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Racial Affiliations: There's an interesting if not typical conversation going on at Wizbang Blog (a place that too frequently lacks civility IMHO) about the "reverse racism" (barf) of "The Conservative Brotherhood. The conversation jumps off of course with someone making a comment that goes something like this: "The Conservative Brotherhood is racist," and "I'll bet it wouldn't it be alright if I started a White Conservative Brotherhood." Call me crazy, but I think there already is one.
I'm a part of the CB, and the fact that people would even burden their thoughts with us in such a manner is completely hilarious. Baldilocks eloquently offers her take on the matter, as does Michael King, Cobb, and Uncle Sam's Cabin.
Moral Stupidity: In his post, "Experts in Stupidity:
Conservatism and the Moral Intelligence of Society," Joe at the Evangelical Outpost points to some new legislation out of Texas,outlawing booty shaking and other sexually suggestive behavior in cheerleading, school performances, and other extracurricular activities. Is this one right up there with Richmond, VA's "Droopy Drawers Bill"? Interestingly enough, Joe notes Conservatives' unique ability to recognize a sick governmental structure, but inability to know how to build a healthy one. Hmmm, why does this sound familiar? Ah yes, because I said it too. Legalism will never build a healthy society.
The Big D: Speaking of Texas, I love it when people love what I love. Friend, blogger, and travel writer Bijan Bayne writes about visiting Dallas for the first time on business. Seriously. Give me Dallas, peach cobbler and an Apple store and I'm a happy woman. Speaking of travel, does anyone have any leads on getting a good deal on tickets to Montego Bay?
Shiny New Digs: Speaking of Montego Bay, Jamaica, one of its former residents, and my used-to-be-favorite-liberal-blogger-until-he-started-slinging-insults-and-swearing Oliver Willis revealed a snazzy new newspaper-style weblog design. Unfortunately, no snazzy new thought. Same old same old (i.e. "Right wingers suck").
Catholic Backlash In response to her pointed words on the pope's passing last week, La Shawn Barber published some "dislike mail" (the more civil version of "Hatemail") she received from folks who wrote to inform her of their intent to DE-LINK her. This my people, is how nerds fight. They threaten to de-link your website from their. Not only that, they also write you and email or drop a comment telling you so. NERDS NERDS NERDS NERDODIC NERDINESS!

Pfft. Although I enjoy most of your writings, tossing in a barb that gop.com is for white people is insulting. I would think Senator Byrd of the KKK/DNC would be a better example of a white brotherhood.

In that case Michael, you are too easily insulted.

If you read the whole thread I linked to, read my comments, La Shawn Barber's comments, Michael King's comments, Baldilocks' comments, and lastly, Molotov's comments, you'd get the context of joke. And as I always tell people, set emotion aside and read my words carefully please. I didn't suggest that the GOP is for white people. I suggested that it is white people. Can anyone argue its majority? There's an enormous difference in those two statements. And in between the two statements, lies the Conservative Brotherhood--a bridge.

Thank you for helping me further prove my point.

Hi Ambra. I think this is my first time posting here even though I've been reading your blog for a few months now. I really enjoy your writing. Here is a place to look for airfare and hotel deals to Montego Bay: http://dir.travelzoo.com/Vacations.asp?intCategory=54

If that link doesn't work, type www.travelzoo.com. Good luck finding something you can use.

Oliver Willis needs to take a new blog-pic.

Back in the old days of the 'net, everyone agreed on updating their website every year with a new design (maybe so web designers could keep their jobs?).

Anyone else wonder why you need to talk to someone to let them know you're no longer talking to them? I don't see why people are so easily offended. Those who offended you aren't offended.

I like LaShawn's blog, even though she oft links to a [i]man[/i] who calls himself "The Bible Answer Man". Ehhh.

I still only visit 3 blogs regularly. I'm not a true blog-fan.

Mr. Willis must not use the same eyes I do. I find good people all over; they sometimes have different worldviews than mine.

I'm not so sure about your characterization of the one party. You could say the same thing about straight, rich, evangelical, as well--but there are gays, po'folks, and atheists all doing their part in that party as well.

Heck, there are even independent minded folks outside the RNC who disagree with some of their platform but still have commonalities...like, say, me!

Oliver: That can probably be attributed to your synical perspective on life. Unfortunate.

"I'm not so sure about your characterization of the one party. You could say the same thing about straight, rich, evangelical, as well--but there are gays, po'folks, and atheists all doing their part in that party as well."

If the Republican party isn't inordinately fully of white people, then you can slap me and call me June Bob. I don't think that is a debatable fact. Of course there are exceptions. Are things changing? yes. Neither of which negate my point about the emergence of something like a conservative brotherhood.

Well....A bit of a storm raised over this one?
Everybody's complaining about the characterization of the GOP as "white" but I wanted to complain about the other adjective: I think it fails to be a "white conservative brotherhood" because it fails to be "conservative." And while I realize that whites are over-represented among Republican voters, I really don't believe it's because of exclusion. It's because of persistant habits and attitudes that do not come from sound reasoning. E.g., I the inexplicable belief among blacks that Republicans are racist and Democrats are somehow anti-racist.
Maybe the Constitution Party is a better example of a "conservative white brotherhood" although I don't know what its racial mix is. At least it's conservative.

The Constitution Party is definitely White, and you do need that capital 'W'! Basically all the Southern Democrats who became Republicans when they began to favor states' rights in the 60s began to feel unwelcome in the party that welcomed Clarence Thomas, Colin Powell, Condi Rice, and J.C. Watts, and they took their nationalist American elitism (of the White variety in most cases) to the Constitution Party.

It's not conservative, either. Its extremism is so contrary to most decent conservative principles that I just can't understand why any self-respecting conservative will even give them the time of day. It's as if you took all the conservative principles to the caricature of them that liberals like to pretend conservatism is all about and then you actually defended that picture.

DarkStar's "propaganda" is well supported with facts. If you can't deal with that, then that's your problem not mine.

When white and Black Republicans say that Republicans are to blame, take responsibility for it and deal with the situation.