Right On The Right

Update: Congressman Hunter didn't get to my question, but he did manage to get to plenty of them, on the war and other issues. Stop by and read what he stands for.

Congressman Duncan Hunter is having a virtual press conference on the Conservative internet forum Free Republic. Stop by, check him out, and ask some questions. I think this is a great idea and a positive step towards Republicans embracing the RightRoots. My question:

Congressman Hunter,

Thank you for choosing to do this and thank you for your continued service to our country.

As a blogger, I’m worried about the internet remaining a free and open forum. What actions would you take to protect blogs and open forums like Free Republic?

Justin Higgins
www.rightontheright.com

I'll keep you folks updated if the Congressman chooses to answer my question. Dozens of questions have already come in, so the Congressman won't be able to answer them all. Check it out.

While polls show Democrat candidates beating Republicans generically, actual match-ups show Americans unwilling to vote for Clinton over anyone, from Giuliani to Romney. While Senate and House matchups in 2008 appear to favor Democrats, the approval rating for Congress is lower than that of the President. Still, we have our work cut out for us in 2008. Let's take a look at some of the doom-and-gloom.

THE AMERICAN RIGHT: UNDER THE WEATHER

Overall, the Democrats are much more confident: 40% of Republicans believe that the Democrats will win, but just 12% of Democrats believe that the Republicans will win. They are more motivated: in the second quarter the two leading Democrats raised $60m, against just $32m for the two leading Republicans. And 61% of Democratic primary voters are happy with their choice of candidates, compared with only 36% of Republicans. Generic polls show voters expressing a preference for a Democratic president by a 24-point margin, a gap unheard of since the Watergate era.

The Democrats are also likely to keep Congress. The tide that enabled the party to pick up 31 House seats and six Senate seats in 2006, along with six governorships and 321 state-legislature seats, is still swelling. The Republicans will be defending more vulnerable Senate seats than the Democrats in 2008, and they are losing the race for cash. The public favours Democratic control of Congress by a margin of 10-15 points. Off the record, Republicans use words like “catastrophe” and “Armageddon” to refer to 2008.

I'm not so sure that 2008 is set to be a catrasrophe or Armageddon, but Conservatives in the movement definately have some serious work to get done. The money race is one thing, but the lack of enthusiasm in the Republican Party is the serious problem. Bloggers can do a lot to fix that, as we reach a huge chunk of the Conservative base, easily reaching a majority of the "activists." That's why my open challenge to the RightRoots is so important:

We need to start thinking about a more active grassroots blogging game. A lot of large sites on the right, Malkin, Glenn, Charles, etc. are tackling the global and national issues. That's why it's so important that we put some focus on local politics. Sure, if you're one of my readers from Michigan you might not want to read about some Ohio Congressional race, so just skip it. We need to fight the grassroots battles if we want to win in 2008. It's painful to say but Dean's 50-state strategy has some merit, so we need to fight a 50-state battle of our own.

We can win this battle however, specifically if the idiots at Kos are reading the same news. While they're railing against neocons saying we're failing America, they don't see the point, which is Conservatives aren't happy because our elected representatives haven't done their jobs for the movement. It's not that they're far right in the Republican party, they're not Conservative enough.

What can you do? Well, let's say you live in North Carolina. Pop over to RedState and help a Congressional race get organized. Friends in Ohio? The SOB Alliance has plenty of links to browse through. Get active!