuses a majority of its efforts and resources on "getting out the vote" on Election Day.
However, in focusing our limited resources and entire effort on these tried-and-trusted techniques, we're missing what Chris Anderson calls "The Long Tail" of politics. We're missing the niche crowd. That 10-20 percent of the electorate that doesn't have a "landline" and no longer watches "tv" other than Comedy Central and HBO.
Instead, we're relying on indirect messaging to deliver our message. And when it comes to turning-out-the-vote on Election Day, well, they decided months ago to vote for the other guy.
This strategy failed in 2006, and we're on course for a similar result in the 2008 election cycle. If we were on a cruise ship called the Titanic, it's the iceberg that I'm trying to point out NOW before it's visible to the rest of the Party.
Let me be crystal clear: The message hasn't changed, the world has. The mediums we use to deliver that message needs to change with it.
According to the Pew Report, Gen Nexters "Use technology and the internet to connect with people in new and distinctive ways. Text messaging, instant messaging and email keep them in constant contact with friends. About half say they sent or received a text message over the phone in the past day, approximately double the proportion of those ages 26-40. They are the "Look at Me" generation... A majority of Gen Nexters have used one of these social networking sites, and more than four-in-ten have created a personal profile."
I spend a lot of time focusing on the habits and trends of Gen Next because they are the future of our world and, I hope, our Party. I know all too well that you're only young once. Over night, on our birthday, we reach a new age bracket.
But what will never change is how we connect with our friends, families, and the issues we choose to care about. The profiles we make on facebook will be their for life. Friends change jobs often. But we're never truly detached because the world has been flattened by the Internet. We are connected/ing all the time. And sadly, the only people who are disconnected from our world are Republican politicians and issues.
While many tech-savvy Republicans have weighed in on this discussion, former RNC eCampaign Director and current modern media guru Patrick Ruffini argued to me that instead of screaming for change - act like a Web 2.0 company - build it, grow it, prove it. Only then would the Party "get it."
So that's exactly what we've done.
Together, our community at techRepublican will think, discuss, read, collaborate, criticize, share, and act to make a difference. Some of us may actually be Gen Nexters, but not all of us (including me).
Young, old(er), black, white, hispanic, conservative, moderate, cool, geeky, politicians, party chairmen, operatives, businessmen, hobbysts, authors, directors, comedians, artists, Americans, French, British, African, big, small, male, female... The only bond which links us all is that we're all modern Republicans and conservatives committed to our respective political parties.
The fact of the matter is that Republicans come in all shapes and sizes and we need to be sending our message out as widely as possible and better tapping in to organic portals and niche communities which articulate conservative principles.
Take for example the thriving Republican punk music scene. A read of Steve Miller's 2004 article in the Washington Times on the battle of ideas in the culture of punk rock music is something I associate with. Not only is punk rock great music, but it's always been a ripe battleground for political thought and discussion.
And, as a Republican, I'm proud to have had John Cummings in our Party. You may know John as Johnny Ramone, of one of the best bands of all time, the Ramones. The Ramones are largely regarded as being the first punk rock band and at least one band member was a Republican. In fact, Johnny Ramone was quoted in 2004 as saying, "I send money to the [Republican National Committee] and to Bush/Cheney. I will argue politics with people all day long. I am one of the few Republicans out here."
There's a discussion going on in the punk community about what it "means" to be a Republican at places like GOPunk.com and Conservative Punk. The mission statement for Conservative Punk sums up how they're helping push back on the liberal dominance of their medium well:
"Punk music has been, and still is, one of the most heavy-handed genres of music there is. Unfortunately the topics of such heavy-handed songs are almost always seeped in left wing propaganda, bumper sticker rallying calls and oversimplifications of otherwise complex topics... We at conservative punk mean to be the foil to this trend. We plan on filling in the gaps. We will offer our own views while still urging young punks to search for their own conclusions. Hopefully in doing so we will energize and excite young people enough to become engaged in politics and exercise their power at the ballot box."
Please tell me who at the Republican Party is responsible for this important niche coalition. Do they even know that the music their kids are listening to could be from a Republican?
Well we do.
Today and from now on, collectively, the contributors of techRepublican will focus, like a laser, to report best practices on the application of technology to the political spectrum, identifying Republicans and conservatives throughout the world who are using the Internet to bridge that great partisan digital divide and reach modern voters. We'll provide tips, tricks, and tools for campaigns to use -- for FREE.
