Red State is one of the few conservative blogs to specialize in Republican activism, and now, guided by newly-minted CEO (but longtime contributor) Erick Erickson, the site has moved into territory only the liberal activist blogs have traversed: Supporting a primary challenge. In their first outing, Erickson & co. are teaming up with the veteran primary fight encouragers at Club for Growth to support former state Rep. Tim Walberg against liberal freshman Rep. Joe Schwarz in Michigan’s 7th district.
Red State, like almost all conservative blogs, has questioned the wisdom of Ned Lamont’s challenge to Sen. Joe Lieberman (not to mention the liberal blogs for supporting it). But they share a few things in common: First of all, both seats are assumedly safe for the squabbling side. Second, both incumbents are talking up their experience, their ability to bring jobs to the state, and their endorsements from traditional interest groups close to the party. This might work with the wider electorate in each race, but it isn’t working with the online activists. For Lieberman, his Democratic opponents just don’t care: His support for the Iraq war and his palling around with Bush dwarf all other issues. For Schwarz, his Republican critics are in no mood to hear it, either. His RINO tendencies are numerous, though there isn’t an issue as galvanizing as the Iraq war [Udpdate: In the comments, I'm told the major fault here line is abortion. I can believe it, but it's still not the issue that Iraq is]. The closest thing might be the conservative bloggers’ conscious crusade against pork barrel politics. But Schwarz has generally voted the right way on taxes, and is in fact trying to attack Walberg as a tax-raiser. They aren’t buying that either, but also, Tim Walberg’s internet profile is in no way comparable Lamont’s.
Since Erickson first threw down against Schwarz on July 27, he’s been working his way through 10 reasons why Red Staters should get behind Walberg: Schwarz’s opposition to drilling in ANWR, support for Medicare-subsidized Viagra, association with an anti-Republican gay rights organization, and pro-Kelo position on eminent domain, as well as his reliance on Democrats for support.
But there’s little excitement about Walberg evident on the site. Erickson’s first post collected just 27 comments and only two pledges to donate modest sums (and the Club doesn’t make fundraising figures immediately available). The subsequent posts have averaged about four comments each, well below what most front-page posts accumulate. Of course, starting 11 days out from the primary is just too late to have any kind of real impact. The lefty blogs were about a month out when they got involved in Ciro Rodriguez’s challenge earlier this year, and that wasn’t enough.
Republican blogger activists have a long way to go in catching up to their Democratic counterparts, and today they took a big step (more on this later) [Update: It's here]. But after hitting the liberal netroots over and over with their poor electoral track record, are the Republican netroots prepared to respond if they start going 0-fer themselves?
The Schwartz race is all about abortion. The tax stuff is really reaching–back to when he was in teh state legislature, despite voting for all the Bush tax cuts in Congress. He’s hardly my favorite congressmen, but there is no reason for economic conservatives to get involved here.