Conservative Liberals for Mainstream Anti-MSMism

At the risk of looking a gift citation in the mouth, I have to pass along an amusing case of Reason-related ideological confusion. On page 102 of Brian Anderson's brand new book South Park Conservatives: The Revolt Against Liberal Media Bias, I am described like this:

Welch, who considers himself an "Economist-style" conservative liberal, […]

Find the word that doesn't belong! On the other hand, I think there are intriguing possibilities in boiling down someone's basic political identity using the formula "[magazine title]-style [two polarly opposed political camps or philosophies]." For instance, "Parade-style vegan carnivore," or "Heeb-style … Objectivist commie" … I'm sure you can think of better ones.

Anderson's book, by the way, sprang from this interesting City Journal essay, arguing that right-of-center types have more effectively embraced and leveraged new forms of media.

Comments

[matt]

Matt:

Just to let you know, the "South Park Conservatives" link takes you to a Mitch Albom book, "Tuesday's With Morrie."

[Drooling Richard]

I suppose you mean "conservative". What do call someone who wants to conserve liberty ? A conservalibertian ? Yuck. That sounds like a word the Germans would come up with.

[SPD]

"South Park Conservative" = "Libertarian"?

Matt: Maybe I missed it, but where exactly in Anderson's article were you referred to as an "Economist-style" conservative liberal? Either I skimmed past it, or it has since been edited from the article.

[Brian]

Theocrats exist. I've met some in person. Fiscal conservatives exist in small remnants here and there. Do South Park Republicans exist outside the confines of the Internet? Them and $5 will get you a cup of coffee.

[Matt Welch]

matt -- Thanks, all fixed!

Drooling Richard -- Bingo! I guess I'm more of an expansionist than a nostalgic.

[Matt Welch]

SPD -- It's in the book, not the article.

[SPD]

Matt: I sit corrected. I skimmed past your description of the article. Damn adult ADD.

[Mark B.]

As a Mad-style fundamentalist heathen, I salute you, Matt!

Anderson's City Journal article is quite interesting, just as you said. It does appear as though right-wing spokesmen and interests are becoming extremely technology- and Internet-savvy, something that was extremely apparent during the last Presidential election, not to mention the Dan Rather and Schiavo flaps. Much of the article is bilge, of course - the major networks and CNN were just as flag-waving as Fox after 9/11, and Fox's coverage of Iraq is far from unbiased - most of it seems to be uncritical acceptance of Pentagon and White House news releases. There are serious problems with news coverage inside Iraq, as the recent detention of the CBS cameraman with suspected insurgent ties makes clear, but I doubt that the solution to those problems lies in an attitude of "the military/government knows best."

[digamma]

Whatever I am, it should be preceded with "Hustler-style".

[db]

Small Arms Review-style anarchist parliamentarian, anyone?

[Stevo Darkly]

suck.com-style conservative anarchist?

[Stevo Darkly]

Oops, this is probably more accurate for me:

The Onion-style conservative anarchist.

(No offense to the much-missed suck.com.)

[thoreau]

Physical Review E-style experimentally-inclined theoretical physicist.

[PintofStout]

Highlights - style intellectual idiot here

[Russ D]

City Journal-style intelligent imbecile.

[Mo]

I?m a Playboy-style static dynamist. Either that or a Family Guy Libertarian.

[David T]

"right-wing spokesmen and interests are becoming extremely technology- and Internet-savvy, something that was extremely apparent during the last Presidential election, not to mention the Dan Rather and Schiavo flaps."

Uh, yeah, the right-wing blogs that explained that the Schiavo memo had to be a Democratic forgery really impressed everyone with their credibility...

This whole business of the new media being responsible for GOP strength seems quite exagerated to me--long before blogs or even Fox News, GHW Bush won in 1988 by a much greater margin than his son did in either 2000 or 2004...

[m]

Any other Skin-Two-style Juche libertarians out there?

[highnumber]

I am a Boys' Life style Theocratic Secularist

[dead_elvis]

Actually, the description makes perfect sense, to readers of The Economist. They use the term "liberal" in the classical liberal sense, which, if explained to the average contemporary American, they would view as conservative (unfortunately). So while the description might seem contradictory, that style of explanation is used because of the contemporary perversion of the term "liberal."

[Jason Ligon]

Inviting some of that monkey pooh from the walls of casa Jackson to be slung my way, I'll go with:

Reason style neoconservative minarchist

[Ken Shultz]

I suppose you could call me a punkish Cruising World style paleolibertarian.

...unless you're a Reverse Domino Theory, National Review style neomaxi zoom dweeb, in which case you can call me Mr. Shultz.

[Pavel]

I always considered myself a Vice Magazine Style Atheist Catholic.

No joke either. And doesn't Camille Paglia?

[Pavel]

I've always considered myself a Vice Magazine style Atheist Catholic.

Perfect description to be quite honest.

[smacky]

Ha! I'll give you mutual exclusion.

I'm a Maxim-style organized anarchist.

Or, Miss Jackson if you're nasty.

[Ralph Wiggum]

By the way, what's a "MSMism"?

[digamma]

MSM is blog-speak for mainstream media.

[Ralph Wiggum]

What's a blog-speak?

Just kidding....thanks, F.

[Larry A]

Women & Guns-type male chauvanist.

[Erik]

Uhh... I'll have to go with Car and Driver-style Islamo-feminist.

[Lowdog]

Ok, Miss Jackson! 🙂

[b-psycho]

Buttman-style anarchist-dictator

[Shem]

I can go you one better Smacky. What about a Penthouse-style Fundamentalist Feminist?

[crimethink]

Any publicity is good publicity.

[kevrob]

Avenging World-style neo-Objectivist-post-Galambosian!

Kevin

[Steven Crane]

Is it ever "Mistress" Jackson?

eheheh.

[Colin Edwards]

"Economist-style" conservative liberal
...

The funny thing is, that is a remarkably precise and unambiguous description.

[Joey]

Cosmopolitan-style Masculine Metrosexual

[Jarod]

Cat Fancy-style techno-Luddite.

[joe]

TAP-style proletarian sophisticate.

[keith]

If only Shakira had heeded my psychic pleadings and left her Argentine doctor boyfriend for me, I, like Kevin Federline, could be described as an US Weekly-style uncelebrated celebrity. Or as Access Hollywood newsburger helper. Even though the "Stars are Just Like Us", I am merely a DBMS-style analyst administrator.