And we hope you'll get involved in our Revolution. After all, it's your Party too. Together, we'll be successful. But we can't do it alone.
To get involved, you can join our Google Group and add your thoughts to the threads or start your own discussion topics. You can also follow our blog through our Twitter account, join our facebook group, organize under our DiggRight initiative (digg it!), connect with us on our YouTube channel, our myspace account, and many other socnets that we'll tell you about.
And we're always looking for contributors. If you're a Republican or a conservative - anywhere in the world and believe you've got something to say that our readers need to know, email us at info@techrepublican.com. Tell us what you want to write or vlog about and our managing editor, Emily Zanotti, will get back with you quickly.
And if you're reading this, I hope you'll answer these questions:
- Will you join our movement?
- Will you pick up a musket and fight in the trenches with us?
- Will they listen and understand if we show them?
Because if you do, you'll be helping ensure the longevity and continuity of the Party and principles we love. Promise.
Today our Revolution begins. Tomorrow we fight.
Ed. Note, May 10, 3:32 PM: I've updated (in bold) some of the language I used with regard to the late and great Republican, Johnny Ramone. His relevancy to this post and the Party remains.
Comments
Johnny Ramone...
...died in 2004. Just FYI
The revolution needs to make
The revolution needs to make the subject lines visible (although I appreciate anonymous posting).
What I was going to say is, Johnny Ramone died in 2004.
Comments...
now show their titles. Thanks.
too funny
The band were republicans?? Um, Joey Ramone played at a Jerry Brown rally in NYC back in 2002, and I think Dee Dee was too high all the time to really have any political convictions.
Great! A GOP band singing
Great! A GOP band singing about sniffing glue and working the corner of 53rd and 3rd!
Oh how the GOP has fallen.
I think that claim is pretty
I think that claim is pretty inaccurate, but even if it were; why would you want to claim that? Hardly like they're desirable backers.
Bonzo Goes to Bitburg
Must have been about someone else (Reagan honored the dead Waffen SS buried at Bitburg, Germany, in case you under 30-types needed a St. Ronny moment, and the Jewish Joey rightfully took offense).
Anyway, Joey was a liberal.
Not only that
Not only did Johnny die in 2004, but the link provided in the original document includes the phrase "Johnny Ramone—who had been privately battling prostate cancer—died almost exactly as the film was released, on September 15, 2004."
Hyperlinked banner...
I've added your linked banner on my blog, Dumb Ox Daily News, at http://thomistic.blogspot.com
Keep the faith!
Picking up muskets
Yeah - you guys pick up those muskets... or maybe go to the recruiting office. Just think, you could blog from Iraq, and the mohawks are FREE! Now go wipe the cheetos off your pajamas - mom wants you to take out the trash, even if she is your sister.
Reagan and YouTube
"If Reagan were alive today, would he use YouTube religiously to connect with us better?
Absolutely."
no, he wouldn't... the only type of communication reagan knew was the old-fashioned, face-to-face, in front of the camera, talking-to-an-audience kind, and his aides and handlers would be just as web 0.5 as all the rest of today's aides and handlers are... reagan was many things but he was neither a genius, infallible, nor omnipotent...
http://takeitpersonally.blogspot.com/
Tomorrow We Fight...
...just after we watch "300" again and engage those pesky Islamofascists in a rousing game of "World Of Warcraft."
"Mom-- we need more Hot Pockets!"
PS - Republican punk rock died with Johnny Ramone. Though that dude with the skull makeup who was on the "Daily Show" report on Republican hard core is probably still looking for work.
Steeped, not seeped
The quote from Conservative Punk is really irksome.
"the topics of such heavy-handed songs are almost always seeped in left wing propaganda..."
It's steeped, not seeped. Seeped is oozed, as in under crack. Steeped is soaked, like tea. The metaphor doesn't work with with seeped. Nor does the sentence make any sense with the prepositional verb 'seep in'. It's just illiterate.
Also "left wing" should be hyphenated, like "heavy-handed", but that's minor compared to the pathetic failure to use a cliche.
Gen Next
Many of the over 30 generation people became Reagan Republicans not so much because they were sold on Republican party merits, but because they witnessed the failed presidency of Jimmy Carter and figured there had to be a different direction to go.
Now witness the significant shift towards the Democrats by young voters, and the same scenario is playing out. Replace "Jimmy Carter" with "George W. Bush" and you will find you answer. That, plus the fact that liberals turned to the internet and blogs because they had no FOX news to cater to them for news and commentary that satisfied their viewpoints.
