In the early days it seemed so much easier to feel like you were in touch with what conservatives were writing about online.  There were some more libertarian type bloggers and their was a budding group of more evangelical or traditionalist type bloggers and there were the conservative magazines just getting a handle on how they were going to approach blogs and other less formal and more interactive formats. It felt like you were part of a community and a conversation.

But from the earliest days I was almost always a “reactionary” blogger in the sense that I reacted to what I read. I was almost always a thinker rather than a linker and I almost always needed an article or event to inspire me to think and write.

As the web has become more and more social and as the amount of content has grown – seemingly exponentially – this has created a problem for me; one that I have wrestled with for years and years.

My tendency is to surf the web for hours and not really accomplish all that much. Sure, I read a decent amount of articles and engage in some conversations and even mange to produce some writing of my own.  But too often I feel like I am chasing content across the web looking for something interesting or looking for conversations or issues to engage with and not really digging into any one thing or focusing something for any extended period.

I do think my writing has improved, I have built a network of friends and contacts, and I have read some great content and learned a great deal.  But the single to noise ratio just seems too small.

In some small way I think I have an internet addiction coupled with a short attention span.  I see the internet as my connection to the outside world and so don’t want to disconnect. What if I miss some great link or debate on Twitter? What if I miss what my friends and family are up to on Facebook? What if I don’t read that email right away?

And if I am honest with myself, a part of me seeks engagement and feedback and interaction online as a reflection of my self-worth; as proof that I am talented and interesting and worth knowing.  Not all the time or in every situation but this is an aspect of my chasing my tail on social media.

These type of thoughts drive me to constantly be checking my computer.  And when I am reading online I have a hard time not cycling through my tabs; as if in the time it takes to read an article I might miss something happening in social media.

So.  I am once again trying to commit myself to read more deeply and surf less; to make a conscious effort to slow down and read and think and focus rather than flit from one tab to the next never really digesting or grasping the content my eyeballs pass over on the way to checking email or Facebook or Twitter.

I want, once again, to try to focus on a few things and do that well. I want to write longer more thoughtful pieces rather than simply seeking to get more RTs or comments.  I want to discipline myself so that I can focus on what I am doing and reading and not give into the siren call of open tabs and streaming social media content.

I want to try, as I have so many times in the past, to focus on quality not quantity; and to use this as a tool to improve my writing and my thinking. I want to cut back on the amount of time that is essentially wasted online (time spent mindlessly surfing not because I have a task or am engaged in a subject but because my mind is drifting and I am seeking something to capture my interest).

To give this process a little order, and to make it easier for any of you who would like to follow along, here is handy list for where I will be doing my writing and posting;

• Collected Miscellany is for books and culture writing. Mostly book reviews and author interviews but the occasional links to reviews and discussions as well.
• I am once again posting to Redstate. This is politics but with a cultural and philosophical bent as well.
• For photos, videos, and pithy quotes visit my Tumblr blog Sifting through the debris.

This blog will be used for longer essays and be  more focused on my life; my intellectual and spiritual exploration and growth.

The plan is to try this out for a month of so and see if it is working.  January will be  great time to evaluate and set some goals for 2012.

As always, thoughts and feedback welcome.

I am good at thinking about all kids of posts.  But when it comes to actually writing and posting them … not so much.

I need some sort of post by telekinesis or something.  I just think up great posts and they magically appear.  Gotta be a plug-in for that, right?

Or course, this lame post about not posting is shameful but is a perfect example of novel gazing self-centered blogging so many media experts like to decry.  Just doing my part to further stereotypes …

I have often thought about making it a blog focused on one particular interest of mine: sports, my faith, my family, etc.  But I never really had the time or energy to pull something like that off.

But when I decided to change hosting companies, and redo somethings on the domain, it seemed like a waste to put the time in and not “use” it.

