The Conservative Bloggers Get Geeky Plus a Linkstravaganza

One of the more interesting posts I read this week came from Maggie's Notebook who wrote a post on the need for conservative bloggers to "get geeky." Maggie's post is based on a three part article written by SEO expert Jenn Sierra at Fort Hard Knox detailing the inherent advantages liberal bloggers enjoy giving them priority in getting their message out. As conservatives we need to work harder to overcome the advantages liberals enjoy because as Maggie notes we are in the fight of our lives this year.

Despite some of the distinct disadvantages facing conservative bloggers some of my fellow bloggers do an amazing job driving the political discussion, covering the news and building momentum for what looks to be the year conservatism grabs the torch from the faltering Democrat reign of terror.  Here's a roundup of some of the great posts I enjoyed from my favorite bloggers:

Legal Insurrection has devoted his blog to covering the Senate race in Massachusetts.  To say that his coverage has been outstanding doesn't quite do it justice.  His latest post  covered Coakley's dig against Fenway fans in Boston.  As Pundette notes, "It's hard to understand a candidate this tone-deaf,"  as she links to Coakley's bizarre defense to charges she has been too passive leading up to this election:

Coakley bristles at the suggestion that, with so little time left, in an election with such high stakes, she is being too passive.

“As opposed to standing outside Fenway Park? In the cold? Shaking hands?’’ she fires back, in an apparent reference to a Brown online video of him doing just that.

Backyard Conservative urges Sox fans to UNITE!!! Be sure to read Barnes and Not So Noble Barack while you're there. Nice title Anne.

Carol's Closet would like dinner and a kiss first.

Conservative Black Woman stumbles across the biggest kettle of horse dung she's seen in a while.

Fishersville Mike has a great anecdote from a Coakley event I haven't read anywhere else. That is seriously impressive; I have read more posts and articles about Coakley lately than you can imagine.

Motivation Truth has the statement from Sarah Palin on the tragedy in Haiti offering details on how to help.

Nice Deb has an amazing video from Massachusetts Miracle. It will give you goosebumps.

Obi's Sister has an inquiring mind while things get a little steamy at Fausta's blog. Is there a fainting couch in the Oval Office?

Paco finds there is nothing like a father and son failure story to put a chill on a political dynasty in the offing.

Reaganite Republican now the first place I look for a great round up of cartoons, finds a bit of shock and awe in Massachusetts.

The Camp of the Saints has a disturbing story examining potential dry runs for acts of terror or are jihadists probing us to uncover weaknesses. Could it be both?

The Other McCain is heading to Massachusetts to cover the election. We're all tea baggers now is the "crie de coeur as he heads into battle.

The Daley Gator sees Scott Brown changing the political landscape. I agree.

Back to the geeks, Jimmie Bise finds a few depressed geeks on the internet. Download his podcast for an informative discussion on Google in China.

The Troglopundit likes Rubio's suggestion for lowering unemployment as much as he loves his wife's chocolate cake.

Track A Crat reviews "The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus."

Wyblog covers an important story that has gotten too little attention. Be sure to read this post.

American Power covered some of the fall out from the candidates debate highlighting Coakley's weird comment there are no terrorists left in Afghanistan.  He rounds up great posts covering the news as well.

And so it goes in Shreveport has been following the efforts in Louisiana to recall Senator Mary "Louisiana Purchase" Landrieu after her her vote for ObamaCare left her constituents irate.

Carol at No Sheeples awards The Other McCain the coveted Gonzo Award for Journalism.  There wasn't a dry eye in the blogosphere.

UPDATE:  I missed Nikki's post at My Voice on the Wings of Change who tells Michael Steele to sit down and shut up.  Great post that has generated a lot of thoughtful discussion.

Thanks to my friend Anne Leary at Backyard Conservative for linking and for her kind support and encouragement. Welcome to Backyard Conservative readers too!

Time Magazine Top Blogs of 2009

Time Magazine posted a list of the top blogs of 2009. Darn, I didn't make the list. A quick glance at the list, however and I find I am in some very good company. See if you can spot a pattern for the choices of the top 25

Talking Points Memo
The Huffington Post
Lifehacker
Metafilter
The Daily Dish by Andrew Sullivan
Freakonomics
BoingBoing
Got2BeGreen
Zen Habits
The Conscience of a Liberal: Paul Krugman
Crooks and Liars
Generación Y
Mashable
Slashfood
Official Google Blog
synthesis
bleat
/Film
Seth Godin's Blog
Deadspin: Sports News without Access, Favor, or Discretion
Dooce
Confessions of a Pioneer Woman
Said the Gramophone
Detention Slip
Bad Astronomy

The only consolation to the list, Daily KOS was listed as one of the 5 most overrated. Odd how, not a single conservative blog merited a mention either among the best or even among the most overrated. Time acts as thought conservative blogs do not even exist. Perhaps there was a server down the day they intended to look at the conservative blogs, surely Time wouldn't want to appear biased.