I guess...
...this is both the blessing and curse of allowing anonymous - unmoderated comments.
Oh well, welcome to the discussion.
Feel free to look around, kick off your shoes, and get comfortable.
We're about to change the game.
Let us hope so!
That anonymous guy sure has a mouth -- and an attitude! We must be doing something right to attract this many trolls on the first day!
Think Again
I have a feeling Atrios isn't going to be linking to you every day. Have fun talking to yourselves though!
Right, 'cause that would be
Right, 'cause that would be our LIVES' GOAL. Getting linked by a blog that would hate us without the provocation.
Yep.
Right.
Hate?
I don't think it's hate. All atrios did was point out that Joey Ramone had been dead for three years. Not sure why you interpret his post as hatred.
I for one actually wish you well in clearing the corruption and incompetence out of the GOP to make it an organization worthy of your work. Best of luck to you. You'll need it.
Defensive much?
Wow, you people sure are touchy. Someone points out a simple, obvious factual error in your post, and you circle the wagons and start ... whining. "Welcome to the discussion", except there's no discussion. Just name calling from people embarrassed at being shown that their original point was idiotic.
Wow. You know nothing of The Ramones or punk rock
But as Joey would've said, you're a loudmouth, baby. You better shut up!
Just Joey, actually....
"and they happen to be Republicans."
Nope, not true - Joey was the only Republican in the band, referred to the other bandmembers as "old hippies". Ever hear of "Bonzo goes to Bitburg," one of the harshest anti-Reagan songs ever?
I'm having difficulty thinking of any right-wing punks (kind of an oxymoron, like Christian Rock, come to think of it...)
But you guys still have Ted Nugent... ROCK ON REBEL REBEL!!!
Our added bonus, of course,
Our added bonus, of course, is that Ted lives by his principles, which is more than you can say for, say, Sheryl Crow.
But you're right. Christian Rock is kind of an oxymoron.
Er, if by "lives by his principles"...
...you mean "got out of going to Vietnam by shitting in his pants for a week," then you're absolutely right.
Yeah, you might want to
Yeah, you might want to check some of Ted's other "family values" before you decide to embrace him as your Conservative Rocker mascot.
But apart from that, your comment is genius, EZ.
Yeah, I live in Michigan. At
Yeah, I live in Michigan. At least several people I know have almost gotten shot by him. He lives by his principles...including maliciously advocating for assault weapons.
So now you're anti-Nugent?
So now you're anti-Nugent? Or are you being sarcastic? I assume the latter, in which case, I notice you haven't engaged any of the substantive points made (i.e. Nugent's opportunistic, fake "patriotism" and his very questionable "family values".) So much for your "added bonus".
Your "added bonus"
Is adopting a 17-year old so you can sleep with her, and fathering children outside your marriage, and then being a deadbeat dad 'Republican Principles' now? I don't doubt it.
I'll take Sheryl Crow for my side any day.
Don't forget thay also have
Don't forget thay also have Screwdriver. They're VERY Conservative.
Hah
'#
# Will you pick up a musket and fight in the trenches with us? '
In Iraq?
Of course, you didn't mean ACTUALLY fighting. Or you wouldn't find many Republicans to join your cause.
Only Johnny
..was what you'd call a right-winger. Joey, DeeDee, Marky, Tommy, etc were all pretty liberal.
There's that newish lead singer of the Misfits, you could count him as a Republican for sure. And he's still alive, which is a bonus. There are some neofacist type bands also, but it's always hard to tell if they are being perpetually sarcastic or not. Better play it safe and avoid them.
Re: only Johnny
And Joey and Johnny generally didn't speak to each other, although I doubt politics had anything to do with it.
So go on with your "we're-hip-because-a-dead-punk-rocker-liked-our-politics" thing. I'm sure that the kids today will find it quite the bee's knees.
It's the corruption (and the war) stupid
And if you had connected with these 82,000, what would you have told them?
Your party stands for corruption, lies, endless war, fearmongering, big government, fraud, waste, and deception. Not to mention the endless pandering to fundamentalist Christian Taliban and their 12th century beliefs.
I'm sure I could think of more reasons for any thinking person not to vote Republican. Face it; your problem is not the medium, it's the message.
I can't believe
I forgot about the incompetence. And the fact that Osama bin Laden is still a free man.
