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| The vast left-wing conspiracy |
| 2005-04-16 |
| During the 2004 presidential election, veteran Washington reporter Byron York realized the Democrats had formed a vast conspiracy of party operatives, "nonpartisan" 527 fund-raising groups, liberal media stars such as Al Franken, and billionaire donors like George Soros to defeat George W. Bush. It was no secret. In fact, Democrats were proud of it. And as York says in "The Vast Left-Wing Conspiracy," the well-organized political movement that the Democrats created to outfox tough new campaign finance laws and bring them back to national power is going to give Republicans fits in future elections. I talked to the National Review's White House correspondent by telephone from Washington: Q: What's the book-flap synopsis of what you've discovered? A: It's the story of MoveOn.org, 527 organizations, George Soros, Michael Moore, Air America Radio and Al Franken, and John Podesta's think-tank, the Center for American Progress. It's how these people, often working together, created the biggest, richest, best-organized political movement in generations. Q: Was it just hatred of President Bush that got this conspiracy going? A: I really distinguish two wings of this movement. One is the emotional wing, which is MoveOn and Michael Moore. They are given to emotional outbursts, and they were very angry in the aftermath of the Clinton impeachment and in the aftermath of the Florida recount in 2000. Basically, they were angered by everything that George Bush did, including the look on his face. The professional wing is a very different group. They are the group that created America Coming Together, which was the largest of the Democrat 527 groups -- people like Ellen Malcolm of Emily's List, Steve Rosenthal, who used to be with the AFL-CIO, and John Podesta, who created the Center for American Progress. These were people who were more affected by two completely different things: One was the beginning of the McCain-Feingold campaign finance law after the 2002 election and the other was the actual results of the 2002 election, in which they had to face the reality that Democrats controlled absolutely nothing in Washington. That's when they realized that they needed to build a new political organization. Q: This conspiracy didn't discover a new set of ideas or new ideological positions -- is it more about donations and money from George Soros and Internet donors? A: It's about communications. If you listen to any of them, from either the emotional or the professional wing, you will hear the belief that we -- meaning the liberals -- we are the true American majority. Their unshakable belief is that the real majority of Americans agrees with their positions on the issues. So if you believe that, the problem really becomes one of communications: Our ideas are right. People agree with our ideas. People just haven't heard them. We just haven't communicated those ideas well enough. So the essence of the "vast left-wing conspiracy" is really communications. It's creating a message machine to inject their ideas into the public discussion 24/7. Q: How will this conspiracy transform the way political campaigns are run? A: It has already to some degree. McCain-Feingold took away the unlimited contributions that had been the life's blood of the Democratic Party. A new way had to be found to conduct campaigns. McCain-Feingold exposed the dirty little secret of the Democrats' finances, which is that they were far more dependent on millionaires for their funding than Republicans were. In February 2003, just a couple months after McCain-Feingold took effect, the Democrats' three biggest committees collected about $4 million in contributions -- small, limited, McCain-Feingold contributions. The three Republican committees collected about $19 million. The Republicans had a lot more small donors than the Democrats. The Democrats realized that they had to find a way to get their big donors back in action .... So the 527s were born. That is a way in which power shifted away from the Democratic Party to outside groups. It also empowered people like George Soros, who were the enormous funders of these groups and who had a lot of say. Q: Is there anything particularly evil or sleazy about what this conspiracy is up to? A: There were a couple of incidents in the book in which I think ethical boundaries were crossed. Mostly it's a conspiracy in the sense in which liberals refer to a right-wing conspiracy, which is they wanted to create a powerful, well-oiled machine that could get its message out, could attack its enemies, and could spur political action at any time. Q: Will conservatives or Republicans learn anything from the Democrats' new ways? A: I think