And as I was connecting this blog to my Twitter account I realized that it was the perfect connection.  “Kevin’s Life” is the twitter account I created as a kind of politics free zone.  It is the account I use for sports and my personal life and opinions.  It made perfect sense to connect this blog to that account and have it share that content focus.

So this will be the place I talk about my life; about my career challenges (gigantic understatement); life as a father of two young kids married to his high school sweetheart; being a Michigan Wolverine and Pittsburgh Steelers fan in Columbus, Ohio; being active in our local church; and whatever else seems worth sharing.

As always, comments and feedback welcome and appreciated.

Now, I didn’t just throw this up hoping for some cheap traffic (although I will take all the traffic I can get obviously).  No, there are two relevant points to consider besides a new site to visit:

1. You can win a free copy of Christopher Buckley’s new memoir about losing his parents, Losing Mum and Pup, simply by leaving a comment here.
2. If you love to read and/or would like to get review copies of new books please consider contributing to the site.

There are lots of great, and some not so great, books of interest to conservatives coming out all the time.  I hope The Right Reads can help you sort the good from the bad while jump starting a conversation about the ideas and policies that are best suited to move conservatism ahead.

Because as the site’s subheading notes, Ideas Still Matter.

I thought I would give this “open internet letter” thing a try.  I didn’t want to send you an actual letter because then you might flood my physical mailbox with an endless stream of fundraising requests (I kid, I kid).

I know Erick over at Red State has been rather vocal about his feelings of late.  He is passionate about this whole getting conservatives elected thing isn’t he?  He may seem over-the-top at times from your perspective, but his heart is in the right place.  And he is effective more than not.

In something of a contrast, I am not the type to use extreme tactics to raise an issue.  I don’t “push the envelope” – do people still use that phrase? – or use strong language.  In fact, lately I am in danger of being labeled the “squish” at Red State.  I like to think of it as strategic thinking, but some find my tolerance of center-right politicians (and pundits) disturbing and evidence of a lack of commitment.

Still, I want to see the most conservative electable candidate in each and every race.  Obviously, the devil is in the details on these things.  In general I don’t like to see conservatives and/or libertarians attacking candidates – or running third party campaigns against them – who have the best chance of taking a seat when there is no better option on the table.  For me center-right beats left every time. IMO, many here in Ohio have not learned this lesson.

All of this leads to the recent contretemps over various “moderate” candidates and the support of the NRSC (and finally, the point of this letter).  I have two points to leave you with:

1. If a candidate can plausibly be seen to switch parties or endorse Democrats large bright red warning lights should go off.  Approach With Caution!!!  Spending money on this type of candidate can lead to some serious regret down the line.  Now I know a lot of this is easy to say looking back (hindsight is 20/20, etc.), but let’s be sure to learn a lesson moving forward, OK?
2. If your choices about who to support and when to get involved in primaries bothers me then you are in trouble. If solid, non-hysterical, long time GOP voters are disgruntled, again with the warning lights.

The first point seems to stand on its own, so lets talk about #2.

Listen, I understand the whole protect incumbents thing.  Really, I do.  But if you want to retain some support and start building excitement for the party you simply can’t ignore the ill will that comes from getting involved in primary fights and being seen as stepping on the prospects of promising conservative candidates.

Strategic thinking is important.  Fielding the most electable candidate is important.  But building goodwill and support within the various coalitions that make up the party is important too.

So let’s say you have a conservative candidate in a conservative state that grassroots conservatives are excited about.  This hypothetical candidate is a effective speaker and is even in a demographic that conservatives need to appeal to and win their votes.  And let’s say his hypothetical opponent has some potential baggage and has taken positions on taxes and the stimulus that put him at odds with the majority of Republicans.

It turns out this isn’t all that tricky.  This isn’t holding your nose and supporting a liberal because you need to win a seat in a liberal district.  This isn’t supporting a prickly candidate because there are no other options.  This is about re-gaining the trust of the base and moving the party forward on some basic issues.  Stay out of it. Let conservatives focus on helping someone they like win. If deals have to be made and career paths planed then get everybody in a room and work it out.