So many reasons not to vote Republican, it's hard to remember them all.
*sigh* Lie-berals + Democrats
Quote: "Your party stands for corruption, lies, endless war, fearmongering, big government, fraud, waste, and deception. Not to mention the endless pandering to fundamentalist Christian Taliban and their 12th century beliefs."
1998 all over again! Get out the old "For the Children" slogan that was so widely used. Tipperize all of the media and lets close off our thoughts because we need to "Protect our Future".
So, how's them there 100 hours going? We got a minimum wage kick after the Dems gave themselves a fat raise.... and.... well... oh, did they do something else?
Where is that big "lobbyist foot-in-ass" we were promised "Day One"?
"Day Two" - Sept 11th recommendations? Has there even been a peep about that?
Thanks for the empty promises that sound good again Dems.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/06/AR2006100600056.html
Oh, and fear mongering, Iraq WMDs, and Iraq/al-Quaeda connections... try to think back 9 years ago before spewing more lies about Bush creating it all.
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=clinton+iraq+1998
John Goewert
Conservative and Proud of It
Is that the best you can do?
Is that the best you can do? Really?
Pitiful.
Fearmongering: How many terror alerts in 2004, which not coincidentally was an election year?
How many terror alerts since then?
I rest my case.
Go for it David All
Six months after receiving the mother of all electoral defeats, Republicans apparently didn't get the message.
I think this is great. Keep pretending the GOP is not rotten to the core, bereft of any dedication to what used to be known as conservative principles.
Keep refusing to face the reality that your party has become everything it used to decry about the Democrats, and worse - far, far worse.
Keep pretending that everything is OK with the GOP, it's just a matter of getting the message out more effectively. After all, it's not enough that the GOP has its own cable news channel, its own newspapers, its own publishing house, its own think tanks, its own version of Wikipedia, its own version of YouTube. Apparently the reality distortion field is not 100% complete, is it?
You go right on sticking your head in the sand, and you will make it that much easier for Democrats to own the White House and the Congress for the next generation.
I guess all those threats to send my kid
to a re-education camp if he turned Republican worked!
However...you hip Republicans might be surprised that the punk movement ended in the eighties.
And nobody in my son's generation knows who the hell Reagan is or why you guys have such a hard on for him.
Ramones
Johnny Ramone has been dead for 3 years......seems you are a little out of touch. I read that Ramones comment over 5 years ago in a trade publication.
Zombie Ramone!
Why let a metaphysical challenge stop him?
"Will you pick up a musket..."
"...and fight in the trenches with us?"
What hypocritical, self serving clap-trap. What unintentional irony. What flat-out IGNORANCE.
"Will you pick up some pom-poms and cheerlead while others go to die for the wars we demand?"
There. Fixed that for you.
Careful there....
...with your metaphors, your fellow Republicans might think you want them to actually ENLIST.
More like, "Will you pick up your bag of Cheetos and blog in the basement with us?"
Like Jon Stewart said... there is nothing that Republicans can do, that isn't ironic.
...except use commas
...except use commas correctly.
Don't you have a protest rally to go to?
Oh, wait. I forgot. The Chickenhawk argument only goes one way legitimately. The other way its "not nice."
seriously?
Is that the best you can do? Pick on my use of commas? You're right; I am a complete and utter idiot, and nothing I have had to say had any relevance whatsoever, despite my perfect spelling and near-perfect grammar.
Just when you think Republicans can't be any lamer...
you forgot
to point out my misuse of ellipses, you anal-retentive douche.
Yes, you totally pwn3d me. *eyes rolling*
Musket? Trenches?
Don't you realize I am an out of shape little chickenhawk living in my parent's basement.
You don't expect to enlist or something, do you?
Oh, oh now I get it. It is a metaphor so I can pretend to be tough.
Let's kick some liberal ass, on our keyboards of course.
Basement references?
I've read so many of these stupid basement references... What happened to "republicans are all about the rich helping the rich"?
If we're all living in our mother's basements, how the hell can you argue we're all about riches and corruption?
You need to get some consistency in your message.
This is a spoof, right?
If this site is for real, the GOP is doomed.
Nothing Douchier than a Young Republican
Oh, man. Republicans will never be hipsters but we can all laugh every time they try.
Nothing Douchier?
Isn't it not hip to use the term "hipster?" If you call yourself one, you generally can't BE one.
