Alan: “Beat It, Kid.”

In his first re-election campaign, Congressman Christopher Smith (R-NJ), then age 29, faced off against a powerful Democratic politician. Here’s how one of their encounters went:

Smith faced a difficult race for reelection in 1982, when he was opposed by former New Jersey Senate President Joseph P. Merlino. At the end of one of their debates, Smith approached Merlino to exchange pleasantries. Merlino was quoted as saying “Beat it, kid.”

Merlino, the powerful elder statesman, lost. Congressman Smith is to this day Congressman Smith and beyond challenge.

Reading the latest comments from the leftosphere reminded me of this incident. Alan at Idablue believes I should be persona non grata at the Idaho Statesman:

Oh, and please, tell Kevin Richert that he ought to give Adam his own column or find somebody else to quote. Richert once said he quotes Adam so much because the Idaho right is a vast wasteland of rational thought, er, no, sorry, that’s not it, it’s because the right has such a small presence on the blogosphere and he has few choices. Well, the constant appearance of Adam on the Statesman’s op-ed page is giving him credence (that I don’t think he deserves) as the reporting on Fischer’s and Swindell’s activities is giving them.

Oh no, Adam Graham gets 3 paragraphs in the Statesman. You must stop him! Must stop quoting him!

Criticism leveled about Bryan Fischer being quoted was proceeded by Bryan being quoted less. As gratifying as it is to be quoted by my hometown paper, I get a lot of comments in various forums.

However, I’m also encouraged that I must be saying something right. As Mike Huckabee said, “If you’re getting flack, you must be over the target.”

Why am I so problematic?

As I’ve written, I think Adam became politically aware at the zenith of the influence of the religious right, a group he is proudly square in the middle of. Part of their reactionary world view is that they are a persecuted minority – victims – that must battle the forces of secularism. He is young enough that he doesn’t see the zenith as the peak; he doesn’t have sufficient political experience to put it into context.

I’m young and inexperienced, says the Democrat. By the way, I assume then he would urge Democrats to go out and vote for John McCain for President and in District 18 to choose Julie Ellsworth over my peer in age, Branden Durst. And what about quoting the Statesman Democratic blogger Tara Rowe, who is even younger than I am?

I do not often boast of accomplishments and credentials, but, as the gentleman on the left has called my credibility into question, let me tell you.

Unlike a lot of people my age, and liberals who are older than me, I’m under no impression that the History of mankind began with my birth.

I’m also aware of global affairs and how the secularist agenda has progressed worldwide to lead to long-running show trials in places like Canada and Sweden, where folks of moderate means are, if not tried, they’re driven into poverty for standing up for biblical truths. I’ve studied extensively the history of movements, people, and leaders.

I’m subscribed to more than 120 different news and blog feeds and scan about 2000 separate headlines from sources as diverse as Pam’s House Blend, Talk Left, and on the right, people like Jill Stanek, Michelle Malkin, and Don Surber. I read feeds from the AP, Reuters, and various magazines. I have two years of College-level journalism training with a focus in Communications.

I’ve twice run for office in my twenty-seven odd years. I’ve served as State Coordinator for two Presidential Campaigns and been an official blogger on one. I’ve been on petition drives, and been County Secretary of my Republican Party. I’ve been a delegate to my State Convention. I’ve interviewed two Presidential Candidates, held the first ever live primary podcast debate for U.S. Senate in the History of Idaho, and was nominated for a podcast award in 2007. I’ve spoken at a National Conference and I’ve been invited to cover a National Convention.

I’ve been quoted in the Los Angeles Times, Slate, National Journal’s Blogometer, and Human Events’ Rightometer among others who had their choice of who to quote and for whatever reason chose to quote me. I’ve had featured diaries on the front page of Red State and The Next Right.

I’ve also been in this long enough to make my share of mistakes, issue apologies, and learn from my errors. My biggest and latest is my attacks on Mike Huckabee late last year, a mistake I deeply regret. I’ve been wrong about Term Limits (I was against them), I’ve been wrong about Bilingualism (sounded like a great idea until Canada almost split apart), and several other things.

I’ve never challenged anyone else’s qualifications to their opinions. If I’m going to debate, I’ll debate arguments, not personality. But Alan wasn’t done.

Also, he’s been raised in the hothouse environment, for reactionaries, of Idaho and until recently, Montana.

So, there you go, folks. My big problem that should disqualify me from being quoted so much in an Idaho paper is that I was raised in the West. Mustn’t trust the natives. Elitism on the march . . . .

