Today marks the 20th anniversary of the launch of RedState, the site I co-founded with Mike Krempasky and Josh Treviño.
The site became a key player in what we called the blogosphere at the time — the first truly broad-based group blog on the right, in response to the successful efforts on the left that were key to the insurgent campaign of Howard Dean (“yeeeeah!”) and would grow to become essential to the rise of Barack Obama.
At the time, there was nothing like it for conservatives. Blogs essentially functioned as diaries or columnists without a paper or a standard format, to share musings or aggregation, or get into squabbles with others. There was a need for something different. That’s what RedState was supposed to provide: a place for people to argue through their disagreements but also come to some common conclusions, and work together to make a difference on the right.
It was also supposed to be a proof of concept for a shift in fundraising to small dollar online donations instead of the old model of direct mail and big corporate donors — from its inception, RedState endorsed the insurgent campaigns of two arch-conservatives vying for open Senate seats: Tom Coburn and Jim DeMint. Both would have enormous impact on politics for years to come. John Thune, another RS endorsee who knocked off Minority Leader Tom Daschle, might be the GOP’s next Senate leader. The money that went their way was small, but it was a sign of what was to come — the power of small dollar online donors to have as much sway as the old kingmakers. And in the bloody aftermath of the 2008 election, RedState would prove to be a force multiplier for the rise of the Tea Party, fundamentally altering the shape of the Republican Party.
To me, that was always less important than the writers and personalities who gathered in a place to debate, squabble, and mock the news of the day. The people who came to RedState were a fun-loving bunch. Many became close friends and compatriots — some even got married and had kids — and the site ultimately launched the careers of people who are still in key roles in politics and policy at think tanks, on Capitol Hill, and in the White House. Within a few months a Louisiana-born blogger with the unlikely name of Erick-Woods Erickson had become the dominant voice on the site, and he’d lead it to higher levels of success in the years to come. RedState became a proving ground for insurgent right wing media — citizen journalists, authors, radio hosts, and TV commentators — the vast majority of whom are still active today.
Personally, it seems very odd to think that this was something I helped conceive when I was 22, and would be a major part of my life for most of the next decade. Even when I moved on to other things, I’d come back to the place to weigh in on bigger questions. I wrote the endorsement of John McCain for RedState in January of 2008, and was there for the RedState gathering in South Carolina where Rick Perry announced his run for the presidency (it was, unfortunately, all downhill from there). And I still count my fellow co-founders, both thriving today, as dear friends through thick and thin. There are the friends who’ll always pick up the phone, and then there are the ones who’ll bail you out of jail — y’all know the difference.
In retrospect, I’m just humble and grateful for everyone who made RedState happen, who helped it succeed, and who turned our real life debates over poker chips, football, and beer into a place that changed conservatism for the better.
Oh, and in case you’re interested in antiques, here’s our mission statement from back in 2004:
Welcome to RedState.org, a Republican community weblog.
In little more than two years, we have seen blogs blossom into a public square for the open exchange of ideas and opinions. Blogs are already a revolutionizing force, changing the way opinion-makers interact with new ideas ... defining candidates and campaigns in a critical election year ... and planting the seeds of democracy around the world.
RedState.org is focused on politics, and seeks the construction of a Republican majority in the United States. We hope to unite serious, innovative, and accomplished voices from government, politics, activism, civil society, and journalism to participate in this work.
In the past year, the dangerous perception has arisen that blogs are predominantly a venue for community and activism on the Left. Catchphrases such as "the liberal talk radio" are bandied about to describe the relevance of the medium that helped elevate Howard Dean to his early heights and continues to fund and support congressional candidates. Accurate or not, this emerging perception must be challenged and defeated. That is what Redstate.org is here to do.
Since its inception, the Republican Party has always embraced wide range of ideological beliefs. This diversity of thought sometimes inspires conflict -- but it has also led to great achievement. Through all debates, despite all regional or political concerns, the central philosophy of every true strain of Republicanism remains faithful to the foundational principles of the party: individual freedom and the value of every human life. These principles have guided the party from its origin as a political force to smash slavery, to the long fight against communism, to the ongoing battle for the sanctity of the unborn, to the present war against the forces of Islamism.
Our objective is not to centralize or to direct, but to provide a rallying point for the Right, a public square where Republicans can interact, debate, and share information on a wide variety of political issues independent of the official party structure. Redstate.org will be a gathering place of responsible voices, stimulating debate, and constructive action, fully mobilizing conservative intellectual and organizational resources to create a strong and vibrant presence in the blog medium. Through Redstate, the political blogging of the Right can gain the critical mass it needs for the battle ahead.
The Left has proven that blogs can thrive on the fringe, in a petri dish of pessimism and protest. We intend to make blogs a voice for mainstream America, and articulate the deeply held ideals of a free and virtuous nation. We aim to provide an arena for serious thought and a force for influence in Republican politics and policy - and we intend to lead.
Welcome to Redstate.