I'd tell you that to your face, but something tells me you're sitting at home watching VH1 and listening to Ben Gibbard while labelling yourself a "hipster." When Dave Matthews comes on, pop a Hot Pocket in for me!
End of The Century
Oh just go rent the fabulous Ramones doc, End of The Century. All will be revealed there. And it might make you a hip Republican, if that's possible.
2008
With brilliant minds like this at work on the Publican side, 2008 is gonna be a cakewalk.
Bonzo Goes to Bitburg
You've got to pick up the pieces
C'mon, sort your trash
You better pull yourself back together
Maybe you've got too much cash
Better call, call the law
When you gonna turn yourself in? Yeah
You're a politician
Don't become one of Hitler's children
Bonzo goes to Bitburg then goes out for a cup of tea
As I watched it on TV somehow it really bothered me
Drank in all the bars in town for an extended foreign policy
Pick up the pieces
My brain is hanging upside down
I need something to slow me down
Shouldn't wish you happiness, wish her the very best
Fifty thousand dollar dress
Shaking hands with your highness
See through you like cellophane
You watch the world complain, but you do it anyway
Who am I, am I to say
Bonzo goes to Bitburg then goes out for a cup of tea
As I watched it on TV somehow it really bothered me
Drank in all the bars in town for an extended foreign policy
Pick up the pieces
My brain is hanging upside down
I need something to slow me down
If there's one thing that makes me sick
It's when someone tries to hide behind politics
I wish that time could go by fast
Somehow they manage to make it last
My brain is hanging upside down
I need something to slow me down
Sweet dude
Nice Drupal site! Good luck opening up the GOP.
Wingnut Welfare
I think David has found a new way to con Richard Mellon Scaife out of some of that sweet wingnut welfare money. It's just like the dot-com boom; sling around some techno-jargon and watch the wallets open up.
I Heart Anonymous Posters
David, I feel so much better about the launch. If we had gone the day without so much as a peep from the left--a quiet day where we were left alone to wallow in our self-importance without being reminded that we are chickenhawk, pajama wearing, non-hipsters--I think I might have crawled back to my law review article and turned in my ironic clothing along with my TV on the Radio CD (because of course, I would not have deserved them, and only been deluding mysefl). I would have felt utterly unfulfilled, because heaven knows, I need the external validation from people who don't agree with me on a daily basis and frequently resort to lobbing ad hominem arguments from behind the moniker "Anonymous." Their recognition makes me feel oddly...successful.
:)
Good job and peace out (in the most ironic sense possible, of course).
hmmm
I'll assume you're responding to this post:
-----------------------------------------
Ramones -- not Republicans
On Mon, 2007-05-07 21:00 Anonymous said:
Joey, the singer who wrote all the songs, was a famously leftwing bleeding heart. Johnny was Johnny and, true to the stereotypical Mommy Party/Daddy Party, Artist/Businessman cleavage, managed the band. And stole Joey's girlfriend, inspiring the song "The KKK Took My Baby Away." Dee Dee was a junkie mess, and I'm not sure what his politics were, but somehow I doubt he was servicing the elephant. So one of the Ramones was a Republican. Was. He's been dead a few years.
C'mon, you guys got pill-popping fat old Elvis, Britney Spears, Kid Rock and Ted Nugent. That's not enough for you?
---------------------------------------------
First, what was ironic or hipster about this post? It was clearly a refutation of David's flat-out mischaracterization of the Ramones as Republicans. Johnny was certainly conservative in his politics, but perfectly foiled by his bandmate Joey who was not.
That's called a clarification - not an ad hominem attack.
In fact, I don't detect one word in the post you excoriate as shamelessly hipster and ironic as well as ad hominem that is remotely any of those things. Particularly glaring is the absence of any attack on David personally in an effort to avoid his otherwise substantive point, which, as I understand the phrase, is how an ad hominem attack works.
David's substantive point was false due to the logical fallacy known as the hasty generalization (or secundum quid for the latin-lovers). Johnny Ramone being a Republican does not equal the Ramones being Republican.
Second, I have to say I enjoy how someone pointing out the falseness of a categorical statement made by David is characterized as "external validation from people who don't agree with me".
Again, exposing an utterly false statement made in a patently self-serving manner to prop up the relevancy of a political party that doesn't represent the values of all but one member of an iconic rock band is not just a matter of politics, but a matter of exposing what is truth and what is fiction.
hmmm. part 2
By the way, I would have proudly attached my name to the above post, but was not offered that option. Perhaps that's why you have so many anonymous posters.
