After bringing down ACORN and championing the charge against the progressive media of personal destruction, this is hardly a surprise. In the following interview with Politico, Andrew Breitbart explains that the threat came after videos of him confronting left wing journalists at CPAC went viral.
Scott Brown is his own man.
Jumping In Pools requested an interview with me last week and they published it tonight.
We talked about Scott Brown, New England, Massachusetts, Republicans, Libertarians, blogging and more.
I just added Jumping In Pools to my blog roll.
You would be well advised to do the same.
This appearance can be divided into two categories: Politics and Cookies. Here are the accompanying videos…
Politics:
Cookies:
Allen West is running for Congress in Florida. Get to know him.
What? No crying?
Dick Cheney. Doing his part to drive liberals insane.
Welcome to the second installment of a new series here at American Glob where I present an interview with a political blogger to get their opinion on a host of subjects.
Today I’m speaking with Dan Riehl of Riehl World View, a daily must-read blog on the conservative side of the web. Dan has been interviewed on TV news and talk radio for his political opinions. Below, we discuss the future of the GOP, Libertarian Conservatism, the Obama Agenda and more. I’m honored to have Dan as a guest on American Glob.
Aleister: Dan, thanks for chatting with me. Riehl World View rocks, your site must get mad traffic.
Dan Riehl: Thank you for the compliment. I do my best. As for traffic, I wouldn’t say that. It goes up and down. Right now it’s averaging about 13k a day. But if I back off, or slow down, it can drop to about 5 or 6k in less than a week. Traffic is only one part of blogging. What you’re saying or doing and who’s reading you is just as important, if not more so. When I covered the Natalee Holloway story I was in the Top Ten at TTLB, even ahead of Michelle Malkin. But Crime isn’t where I want to make a difference right now, not that I minded the people clicking in.
Aleister: How would you summarize your political views?
Dan Riehl: A mix of conservative and libertarian philosophy, far more libertarian than what the Left would give me credit for. Somewhere in the middle of those two. I appreciate the proper role of and need for government. But in no way do I like seeing it so overdone.
Aleister: Where did you grow up and how did that help to shape your political views?
Dan Riehl: I grew up in New Jersey and was either a more Left-leaning libertarian, or liberal, in fact, given what liberalism represented at the time. That’s changed. Many self-identified conservatives are more classically liberal than Progressives are today. College was the turning point for me.
I edited the college newspaper and considered myself a reasonably responsible libertarian, or moderate, perhaps. But there was a huge controversy during my tenure that put me on a crash course with the Academic Left. It was with professors, more than it was students, in fact. I discovered that while trying to be a balanced, responsible editor, giving all sides their room, it simply wasn’t going to be tolerated by the Left.
I’ll spare the details. But it became a huge issue and even made front page news away from the campus media. It was that which taught me what the modern Left is really about. Since then, I have feared them far more than I ever have even the so-called fringe Right. The Left is Stalin-esque in their tactics and intolerant to the max.
Aleister: How did you start out as a political writer and commentator?
Dan Riehl: I didn’t do any after college, opting for business, instead. Though I have always maintained a political streak, it surfaced more at election time, than regularly. But the 2004 election was important to me. It was then that I first discovered blogs.
As an egotist, it wasn’t long before I decided I could do it as well, if not better than many. So, I launched my first blog in 2004 and have been at it almost daily ever since. The only reason I can comprehend for that is that I’m also a bit nutz.
Aleister: What sources do you visit daily for political news and information?
Dan Riehl: Twitter is becoming increasingly important in my blogging as regards sourcing. Other than that, it’s Michelle Malkin, Instapundit and Memeorandum. From there, I head out to the wires, and/or various news services to see what’s breaking right then. Nearly all of my subject matter comes from the above sources, or email tips.
Aleister: Who are your favorite/least favorite political bloggers?
Dan Riehl: Favorites is an uncomfortable term. There are so many unique blogs and bloggers, it’s hard to compare them straight up. For red meat issues and content delivery, Malkin is the best of the best. In terms of trends and what may resonate more broadly, there’s Instapundit. For DC politics from a conservative slant, there’s RedState. If I want some funny, there’s Ace. But there are good and bad in every category and more. Who am I to really judge? I just know what I like and those are the ones I find myself paying attention to most.
