Robert Bluey is featured in today's BlogJam. Here's an excerpt that might remind you of some fun times earlier this summer:
Biggest dust-up: When he criticized Townhall's Dean Barnett for stating that he wasn't interested in online activism.
Bluey explains that aside from the journalism aspect of blogging, he thinks bloggers can have tremendous impact on politics and public policy.
"So when Barnett, who guest blogs for Hugh Hewitt, said, 'I'm a writer, not an activist, and I have no interest in changing,' I got agitated."
Bluey heard from Townhall's Matt Lewis, former RNC eCampaign Director Patrick Ruffini, techRepublican's David All and Redstate founder Josh Trevino. "It led to a great discussion about the state of the rightosphere and demonstrated our challenges and shortcomings."
In the past, I've made the point that not all conservative bloggers need to be activists. There is a place in the movement for all sorts, including intellectuals, writers, and, yes, activists ...
On the other hand, I recently heard a sermon about the "Acts" of the apostles. The preacher made the point of emphasizing these were "acts" -- not words. And it made me think of Bluey's point about activism.
Now, I don't want to compare blogging about politics to spreading the Gospel, but I do know one thing: At the end of your life, you won't hear the Almighty say: "Well blogged, thou good and faithful servant."
So Bluey's point about activism is well taken ...
On the other hand, Dean's original criticism wasn't about activism, in general. It was specifically over RedState's "open declaration of war against the Republican leadership." In that post, RS wrote: "We must scalp one member. That member's name is Ken Calvert.”
So saying that the "dust-up" was simply about activism vs. journalism isn't really accurate. Dean's issue was specifically about the tone of the rhetoric. (I would add that it doesn't advance the rightosphere to make threats we can't back up).