Don't you understand?
When you criticize a Republican with facts, it is an ad hominem attack and you are an unhinged, profanity-using liberal.
When a Republican calls you a traitor, a Saddam-lover, a troops-hater, a commie and a baby-killer, they are just being fair and balanced and you should stop crying.
Heads they win, tails you lose. It's the GOP way.
WOLVERINES!!!!!!!
It's 11:59 on Radio Free America; this is Uncle Sam, with music, and the truth until dawn. Right now I've got a few words for some of our brothers and sisters in the occupied zone: "the chair is against the wall, the chair is against the wall", "john has a long mustache, john has a long mustache". It's twelve o'clock, American, another day closer to victory. And for all of you out there, on, or behind the line, this is your song.
[the Battle Hymn of the Republic begins to play]
that sound clip would make a
that sound clip would make a great intro for a song .........
Hey Publican "Nexters"
Get your asses to the nearest Army recruiter or shut the fuck up.
Ramones -- not Republicans
Joey, the singer who wrote all the songs, was a famously leftwing bleeding heart. Johnny was Johnny and, true to the stereotypical Mommy Party/Daddy Party, Artist/Businessman cleavage, managed the band. And stole Joey's girlfriend, inspiring the song "The KKK Took My Baby Away." Dee Dee was a junkie mess, and I'm not sure what his politics were, but somehow I doubt he was servicing the elephant. So one of the Ramones was a Republican. Was. He's been dead a few years.
C'mon, you guys got pill-popping fat old Elvis, Britney Spears, Kid Rock and Ted Nugent. That's not enough for you?
Kid Rock is a Rethuglican?
No wonder I hate his 'music'.
I'm proud to have Mohandas
I'm proud to have Mohandas Gandhi on my side. You may know Gandhi as one of our great world leaders, and he recently said "I'm proud to support the Democratic candidate for President in 2008. I give money to the DNC and I'm proud of it."
There, that was easy.
So...
So Bonzo, tell me...any chance you intend to add any edits to the end of your post where you, say, acknowledge the factual and logical errors that most of your commenters have already pointed out?
Or are you going to just stick to your guns and ignore those pesky little facts? Because if that's all you intend to do, I hardly think your site is "revolutionary" among right-wing blogs.
Count on Republicans
Nothing like catching the hot new trend thirty years later, eh?
You're right, that's quite a
You're right, that's quite a "discussion" they're having at GOPunk: four bullet points and a Right Brothers link. Only one misspelled word though, so I'll give them that.
Thank you!
You just started this blog and now you're going to join the movement, pick up a musket and fight in the trenches!! Good for you! The blog will be here when you get back from Baghdad. What? Oh, your movement is rhetorical and you musket metaphorical? Oh. Never mind. Carry on then.
Stop lying about the Ramones
Johnny Ramone was a Republican (until he died) but the Ramones were NOT a Republican band. Joey Ramone was a proud and outspoken liberal, and the creative tension between the guitarist (Johnny) and the lead singer and primary songwriter (Joey) was one of the key reasons for their power and creativity. Please remember that the Ramones gave us one of the most extremely entertaining and pointed anti-Reagan punk songs ever, "Bonzo Goes to Bitburg."
Modern Republican Rock
How about these songs/lyrics by that awesome right-wing duo, The Right Brothers?:
Bush Was Right
Freedom in Afghanistan, say goodbye Taliban
Free elections in Iraq, Saddam Hussein locked up
Osamas staying underground, Al Qaida now is finding out
America wont turn and run once the fighting has begun
Libya turns over nukes, Lebanese want freedom, too
Syria is forced to leave, dont you know that all this means
Chorus
Bush was right!
Bush was right!
Bush was right!
Democracy is on the way, hitting like a tidal wave
All over the middle east, dictators walk with shaky knees
Dont know what theyre gonna do,
their worst nightmare is coming true
They fear the domino effect, theyre all wondering whos next
Repeat Chorus
Ted Kennedy wrong!
Cindy Sheehan wrong!
France wrong!
Zell Miller right!