Aleister: Let me ask you about President Obama’s agenda – Healthcare, Cap and Trade, the expansion of government. In your opinion, which item should cause Americans the most concern?
Dan Riehl: They all should. However, Cap and Trade is by far the worst. It will touch everything. There will be no private sector left, not that there really is one now due to government over-regulation.
Aleister: What’s the best/worst thing about Democrats and Republicans?
Dan Riehl: Many of the current crop of Republicans have lost touch with the base. They went to Washington with Reagan and became of Washington and not of their various states, except for pork and spending initiatives. That has to stop or the GOP is doomed.
As far as the Democrats, there’s nothing right with them today so far as I can tell. They have sold out to the Progressive Left. It isn’t even American at heart.
Aleister: What are your thoughts on Libertarians?
Dan Riehl: Too many appear to be raw idealists, as bad as the Progressives, or elements of the Right that are intolerant, or unrealistic. Without government there would be anarchy. Often times I see too many Libertarians who act as if that wouldn’t be such a bad thing. That’s a childish, naive view, as unrealistic as the extreme of any one ideology. I’d like to see some of them become more pragmatic.
Aleister: If the Republican Party asked for your advice in three points, what would you say?
Dan Riehl: You need new faces, fresh people more to the Right of what you presently have. Stop being afraid or ashamed of conservatism and start talking back and facing down the liberals in the press. Talk to the American people straight from a solid heart. I believe the vast majority of America remains center-Right. But Republicans have to dump the hypocrites. There are too many of them in DC right now.
Aleister: On 12/07/09, Rasmussen Reports said that a “Tea Party” would outpace the Republican Party. Would a third party movement guarantee re-election for President Obama in 2012?
Dan Riehl: Yes, absolutely. That poll means nothing. I didn’t even post on it. It’s more a complaint with the government and many politicians we have than anything else. Put a name and a face on Tea Party candidates, run them against the Dems and the GOP and you’d be lucky to win any congressional seats. People should overlook it. It’s a distraction more than it is anything else. That’s true except for the general dissatisfaction across the electorate it registers.
Aleister: The “Tea Party” is not an official party. It’s a coalition of disaffected Republicans, Democrats, Libertarians and Conservative Independents. How can this movement of activists/voters be united in 2010? 2012?
Dan Riehl: The GOP has to go to them and mean it. There is no other course. I suspect the vast majority of them either already are, or will find themselves aligned with the GOP in 2010. If they don’t, we’re doomed. Obama and the Democrats will destroy America and run away to hide in an elitist, untouchable and unresponsive ruling class. They’ll be holding too many cards if we don’t throw them out in 2010, or at least significantly rein them in.
Aleister: What are your top 3 favorite musicians/bands?
Dan Riehl: Again with the favorites. ha! I like good blues playing but listen to a broad spectrum of music when I’m of a mind too. Most of my favorites go back to the 70’s, along with even earlier music released in 45, as I collected them. The Allman Brothers, Temptations and Four Tops, Otis Redding, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Albert King and others – how do you pick a favorite from that bunch and so many others of similar quality? You can’t.
Aleister: What are your top 3 favorite movies?
Dan Riehl: Patton, Something About Mary and I like a lot of Sci-Fi, too. Action flicks rate high. But, again, when people want to talk favorites, I’m lost. Oh, Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs, Lord of the Rings and some Star Wars flicks deserve Honorable Mentions, I guess. I enjoy fantasy like Harry Potter, as well. But Tolkien was always a sort of favorite, among others. Hey, I love video games, too. I’m not as old fashioned as I might seem. I’m more of an eclectic with many things, if I had to use one word to describe likes and dislikes.
Aleister: Dan, thanks so much for chatting with me and the great writing you do on Riehl World View.
Dan Riehl: Thank you. Best of luck with your blog. Keep blogging, it’s all any one blogger can do if they want to make a difference somehow.
Thanks for reading this interview, folks. In case you missed it, last week I had a conversation with Smitty from The Other McCain which you can read HERE.
Stay tuned, I already have my interview subject lined up for next week and it should prove fascinating.
Part I
Part II
The second half of this interview airs tonight.
Set phasers on stun, Dittoheads.
