Elizabeth Crum

My new AZ-based blogger-friend Rachel Alexander was in L.A. for the Heritage Resource Bank and AFP and ATR events last week.  She wrote about some of it here.

I’m mentioned about 3/4 of the way down, along with the snark-lovely (snovely?) E.M. Zanotti and my new friend and reigning Twitter Queen Melissa Clouthier.

Also mentioned are new pals Eric Telford, Jon Fleischman, Todd Thurman and old pals at ATR.

Not mentioned is Twitter King Stephen Kruiser who has a great blog. And who also does a daily show for RFC Radio. And who has also been appearing on Pajamas Media TV lately.  And who has been invited to appear on FNC’s Red Eye. He was invited the day time conference but mostly hung out after hours and kept us laughing.  (Rising Star Alert!)

It would take half a day to create a complete Who’s Who list of who was there last week.  So I won’t.  But I will say this:

I was encouraged to hear so much talk – in lectures, on panels, in workshops, and after hours – about New Media and blogging and their place in the conservative movement.

My first mantra for the two-days can be summed up as this: 

Conservative organizations need to pony up and budget money for Technology and New Media both internally and as part of their overall communications plan.  We can talk about citizen-activists and grassroots efforts all we want – and volunteerism is powerful – but a lot of the things we need to accomplish cost money because they require significant time + intense labor. 

The Left is already spending millions on online marketing and activism; the Right is still behind.

(Note to my blogger buddies:  I’m going to see if I can get my hands on a few of Alex Castellanos‘ PowerPoint slides from Thursday so I can try to post some blurbs.  If anyone knows him personally, help a girl out.)

Mantra Two: 

Figure out some new messaging some of the time.  There’s a huge demographic of conservatives (ages 18 to 49) who passionately believe in our principles but who do not fit the stereotype.  

They are Middle Americans.  They work and live regular lives.  They budget and pay their bills and save a little.  And expect their government to do the same.  They don’t go to conservative leadership conferences.  They don’t read National Review.  They rarely (if ever) wear a tie.  They own guns and would use them if needed.  They’re pro-military, pro-defense, and pro-kill-the-SOB’s-before-they-kill-us-first.  They live life enthusiastically and at times a little irreverently. They love rock-n-roll or sh*t-kickin’ country music. They hate political correctness.  They love the flag.  They spend time with their kids and then send ‘em to bed so they can watch their DVR’d TV shows, read their news online, and watch South Park.  They laugh at (and make) off color remarks. They listen to RFC Radio.  They are tired of conservatives who are not Conservatives and Republicans who are really Democrats.  They are tired of being mocked and pigeon-holed and they really don’t give a damn about people in Washington D.C.

If you’re a movement person or organization, you should be asking yourself:  “How do I reach these folks?”

One of the happiest days in the life of a new blogger is a mention at Instapundit. 

Still all warm and fuzzy from my KNPR radio appearance this morning, I logged in to E!! to see that Instapundit linked up to yesterday’s ACORN post.

Thanks Glenn!

Here’s a shot of Duane Lester and me at a New Media training/presentation at the Conservative Leadership Conference here in fabulous Las Vegas this past weekend. 

Duane (one of the many geniuses over at All American Blogger) called me “major league cool” on their blog today so we are now BFFs.

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Adapted by Elizabeth Crum - E!! - from “A kingdom for a stage” by William Shakespeare [from Henry V]

O for a Muse of moderation, that would ascend
The brightest netwave of invention,
A kingdom for a sage, senators to act
And bloggers to behold the swelling scene!

Then should the warlike pol, like Reagan,
Assume the port of Mars; and at his heels,
Leash’d in like hounds, should dollar and dividend
Crouch for employment. And pardon not, O Blogivists,
The doltish congressmen who dare

On their unworthy stage to recommend forth
Their idiotic plans:  can that intellectual vacuum hold
The vasty notions of fiscal responsibility?  Or will we cram
Within this week the very blunders
That did affright the kings of Wall Street?

O, pardon! since a crooked politician may

Protest while pocketing a million;
So let us, Bloggers in this great sphere,
Type, click and upload on screens galore.

 Today within the corridors of Congress
We see confined two indistinguishible parties,
Whose egos are exceeded only by their greed
And perilous corruption splits all asunder:
Piece out their imperfections with your posts;
Into a thousand parts divide their rhetoric,
And make it clear to all who rule this realm:

The Blogosphere, in all its glory rides

Printing our apt remarks i’ the receiving Web;
For ’tis our thoughts that now shall thump our kings,
Chase them here and there; Twittering and
Turning the empty accomplishment of many years
Into pithy posts:  for the further supply of which
Welcome us Bloggers to this great Webstory;
We pundit-like your online reading pray,

Bookmark our blogs, and kindly judge our daily Play.

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After debunking a couple of rumors and lies on E!! this week, I’ve decided to spread the word that I am a bit of a Research Geek – and encourage readers to email me with “Is It True?” questions/links.

If you read or hear something that makes you go “Hmmmm….?” or are lacking information on a person, place, or thing and you’d like to find out Just The Facts, Jack…

Please email me the info and I’ll do some digging and post any/all discoveries (along with a big Thank You to the reader who asked) on E!!

Please note that my fact-finding is guarantEEd to be non-partisan.  In other words, no matter who it benefits, I will find out the truth – and Tell It like it is.