they should. I think the instinct of some conservatives has been to dismiss some of these people. For example, to think of MoveOn as crazy hippies, or to think of Michael Moore as a kook, or to think of George Soros as an eccentric billionaire. But these people created something pretty powerful, and they have a long-term plan. And they are in part basing it on what they believe conservatives did 40 years ago after the defeat of Barry Goldwater. Republicans and conservatives would make a really big mistake by either ignoring or minimizing these people. Q: Will this conspiracy put Hillary Clinton back in the White House? A: Well, it easily could. But what it's going to do is put an incredibly powerful new and creative machine behind whoever runs for president as a Democrat in 2008. Ooooh. Okay, everyone. Let's not be too dismissive of the crazies. Insanity is big juju... at least in certain circles. The National Review is one such circle |
| Posted by:.com |
| #22 "beduddled"? Hmmm, sounds like something from porn site. |
| Posted by: Atomic Conspiracy 2005-04-16 11:46:36 PM |
| #21 Well, Tom, I would be a lot more sanguine if they had lost in a McGovern or Mondale style blowout, rather than coming within a few percentage points. Thank God we don't have a proportional representation parliamentary system, so Germany 1933 (moderates giving power to an extremist becuase "we can control him") is not possible here. |
| Posted by: Jackal 2005-04-16 11:30:23 PM |
| #20 The archetype lefty intellectual is Canadian-born Berkeley-educated economist John Kenneth Galbraith (1908- ). Galbraith has been revered in media circles since the 1940s and is regarded today as a living god by the media/academic/left-activist cultural complex. Unfortunately, almost no living person (and certainly none of such influence and power) has been so wrong, so often, and for so long. The notoriously pompous Galbraith's career of error began during World War 2, when, as a government economic advisor, he cited the delivery of certain new German warplanes without propellors as evidence of industrial chaos in the Third Reich. Alas, the airplanes didn't have propellors because they were JETS, Me-262s to be precise. By the 1960s, Galbraith was official shaman of the Kennedy brain-trust, second only to Robert McNamara in creating the national calamity known as Camelot. As part of his effort to reach out to the newly named "third world" JFK rewarded his arch-druid by appointing him Ambassador to India. There, Galbraith's arrogance, naivete, and ignorance almost single-handedly drove Nehru into the arms of the Soviet Union. During the Vietnam war, Galbraith becamse a major figure in the peace movement, a leading authority for media naysayers and seditionists. He was thereby instrumental in the establishment of Stalinist rule in Vietnam. During the 1980s, Galbraith was tricked into providing an endosement for Tom Gervasi's Arsenal of Democracy, an alleged expose of the US arms industry that probably contains more provable errors of fact than any book since The Adventures of Baron Munchhausen, and whose claims and other fantasies are now known to have been dictated by the Kremlin. Most recently, right after 9-11, Galbraith came out against military action in Afghanistan. Citing the unfortunate experience of the Soviets (whom he always regarded as the military superiors of the US) Galbraith declared that American soldiers would be as "beduddled in Afghanistan as they were in Vietnam." In a sense, the ancient court-jester of the left was right this time: American soldiers in Vietnam were nothing like so befuddled as their leaders. The fossilized pinko prattles on to this day. At least he has an excuse, since he is now 96 years old, but he was no more rational 50 years ago. With any luck he will live to see the final and definitive collapse of the evil cultural system he did so much to create. |
| Posted by: Atomic Conspiracy 2005-04-16 11:13:39 PM |
| #19 Ima worried bout that myself |
| Posted by: Tom 2005-04-16 9:07:15 PM |
| #18 Dammit Joe! I'm start to get the flow! |
| Posted by: Shipman 2005-04-16 8:40:21 PM |
| #17 SSHHhhhhhhhhh, no Democrats, Lefties, Socies, or Commies anymore, only "Right-wing/leaning" Regulators and Protectionists for Global Empire, as honest injun as America = Russia-China but not =/superior to Mackinder's World Island, aka Comunist Asia, ergo America must copy the failed and imploded USSR, not the USSR copy successful hyperpower America!? Iff this was the new BATTLESTAR GALACTICA show, Russia-China would be the sexy CYLON babes, wiping out the Colonial Battlestar fleet thru internal systems integration and treason combined with external, PC selective militarized attacks!? GO TALK TO QUEEN BORTE/BORTAI, a'says GENGHIS KHAN - oops, sorry, meant HAIL HILLARY! |