Economy is on the rise kicking into overdrive
Angry liberals can't believe it's cause of W's policies
Unemployment's staying down, Democrats are wondering how
Revenue is going up, can you say "Tax Cuts"
Repeat Chorus
Cheney was right, Condi was right,
Rummy was right, Blair was right
You were right, we were right, The Right was right and
Bush was right
You go that right
Bush was right
I'm In Love With Ann Coulter
She's got blond hair, long legs
And a powerful intellect
She's a writer, a real fighter
You could say she's on the cutting edge
And she captures my heart
When she tears libs apart
And now I must confess things as they are
Chorus
I'm in love with Ann Coulter
All I wanna do is hold her
And have her read her books to me
Just like she does in my dreams
I wonder if she's got a boyfriend
Cause my girlfriend's leaving
She says I'm living in a fantasy
Even she can see it's over
I'm in love with Ann Coulter
And every time I see her on my television screen
She looks into my eyes I know she's talking straight to me
I'm in love with Ann Coulter
All I wanna do is hold her
And have her read her books to me
Just like she does in my dreams
I've been memorizing pages
I've been driving liberals crazy
I bet I've quoted half her book at work
To those godless jerks who can't debate me
And there's so much I haven't told her
But by the day I'm getting bolder
I just know that she would fall for me
If only I could get to know her
'Cause I'm in love with Ann Coulter
I'm in love with Ann Coulter
Repeat Chorus
Check 'em out!
Republican Punk
"We've Got A Bigger Problem Now"
Last call for alcohol.
Last call for your freedom of speech.
Drink up. Happy hour is now enforced by law.
Don't forget our house special, it's called a Trickie Dickie Screwdriver.
It's got one part Jack Daniels, two parts purple Kool-Aid,
and a jigger of formaldehyde
from the jar with Hitler's brain in it we got in the back storeroom.
Happy trails to you. Happy trails to you.
I am Emperor Ronald Reagan
Born again with fascist cravings
Still, you made me president
Human rights will soon go 'way
I am now your Shah today
Now I command all of you
Now you're going to pray in school
I'll make sure they're Christian too
California Uber alles
Uber alles California
Ku Klux Klan will control you
Still you think it's natural
Nigger knockin' for the master race
Still you wear the happy face
You closed your eyes, can't happen here
Alexander Haig is near
Vietnam won't come back you say
Join the army or you will pay
California Uber alles
Uber alles California
Yeah, that's it. Just relax.
Have another drink, few more pretzels, little more MSG.
Turn on those Dallas Cowboys on your TV.
Lock your doors. Close your mind.
It's time for the two-minute warning.
Welcome to 1984
Are you ready for the third world war?!?
You too will meet the secret police
They'll draft you and they'll jail your niece
You'll go quitely to boot camp
They'll shoot you dead, make you a man
Don't you worry, it's for a cause
Feeding global corporations' claws
Die on our brand new poison gas
El Salvador or Afghanistan
Making money for President Reagan
And all the friends of President Reagan
California Uber alles
Uber alles California "
Just swap Bush, Cheney et al.
Lout music
The GOPunk Web site defines a "GOPunk" (pronounced GEE-OH-punk) as "an individual who likes lout music, and the constitution." I'm not kidding.
My dictionary defines "lout" as "an awkward, clumsy person."
IMO, these young Republicans who pretend to be punk-rock fans are awkward and clumsy persons who don't know jack about loud music - punk, rock, or otherwise. And they don't know jack about our constitution, either.
If you're a Republican then
If you're a Republican then you're not punk, no matter how good a band you're in.
Another Republican punk song
From the Dead Kennedys:
Efficiency and progress is ours once more
Now that we have the Neutron bomb
It's nice and quick and clean and gets things done
Away with excess enemy
But no less value to property
No sense in war but perfect sense at home:
The sun beams down on a brand new day
No more welfare tax to pay
Unsightly slums gone up in flashing light
Jobless millions whisked away
At last we have more room to play
All systems go to kill the poor tonight
Gonna
Kill kill kill kill kill the poor
Kill kill kill kill kill the poor
Kill kill kill kill kill the poor tonight
Behold the sparkle of champagne
The crime rate's gone
Feel free again
O' life's a dream with you, Miss Lily White
Jane Fonda on the screen today
Convinced the liberals it's okay
So let's get dressed and dance away the night
While they:
Kill kill kill kill kill the poor
Kill kill kill kill kill the poor
Kill kill kill kill kill the poor tonight
Kill kill kill kill kill the poor
Kill kill kill kill kill the poor
Kill kill kill kill kill the poor tonight
Hysterical Revisionism
The Ramones weren't a republican band, and I have a hard time imagining anyone who really enjoys punk music for any reason beyond the aggressive sound (try reading some punk lyrics, just about any will do) finding anything admirable about Reagan. Have you even listened to any hardcore/punk from the 80s? You know, back when people were "fortunate enough to see the Republican party through the lens of Reagan"? Half of em were complaining about Reagan and/or angrily warning that his cowboy trigger happy behavior would end up starting World War 3! Your historical revisionism is laughable. Good luck on trying to convince young punks that Reagan is where it's at. That's like some hippie during the late 60s trying to convince other hippies that LBJ or Nixon are really groovy. But to be as lame as you are the hippie would be trying to convince them that some conservative from 20+ years earlier was cool. Hmm... who was a popular conservative 20+ years before the 60s? Oh yeah.. Hitler. That's who all your punks "fortunate" enough to live under Reagan were fond of comparing him to at the time. I think you may have your work cut out for you.