Conservatives Dominate as Country Moves More to the Right

Gallup's latest poll confirms the country is indeed center-right.  Compared to 2008 more people identify themselves as conservative on issues which is strongly supported in Rasmussen's latest poll on the issues.  Independents are increasingly leaning to the right as well.  In the current poll 40% identify as conservative, 36 as moderate and 20% as liberal.  More importantly, of the Independents, 35% now identify as conservative up from 29% in 2008.  

The country has moved to the right on the issues of abortion, immigration, government regulation, sale of firearms, and global warming.  One interesting change I noted was the self-identified Republicans show a decrease in belief government should promote traditional values moving from 71% in 2008 to 67% in 2009.  Among Independents, however, 37% supported the belief government should promote traditional values whereas 54% support that role for government  now.  There is no doubt that many conservatives who were turned off by the Republican party in recent years now identify as Independent.  This would account for some of the change.  There is no doubt, however, some Independents who were led to believe Obama would govern as a moderate are sending a message that he has taken a hard-left turn to the left.

According to Gallup it appears the increased identification of Independents as conservative may lead to increased support for Republican candidates in 2010.  This is playing out as we speak.  The conservative Republican Bob McDonnell is sailing to victory in Virginia showing moderates and Independents have no trouble supporting a strong candidate.  Deeds repeated use of McDonnell's thesis has done nothing to increase his poll numbers.  In fact, the opposite appears to be true.  The Republican endorsed candidate in NY-23rd election, is trailing the Conservative party candidate Doug Hoffman.  While the local committee that appointed Scazzofava may have mistakenly believed they needed to give a nod to someone who appears to be more liberal than the Democratic candidate, they failed to identify a candidate who would have some appeal to conservatives.  There is a lesson in there somewhere for GOP leadership should they decide they like winning elections. 

Bush on Conservatism, Palin, Biden and Clinton

Byron York has a piece in The Washington Examiner giving details on the forthcoming book by Bush speechwriter Matt Latimer. The book relates Bush criticisms of evidently numerous other politicians Republican and Democrat alike. York details an interaction recounted in the book "Speechless: Tales of a White House Survivor,"between Lattimer and Bush as they were preparing for a speech for CPAC.  

"What is this movement you keep talking about in the speech?" the president asked Latimer.
Latimer explained that he meant the conservative movement -- the movement that gave rise to groups like CPAC.
Bush seemed perplexed. Latimer elaborated a bit more. Then Bush leaned forward, with a point to make.
"Let me tell you something," the president said. "I whupped Gary Bauer's ass in 2000. So take out all this movement stuff. There is no movement."

A View from the Left and the Right on Today's Unemployment Numbers

Woah,
Where is the rejoicing that less jobs were lost than originally anticipated? Robert Reich former Clinton Secretary of Labor has a rather grim assessment of the meaning of today's unemployment figures:

The economy is getting worse more slowly. That's just about the only clear reading that's coming from the economic reports, including this morning's important one on employment.

Rubin goes on to explain that almost all segments of the economy were contracting but was now doing so at a slower pace thanks to the stimulus. Rubin does not makes any attempt to show how this has been accomplished through the stimulus though. He does make the point that the job losses are greater than the contraction, a fact that has defied traditional rules and resulted in the greatest job loss since the Depression. He ends on this cheerful note:

So let's be grateful that the economy is getting worse more slowly than it was. But don't be lured into thinking we're ever going back to where we were. Most of the jobs that have been lost are never coming back. New ones will replace some of them, eventually, but hardly all of them. The structure of the American economy is changing. We will emerge from all this with an economy that looks strikingly different from the one we had in 2007. More on this to come.

job losses continue to outpace that contraction. In other words, employers are using this downdraft to lay off more workers, proportionately, than they have since the Great Depression.

Jennifer Rubin in Commentary Magazine gives a view from the right. Ummm, not much better but Rubin agrees it is a sign the overall contraction is slowing but...

Meanwhile, the president’s agenda remains disconnected from the central issue of our time: the ailing economy. He’s immersed in a battle over health care where the question is just how many people and businesses will be taxed and what sort of mandates will be placed on employers. This is jaw-dropping, really. What burdens can we place on employers and investors before we reach an economic recovery? That’s what’s embroiling the administration. The gap between their goals—achieving a liberal dream of nationalized health care—and the greatest domestic problem of our time is startling.

Reich gives a dismal assessment of our current economic situation and hints worse may be coming. I have read several economists' forecasts that are as gloomy as Reich's outlook on the future. Still Rubin makes the overall point, rather than concentrate on preventing whatever the "new normal" may be Obama is focused on a universal health care coverage out of vanity rather than anything close to the "bending down" of costs he professes is necessary to reform health care. Overall, I agree with him that costs must be contained to stave off economic disaster whether that be in the near or long run. Deficit neutral is hardly enough, salaries are being driven down because health care coverage is eating up the growth and has been for some time.

I still believe in American ingenuity and work ethic, we have the power to overcome any obstacle if we deal with it honestly and stop catering to the agendas of special interests. President Obama likes to shout the sky is falling, yet his actions don't match his rhetorical alarm bells. It is time for him to get serious about legitimate reform or get off the proverbial bed pan.