| Posted by: josephmendiola 2005-04-16 8:37:31 PM |
| #16 The fact is that the VLWC lost. And in the process the red state folks got a good look at John "I served in Vietnam" Kerry, Tuh-ray-zuh, "Screaming Howard" Dean... They had already seen enough of Ted Kennedy, Bubba Clinton, and Al Bore. Hillary will have to get a divorce and completely change her circle of friends just to score a close second. |
| Posted by: Tom 2005-04-16 8:36:07 PM |
| #15 They never learn. Note that this mighty coalition is founded on the same assumption that has underpinned leftist power-seeking for 50 years: the absolute power and loyalty of the institutional media culture. Air America, Michael Moore, ad nauseum, are professionally-oriented components of that culture. They are in decline, and the leftist power-seekers are inherently incapable of adapting to this reality. As documented by the renegade leftist Thomas Frank in The Conquest of Cool, the present-day "Left" is entirely a creature of the institutional media culture. That culture will not adapt because such an adjustment would represent the failure of their entire enterprise. I predict that they will fall farther and faster than most current observers can imagine. 2004 was D-Day for the defenders of "Fortress Media", 2008 will be Armageddon. |
| Posted by: Atomic Conspiracy 2005-04-16 3:48:56 PM |
| #14 Read this whole series of articles then tell me these evil bastards give a shit about democracy, our Republic or our political process. Sorros funded the whole campaing finance reform movement. He is trying to subvert our Republic. This isn't tinfoil hat stuff. This is a clear and present danger to anyone who cares to look. Hillary is in on it. |
| Posted by: Sock Puppet 0’ Doom 2005-04-16 3:34:42 PM |
| #13 Pride goeth before he fall. Folks, they can slather money on blogs and other forms of communication all they want, but they can only do as much as the right can. The fact is is that the right is much better at communicating ideas because there is simply no agenda behind it other than freedom. The left have a problem, and it is one they have always had and, one which will eventually destroy them: They can't come up with anything better than to hate and that is the basis for whatever mantra they can repeat via the MSM. After they finish doing that, they have nothing to offer. Now, all of the foregoing does not mean those who do believe in freedom as a universal as well as a national value should sit back and let the left defeat themselves. It is better to help the left along with their defeat and it is much better to counter them with this one single eand simple counter: That hatred is all they have going for them. This basic value, that republicans believe in freedom and the left can only counter that with their hatred and their agenda as wellas the expression those concepts of it will bring the left down faster than Air America radio. |
| Posted by: badanov 2005-04-16 2:38:33 PM |
| #12 The Vast Left Wing Conspiracy does not have to be 'powerful and creative' with wiennies like Frist and hypocrites like McCain. Republicans will continue to be ineffective "Read My Lips" until they learn to fight to win. As Captain Ed says, "Not one dime." |
| Posted by: SR-71 2005-04-16 2:37:22 PM |
| #11 I listened to a York interview on his new book. I came away thinking that he might be onto something here. To the Democrats EVERYTHING is a battle or left versus right. After screaming their mantra a few thousands times someone is going to them after a period of time, if for no other reason than to get them to shut up. This worked well in the 1960s for the anti-war, socialists, and communists movements that basically hijacked the Democratic Party and made the Republicans the villains in the Vietnam conflict. Even though Kennedy sent in the troops and Johnson escalated the conflict, neither is blamed for that debacle. Today the WOT is made out to be a Republican issue even though a string of attacks and appeasement cover the length of Clintons’ two terms in office. IMHO the Republicans need to stop trying to appease the Democrats and shove the Republican agenda down their throats. Yes they will cry, whine, throw fits, and call us Nazis but they are doing that now. The results are what we looking for not the process. Social Security is a joke, illegal immigration needs to be stopped, Judges that don’t invent rights need to be confirmed, and the Patriot Act needs to be made a permanent law. If they (Republicans) waffle on issues that are core to the party the Dems will use it against us the next election, and they will be portrayed as ‘mainstream’ by the press too. |
| Posted by: Cyber Sarge 2005-04-16 2:28:24 PM |
