By William Warren
Last week, at an exclusive Americans for Limited Government and NetrightNation event in downtown Washington, D.C., a casually dressed man sporting a mop of disheveled hair took the microphone in hand—and with a lubricating beverage in the other—offered conservatives nationwide what may be the best advice they’ve gotten in years. As he said:
“Barack Obama won not because of a series of ideas that he offered the American people—he offered popular culture. He had the weight and the tidal wave of popular culture behind him…
“The only way that the conservative movement—people that want limited government—the only way we are ever going to be able to sell that idea is to learn that the media is the message, that we have to start communicating in the way that the John Stewarts and the Bill Mahers of the world—that we’re either countering them or creating a counter-movement…
“Hollywood is the place where [the counterrevolution] is going to happen.”
Andrew Breitbart, having flown in from California just hours prior, was the special guest at the packed-out ALG and NRN event—and for a good reason. His laidback demeanor notwithstanding, Mr. Breitbart is regarded as quite an aberration. As “just an LA guy” and a member of “the Hollywood” crowd, Mr. Breitbart breaks the mold by enthusiastically standing by his conservative, limited government principles in the midst of the hostile, “totalitarian” environment of Hollywood. (Click here to view parts 1, 2, and 3 of his speech).
In addition to writing newspaper columns, contributing to various cable news shows, and running the news outlet website breitbart.com, Andrew Breitbart also founded Big Hollywood, a group blog dedicated to mobilizing Hollywood’s conservatives and launching the “counterrevolution.” As he emphatically proclaims:
“The way that you’re going to change politics is by changing the popular culture.”
So, his purpose in Washington wasn’t merely to give a speech at a meeting of conservative bloggers and activists in the DC area. More significantly, he came wielding the banner of revolution and urging conservatives everywhere to join him and fight—that is, to fight pop culture with cultural pop.
“Every single pop culture arbiter…they rig the game so they win on the media.”
Whether it’s Bill Maher or The View coercing their audiences into booing at conservatives like Andrew Breitbart, or Hollywood cranking out liberal epics honoring liberal politicians and their liberal ideals, it is clear that the gurus of pop culture have stacked the deck against conservatives. In short, the system is rigged and conservatives need to fight back.
One small way to start, Mr. Breitbart contends, could be with fashion. While revering Ronald Reagan’s policies, Mr. Breitbart urged those at the event NOT to dress like the Gipper. Although Reagan’s principles are sound—and have been for centuries—the modern 21st century ambassadors of his ideals, he says, must have the ability to appeal to a modern generation:
“It’s not because we don’t have the right ideas. It’s because we don’t play the game.”
Andrew Breitbart’s message is clear: conservatives need to play to win. They need to harness the society-shifting powers of pop culture in order to reclaim support of the nation. In fact, it may be the only hope left.
Mr. Breitbart is doing his part by infiltrating the totalitarian ranks of Hollywood and stirring the pot from the inside. Hopefully his example will inspire others to follow suit—or, in his case, t-shirt and jeans.
William Warren is a Contributing Editor to ALG News Bureau.