So, I think that unless Adam develops more perspective he’s destined to feel bitter and oppressed.

I guess that’ll leave me no choice but to cling to guns and religion. I got a Bible, anyone got a good Colt 45?

He doesn’t know he’s had a great run and now it’s time for the pendulum to swing back.

Ah, so what Kevin Richert needs to find is not only another blogger on the right, but one that is hopelessly defeated. They’re a conservative, but they know they are absolutely screwed forever. Where are those conservatives who know that they’ve had a good run, but it’s now time for the liberals to mount up to their rightful place of leadership under the sun and to reign for eternity to lead the world into a new enlightenment?

Where are those people who will stand up and raise their hands in defeat? It’s downright infuriating for the left to read a feisty conservative, one whose got some gas in the tank and is pushing 30 rather than 70,  standing up for conservative values. Get used to it.

UPDATE

Now, we update a story that if it were any less serious, it would be wearing clown pants:

Kevin Richert at the Idaho Statesman laid down the law:

The implication from the bloggers is that some free expression is somehow more deserving than others. That somehow the freedom of expression should be doled out selectively. That’s not just patently unfair. It’s scary. It’s the same kind of thinking that drives sexually explicit books to a shelf behind a library director’s desk.

As regular readers have probably gleaned by now, I’m rather smitten with the First Amendment. I think freedom of speech and freedom of the press cast sunshine on ideas and opinion of all stripe. I’m going to try to find room in the dialogue — and in print — for all points of view. Even if I disagree with them. Especially when I disagree with them.

I’m a big enough boy to know I’ll get criticized in this job. If readers think I’m giving them only one side of the debate, I’ll get skewered for it. And deservedly so.

Fair enough, I can respect consistentcy.  Chris responded in the comments and was more charitable than Alan:

My issue isn’t with the Statesman’s Other Voices feature, I think that it is the best place to put them. What I, and many others have a problem with is that these two (mainly Fischer) are sought for comment in news stories. Bryan speaks for a very small minority of extremely far right Conservatives, not mainstream Conservatives or the majority of Republicans in Idaho.

I say when it comes to editorial features let Graham/Fischer/Swindell have their space, I think it only helps Democrats when people see just how out of touch these people are with our communities.

As proof of how out of touch Me/Fischer/Swindell are, we’re offered: The vote on the 10 Commandments (which had more to do with low Republican turnout in general coupled with voter fatigue than anything else), Brandi Swindell losing the City Council race (a low turnout election that’s North End dominated), The Idaho Values Alliance funding, and Clayton Cramer’s Primary loss in District 22 (to an incumbent opponent endorsed by Idaho Chooses Life.)

Alan makes a similar argument, though unlike Chris, he’s pushing for censorship:

DFO at HBO also frequently, too frequently in my opinion, quotes Adam. If there are no other voices, maybe it’s because he’s a minority position. Such frequent quoting makes him and his views look more mainstream.

Silence the minority! Of course, the question is minority of what? I’m certainly a minority in the world of the blogosphere where liberals dominate. If one pretends that a slice of Boise I like to call Northendia is the majority of this Valley and this state, then I guess I’m a minority.

I disagree. Idaho is a red state, deep red once you get out of Boise, Latah County, and the Sun Valley. If I don’t represent a majority of Idahoans (and to boast of it with no proof would be presumptuous), I certainly am closer to the mainstream than the leftist bloggers.

The reason there are less conservative bloggers than liberal ones right now is that online Internet activity is driven, not by the majority, but by those who are most upset and motivated. Thus, in a State where Republicans hold overwhelming control of the legislature, both Congressional Seats, both Senate seats, and the White House, there’s not as much motivation to get out and start blogs as there is for Democrats who are hopelessly outgunned at every turn in our state with less seats in the State Senate than a Toyota Sequoia.

When Clinton was in the White House, the early online advantage belonged to the Right with sites like Free Republic. If Obama wins, I suspect that you’ll see a slight drop in liberals blogging and a big increase in Conservatives blogging. If Obama is President, by 2010, Conservative bloggers will almost certainly outnumber the left.

Finally, writing at Fort Boise, Tom declares:

Adam rather makes me think of a Rush Limbaugh Mini-me (or perhaps Nano-me), working hard to find an audience. If hard work is all it takes, maybe he’ll hit the big time. There’s always room for one more in the entertainment business.

I think Tom meant the comparison to Rush as an insult, but I take it as a high compliment, nano or otherwise.