I understand that hip singer
I understand that hip singer Al Jolson is also a Republican
BWAHAHAHAHAHA......
1.Close Explorer 2.Pick up
1.Close Explorer
2.Pick up musket
3.Enlist your sorry asses in the military
It's that easy
No, no, no, Mark...
...TOMORROW they fight. Today they just type. And tomorrow they'll say that tomorrow they'll fight.
There's a proverb I heard once in high school Spanish: "Manana is the busiest day of the week."
Tomorrow they'll all enlist. It's going to be a very very busy day at the recruitment center, tomorrow, when all the guys with keyboard courage enlist to fight in the Iraq war. Tomorrow.
Tech Conservativism
Let's usher in the revolution my friend!
Ali A. Akbar
Blogger
econservative.org, Founder
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ALL LIBERALS SHOULD KILL EACH OTHER IN ONE BIG SUICIDE PACT
I fought in Iraq, and I'll bring Iraq to your backyard bitches. And I ain't the only one you fucking little cock-boy traitors. How long do you think we'll just sit watch idley as you burn and insult the flag we draped over our friends, how long do you think we'll watch you burn and insult the flag i wore on my arm, and had stuck to my MFUCKING16; I'll take one of those over an MFUCKINGTV any day you little bitch fucks. FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU WITH A 203 from 50 yards you fucking little coward dickless fucks. FUCK YOU AND THE FATHERS THAT SQUIRT YOU OUT.
I was impressed with your
I was impressed with your article. When you will to fight please don't use the guns. We are so tired of listening about military actions. I'm smiling. Yes sometimes you are right. Why not to use technology and the internet to connect with people in new and distinctive ways to avoid one-party system. Thanks for your proposition.
Palin - Embarassment to Intelligent Republican women
There is no need to “smear” Palin. She has left a long, well-documented trail of her involvement with the Wasilla church she attended for so long. It’s quite obvious she had no current plans to run for VP or she wouldn’t have allowed herself to be filmed being blessed by Muthee or remain connected to & speak so openly at a church that was so radical even the mainstream Assembly of God church disassociated itself from it & the whole 3rd Wave, spiritual warfare, Jesus Camp movement thing. There are many even mainstream evangelicals that do not approve of this far, far, right so-called “Christian” church.
In his zeal for becoming “president,” McCain & his 7 dwarves plucked her from the sky in what appears to be desparation. And they embarassed the entire Republican party in doing so.
This man is not on top of his game. Even the medical field of gerontology & geriatrics recognizes that there are very real issues surrounding natural declines in health & mental capability as one ages. How many people have experienced this very real experience in their own families?
Did McCain properly “vet” her? Obviously not. But in his desparation he was willing to sacrifice the Republican Party in its entirety to limp his way in the White House. And everyone else be damned.
Thanks for Overview
The Republicans can't make a good web presence until they allow it to become interactive.
If they censor readers the way they censor callers on Limbaugh, their BLOG will be made another cookie-cutter bullhorn with nothing interesting to read and it will die.
If they allow dissent internally, the GOP will float away from the tiny groups of ultra-wealthy and Bible-thumpers that control the message and begin to embrace the freedom that Democrats espouse.
It works both ways. If Republicans enjoy being allowed to shape the debate, they'll discover liberal arguments that make sense and begin to add fiscal restraint and gun rights arguments to the left leaning blogs they'll find and enjoy.
This will be bad for the traditional Republican party but GREAT for our country. BOTH parties will improve with greater participation of smart Americans.
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