Is the BlueprintNC brouhaha REALLY all that big of a deal? | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Publisher's note: Brant Clifton examines trademark Liberal hypocrisy in his "bare knuckles" Conservative online publication known as The Daily Haymaker.

    It's been fun watching all of the sputtering and posturing about the strategy memo reportedly circulated by the leadership of a lefty group calling itself BluePrintNC. The document uses language like "crippling" and "eviscerate" and "weaken." And the chattering classes in Raleigh are up in arms as though this is something absolutely unheard of.

    I've been part of quite a few conservative political campaigns. Language like that in this memo is used frequently by operatives on both ends of the political spectrum. (This is the first time I've come across someone stupid enough to put it in an email. I've long operated by the maxim that you shouldn't put anything in writing that you wouldn't (1) shout to the world in your front yard, or (2) mind seeing published in the paper (or in a political blog with a national and international audience) . I'd be willing to bet that BluePrintNC didn't seek any of those outcomes.)
Interesting how the bastions of Liberal government are in the orbit of BlueprintNC: Above.
    So, let's look at what we've "learned" so far:

    (1) LEFTIES DO NOT PLAY NICE. Mitt Romney, former NC Gov. Jim Martin, Justice Clarence Thomas and the late Robert Bork learned that lesson well. Is anybody really shocked by this? Did you really buy into all of that peace, love and understanding stuff they spout?

    There are plenty of folks on the right -- even some employed by non-profits -- who engage in hardball political tactics. This current media current circus could easily be played out with a number of conservative-leaning groups in the spotlight. (There but for the grace of God go we.) Stop acting so shocked by political hardball talk. It sounds about as sissy as expressing shock about how hard those football players slam into each other.

    (2) MAINSTREAM MEDIA FIGURES COLLABORATE WITH THE LEFTIES. * Say it ain't so !!!* The owners of The N&O and The Charlotte Observer and WRAL dump a lot of money and support on lefty / Democrat causes. The owner of The Fayetteville Observer has donated to Democrat political candidates his paper covers. The owners of our local multiple-Naoki Prize winning thrice-weekly newspaper (and past owners of The N&O) have dumped tons of money on -- and aided and abetted -- Democrat candidates involved in races being covered by their newsrooms. Some people dismiss all of this -- suggesting that owners have very little influence on the news coverage. As someone who had MANY a politico call my bosses to get one of my stories spiked, I KNOW DIFFERENT. (Thank goodness I quashed many of those spike efforts -- after many a long and loud, ahem, discussion. )

    In many cases, if you are a reporter -- and you know your boss LOVES Jim Hunt -- how tough are you going to be on the ol' Guv?

    TONS of political reporters across North Carolina have gone from covering Democrats to working for them. They're in the tank. We KNOW this. Instead of whining, do something about it. Hit back. LIKE WE DO. The Russian people overcame Pravda and its lies. The people of North Carolina can do the same.

    Basically, I haven't seen or heard ANYTHING earth-shattering, surprising, or even new in connection with this story. The PACs, political consultants, politicos and PR spinners are in a frenzy trying to manage this story and make a little hay. Meanwhile, we've still got record unemployment and anemic economic growth. Our governor -- John Hood's favorite conservative -- was on MSNBC sounding very squishy on taxes and ObamaCare. We're hearing WAY TOO LITTLE about cutting taxes, cutting spending, deregulating and a lot of other tactics PROVEN to result in economic growth.

    It's clear that those of us who recognize the threat statism poses to the survival of our state and nation need to take the lead and keep the heat on the governor, the legislature, and the other leaders of our alleged "conservative revolution."