Redstate

By Bluey Posted in conservatism | fundraising | Online Activism | politics | Technology | Technology — Comments (6) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »

Conservatives and Republicans have whined for the past year about their disadvantage vs. the left's activism, fundraising and journalism websites. I've monitored it closely on blogs and heard about it during countless panel discussions. There has been continuous talk about how to grow, adapt and change.

That discussion has revealed the monumental challenges facing the right -- both online and offline. There's frustration with the non-existent "Republican brand" and resistance among many conservatives to embrace technology. I've witnessed these challenges up close both on Capitol Hill and in my job at The Heritage Foundation, a 35-year-old institution that is (slowly) trying to strengthen its footing in the digital world.

Changes are happening all around, including here at RedState. As Erick reported earlier today, this site will undergo its own restructuring as part of version 3.0. The new RedState will fill important voids on the right, particularly at the state and local level, one of the fastest growing areas for citizen journalism.

(At Heritage, we've taking steps to better define the right's agenda on Capitol Hill with a new policy-focused blog called The Foundry and daily e-mail product, the Morning Bell. Our next objective is mobilizing our 338,000 members to have a greater impact on policy debates in Washington.)

RedState and its like-minded allies (Townhall, Hot Air, The Corner, NewsBusters, etc.) each offer something unique in the conservative online space. With a combination of reporting, analysis, punditry and activism, they each play an important role in determining the narrative and setting the agenda.

In the next few weeks, a new blog will join the mix. Dubbed The Next Right by its founders, the site will make an immediate impact with the collective brainpower of its three tech-savvy and politically adept creators. Patrick Ruffini, Jon Henke and Soren Dayton (a fellow contributor here at RedState) should be household names for anyone who follows the intersection on politics and technology.

Patrick introduces the mission of The Next Right today in a sneak peek on his blog:

I’m pumped about this new venture. The last few months have seen a considerable amount of backchannel discussion between the thought leaders about the sorry state of online activism on the right — often with great agreement on a direction moving forward. The good news is that the talent is there. I’ve long relied on Soren and Jon for high-level political analysis, and by bringing it under one roof and opening the door to more people, we hope this quickly becomes a hub right-leaning junkies like you.

We don’t think this alone will solve the activism gap. Anyone who tells you that they alone have the answer is fooling you. This is not “the Daily Kos of the right.” What we’re hoping to do is create momentum and an intellectual framework for action — because action ultimately starts with narratives and ideas. We want grassroots conservatives and libertarians to start believing that they can make a difference again — a sense all too many have lost. Only you – and not some well-funded 527 — can bring the movement into the future. Only when grassroots conservative have a direct stake in the future of the party are we effective. The Next Right is about creating a vision for a 21st century Republican Party and conservative movement.

I have great respect for the work of Patrick, Jon and Soren. All three were an integral part of a day-long modern media strategy session last August at Heritage that focused on some of these very topics. Their new creation promises to be an important contribution that will at the very least further the discourse and hopefully do much more. The future of the conservative movement online might depend on it.