| #10 I completely missed including the MS in the equation. Duh. That meme replicator does, indeed, leverage their spending and put the best light on the moonbattery. I believe we're in for an ugly ride precisely because they haven't grasped the fact that the majority of Americans aren't insane socialists. I am tickled to see them spend their money reinforcing, distilling, the "anger" - instead of spending wisely to disinform the rational Americans. But, as you guys point out - there's violence along that road - and I fully expect much more to come. |
| Posted by: .com 2005-04-16 11:14:59 AM |
| #9 RC - minds thinking alike - I should've said violence by DU et al...they'll try to keep plausible deniability for the "visible leadership" but I agree it will get ugly unless crushed. $10,000 fines for damaging cars with GOP stickers, etc.... |
| Posted by: Frank G 2005-04-16 11:11:39 AM |
| #8 and no - I never got that sort of service from NR :-) not even a reach around |
| Posted by: Frank G 2005-04-16 11:05:52 AM |
| #7 Underground violence? As opposed to the open violence involved in the assaults on Republican campaign headquarters last year? The open violence already started; next election it's going to be more widespread. |
| Posted by: Robert Crawford 2005-04-16 11:05:44 AM |
| #6 :-) I don't credit them will all-powerful evil, but they have powerful friends in the MSM that multiplies their failed messages. If the Hildabeast is allowed to fake her way as a moderate, she will be a major force in '06 (her minions) and '08 (for herself). York usually pretty much has his feet on the ground. I despise Derbyshire though.... I enjoy the fact that the moonbats think they only need to communicate their fever better so the populace will admit they are correct. Keep chugging the kool-aid and spending your money on trying to keep Air America on the air in more than 5 cities, "progressives"...heh heh My bigger fear is that as they sink into desperation over electoral failure, they will resort to underground violence like good little marxists |
| Posted by: Frank G 2005-04-16 11:02:17 AM |
| #5 Um, the title was taken, as a joke, from some of the left's own pronouncements. And let's be honest, they ARE powerful and creative. They've got control of the MSM, and despite the best efforts of reasonable people, the MSM is the info source for most of the country. They've organized in a way that they'll be able to poor limitless amounts of cash against Republicans, and if you think they're just going to use that in commercials, think again. Creativity doesn't just involve how they get their message out: the 2006 and 2008 campaigns are going to be UGLY. I wouldn't be shocked if they're not violent, given some of the events in 2004. We can also expect a level of corruption and fraud that makes Chicago politics seem saintly. |
| Posted by: Robert Crawford 2005-04-16 11:00:44 AM |
| #4 The democrats still haven't hit rock bottom. They haven't torn down the old machine before trying to replace it with a new machine--a recipe for failure. I might add that the AuH20 machine did the same thing, becoming eccentric laughinstocks terribly out of touch with the rest of society. So what will happen next? The pattern will be that power will first migrate back to those still in office. The republicans will still be effectively targetting their most powerful and least cooperative, giving some small support and largesse to those willing to play ball. (Ex: right now, even Robert Byrd is sweating). Eventually, democrat power will be concentrated among their centrists, with the radicals marginalized. Then they will form a pragmatic coalition with the much larger group of republican "reasonables", if not centrists, to marginalize the republican extreme, too. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2005-04-16 10:59:01 AM |
| #3 Frank - Lol! I read the NRO, too - not subscribed - but not everyone there is rational at all times. To charactrize the Soros / 527 / MoveOn engine as "powerful" and "creative" is putting the best light on it - a stretch, IMHO. There are some who are very good at disinformation, such as AARP's TV commercials against Soc Sec change, but people will only buy what feels right to them - and this confabulation of Moonbats seem to miss the point that they need to stop preaching to their base and sell their insanity to flyover America. As long as they keep missing the point, I won't credit them with Dr Evil powers. Thus the last comment where I was making fun of Yorks' conclusion. |
| Posted by: .com 2005-04-16 10:48:22 AM |
| #2 It took the repubs a decade to really rebuild ... but the dems have been studying how it was done. W/ the Net and a lot of $$ it won't take nearly as long. |
| Posted by: anon 2005-04-16 10:32:46 AM |
| #1 I subscribe |
| Posted by: Frank G 2005-04-16 10:25:22 AM |