Greetings to Ricochet Readers!
Thanks to the Ricochet gang for letting me guest post here for the next week. Some of you probably know me from Power Line. As a blogger, I'm starting to feel like an old-timer: I set up Power Line in May 2002 on Blogger. A 13-year-old friend of my oldest daughter suggested the name, in a moment of what seemed like inspiration. After setting up the site, I immediately asked my long-time writing partner Scott Johnson to join in; he checked out the site over the weekend, then called to say that he thought it looked like fun and would be worth doing even if no one but me ever read the stuff that he wrote. "But," Scott said, "I have to tell you that I think the idea that we could ever have any readers for this thing is a pathetic fantasy."
A month or so later my college roommate Paul Mirengoff joined us. At that time, Paul was a technophobe who didn't know what a URL was and could barely type. In 2004, we played a role in the exposure of the fake documents that CBS News used to impugn President Bush's honorable service in the Texas Air National Guard. That added considerably to our traffic. Since 2002, we have been honored to be visited hundreds of millions of times by readers, including quite a few in surprisingly high places.
Times have changed since we started writing on the web. The formerly-mighty mainstream media have sunk in influence, if not, in many cases, into bankruptcy. What we mostly do on Power Line is commentary, but activism is the order of the day. Soliciting donations for candidates and organizing meetings and demonstrations has arguably proved more powerful than analyzing issues.
That's understandable, but there will always be a role, I think, not just for intelligent debate but for humor and non-political commentary (music, sports, beauty pageants, what have you). That's where a site like Ricochet comes in. Ricochet allows conservatives, libertarians, disgruntled liberals, the formerly apolitical, and anyone else with something to say to join an ongoing conversation--a civil one, too; civility is a virtue that is often celebrated but not so often encountered. I, for one, think that truth can and frequently does emerge out of debate. And ideas are powerful, as anyone who studies history knows. So I'm glad to be associated with Peter Robinson, Rob Long and the rest of the Ricochet gang.
A final anecdote: a couple of years ago, we awarded the Power Line Book of the Year prize to Norman Podhoretz for World War IV at a very fun dinner party in New York, sponsored by Lawrence Kadish. Among others, Mark Steyn participated. When the dinner and award ceremony were over, a group that included Mark retired to the bar in our nearby hotel. My son, just turned 21, got to participate. After a beer or two, during which Mark held forth in the same hilarious style that you see in his writing, we went to bed. As soon as the elevator door closed, my son turned to me and said, "Mark Steyn is a genius."
I didn't dispute the point. All I can add is that here at Ricochet, he may not be the only one. So it should be a fun week!
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Comments :
Jun '10
Re: Greetings to Ricochet Readers!
John, If you're looking for a topic, here's a question that still mystifies people outside Minnesota, and even a lot of people inside Minnesota. When a certain name comes up, you get this: Senator Al Franken? What? Why on Earth....how?...What were they thinking? Did he steal the election, or did he just luck out?
May '10
Re: Greetings to Ricochet Readers!
Wecome to Ricochet.com. Look forward to your guest posts. Sure would love to see commentary on the MA-09 Dem primary Rep. Stephen Lynch who is challenged by SIEU official Mac D'Alessandro. Lynch is has Clinton's backing, while the SEIU officail has the backing of Obama. Wonder how many other SEIU officals or members are seeking elective office this Nov?
Re: Greetings to Ricochet Readers!
John, what a pleasure--a high, glorious pleasure--to have you join us. And the photo? Extremely cool.
P.S. Any Cooper's hawk sightings of late?
May '10
Re: Greetings to Ricochet Readers!
It's refreshing to hear someone with a national presence pronounce "roof" the way we do in the Northern Midwest. I feel a bit more represented. :-)
Wow. High, glorious pleasure. I can't top that. So...ditto.
Jul '10
Re: Greetings to Ricochet Readers!
welcome John.
And where is Mark Steyn anyway????
Jul '10
Re: Greetings to Ricochet Readers!
this is a very good question, and since I firmly believe that Franken stole that election... but he came close enough to do so... what on earth happened anyway/
May '10
Re: Greetings to Ricochet Readers!
I agree on the Al Franken question. He has very quickly risen to role of most infuriating lawmaker. Check out some of his committee pontificating. He is so profoundly pompous and keeps elbowing Bernie Sanders to get over on his left.
Re: Greetings to Ricochet Readers!
Hi John, lovely to have you among us. Welcome.
May '10
Re: Greetings to Ricochet Readers!
I've been a daily reader of Power Line since 2003. great to have you hang out with us here.
May '10
Re: Greetings to Ricochet Readers!
A fantastic fusion of my favourite political commentators - I listen to every Ricochet podcast and read every PowerLine posting.
I missed by one night a chance to dine with Mark Steyn in Canberra (Australia's version of DC). Sounds like I missed out big time.
Look forward to John @ Ricochet!
Re: Greetings to Ricochet Readers!
Welcome, John! And isn't it amazing that you can be called a "pioneer" of the web after only eight years? That's what I love about the web -- we all seem young!
Jul '10
Re: Greetings to Ricochet Readers!
Sounds to me like you've raised an exceptional young man. I suspect he will go far in whatever endeavor he chooses. Welcome to Ricochet and happy blogging!