When you are the opposition party it isn’t that difficult to not support those candidates who support the policies of the current administration and thus poke a giant stick in the eye of the very people whose votes and passion you need to succeed.

Think of someone like me as the canary in the coal mine – do people say this anymore? – on this issue.  So if you lose Mr. Center-Right, Mr. think-strategic-build-a-coalition, then you are on shaky ground. It is important to note that this current backlash is not limited to cranky bloggers who live in their parents basement and enjoy yelling at those in authority and using cringe inducing vulgarity to prove they are speaking “truth to power” or something.

This is about moving the party forward.  This is about convincing people that you think of your job as more than just getting your friends elected; about more than business as usual.

I want to build a broad based Republican coalition in order to retake the majority and both prevent disastrous policies from being carried out but also to enact conservative solutions to our most pressing problems.  I hope you do to. But you got to earn trust at some point.

So let me leave you with one more cliche – or is it a metaphor? – as we approach the 2010 elections don’t cut off your nose to spite your face.

Thanks,

Kevin

• Alan Stewart Carl, Donklephant
• Bruce McQuain, QandO
• Byron King, the Daily Reckoning
• Chris Nelder, GetRealList
• Jim Hoeft, Bearing Drift
• Jim Hoft, Gateway Pundit
• Joy McCann, Little Miss Atilla
• Nick Loris, The Foundry
• Tim Hurst, Green Options
• Tony Eriksen, The Oil Drum

I have enjoyed talking with all of these fine folks here at the conference; and many of them have a great deal more expertise than me.  So check out their sites and posts.

I hope to write more in-depth on some of the issues covered here as I have the time to pull my thoughts and notes together.

When is it a good idea to include bloggers in your media outreach?

1. If you can pass the straight face test – this matters to their readers
2. You have an integrated approach – part of the story fits the new media landscape like a glove and you have something unique to offer for that one media property
3. Their traffic is your audience – chances are a blogger’s traffic is much more targeted than a magazine’s
4. You intend to dedicate time and resources to being authentic – cutting-edge, leader, authority in whatever it is you do tend to sound fake to someone who writes for passion
5. You’re open to a two-way dialogue and accept that ideas may come back to you as a result of the conversation

One final piece of advice – words matter. Choose them carefully, be wise and considerate, and you will receive responses in kind.

HT: Red State

The one tiny piece of advice I’d offer on how to see your painful journey as an act of God consecrating your life to his will is to work at consecrating each moment in the journey to faith, hope, and love. By faith, I do not mean “believing in yourself.” By hope, I do not mean “hoping for the best.” By love, I do not mean “following your heart” or some such vague nonsense. We, like invalids, are incapable. We, unlike God, do not really know what is best for us. We, unlike Jesus, have hearts that are deceitful above all things.

No, we will endure, we will prevail, we will persevere, we will be redeemed, both during the process and in the culmination of a Christ-centered faith, hope, and love. Day in and day out, we consider our options to endure or despair, and we choose endure, because to despair is no more valid an option for us than getting up and running away is for a paralyzed man. We consider our lot and, in the spirit of Simon Peter, declare, “To whom shall we go?,” because opting for anything other than proximity to Jesus is no option at all.

I prayed in that shadowed chapel until there were no words. I prayed beyond the words, into the silence. The silence is what we fear, the silence when the presence of God can neither be denied nor deflected with vain prayers and empty mumblings. I wept into that silence. I laid myself bare before it. I realized how little I know about prayer.

It’s easy to see why so many of us — Christians and pagans alike — spend lifetimes running from the living God, our hands stopping our ears, our mouths babbling prayers or blasphemies, all in an effort to avoid the great silence where God speaks to man. That silence is a fearful place, but there is love there, the great love of a parent. There is mercy too, and strength for the uncompleted race.