Cannot say I am surprised. RedState went down a NeverTrumper path that led it straight off a cliff.
In full disclosure, I got the boot from RedState for this post.
Oh well, buy bye...
In full disclosure, I got the boot from RedState for this post.
Oh well, buy bye...
Ace of Spades sums it up well.
Apparently the firings were done according to two criteria: Cost of contract and support for Trump.
People whose contracts were expensive were almost all fired. People whose contracts were less expensive were either kept or fired depending on how pro- or anti-Trump they were.
But I don't think it's actually about partisanship or Trump support per se. It's about actual readers and revenue. If the blog were attracting more readers, that would have proved there was a constituency for its position in the conservative movement, and I imagine Salem would have kept them going as-is.I also saw it first hand because I was a diarist at RedState (an unpaid one). Other than streiff almost all of the paid bloggers were completely hostile to Trump (some mellowed after he got elected). Neil Stevens, however, was downright psychotic about his NeverTrump beliefs.
A lot of conservatives had issues with Trump (before he won). Of the GOP primary candidates, Donald Trump was far from my first choice (although Jeb and Kasich were tied for last). Still, I knew Trump would be better than Hillary (although I thought she would win).
But since that election night (and what a night it was), Trump has been very good. Yes he makes mistakes, but he had accomplished some great results. Unfortunately, most at RedState, Bill Kristol, Evan McMullin and a few other rabid NeverTrumpers are so blinded by their own bias they never got that.
Salem gave those RedState NeverTrumpers the boot because they are losing money. It doesn't sell with the right because it mostly isn't true. That's how things go. There is a market for that sort of thing with the left (for sure) but on the right it is rather narrow.
Instapundit: "Mass Firing" at RedState
Legal Insurrection: Did RedState really purge anti-Trump authors? (no they didn't)
Maybe RedState can return to what it was -- an irreplaceable resource for the everyday grassroots, as opposed to an elite, provincial, tribal masturbation outlet for a bunch of marginal talents using the site as a suck up resume' into the MSM.— All CNN Does Is Lie (@NolteNC) April 27, 2018
Here's hoping...
The reports of the demise of @RedState are greatly exaggerated. I'm still here, @TheBrandonMorse and @JoePCunningham and @SouthernKeeks and @rumpfshaker and even though we've found out via Twitter that we're not the best writers, we're still damned good.— streiff (@streiffredstate) April 27, 2018
The Hill: Trump Critics Fired at RedState (it was more than that...)
Washington Examiner: RedState lays off writers and some suspect it is because they are NeverTrump
Don Surber: Sermon From Our Lady of Never Trump, There is no right to be published, NeverTrumpers
EBL: Asshat of the Day Neil Stevens (the bloated bully of RedState), this is American Conservatism?, Open letter to Evan McMullin
Maybe those let go can launch SnobState.— All CNN Does Is Lie (@NolteNC) April 27, 2018
And RedState can be great again, if you'll pardon the expression. https://t.co/IP8iGXbGcR
The reports of the demise of @RedState are greatly exaggerated. I'm still here, @TheBrandonMorse and @JoePCunningham and @SouthernKeeks and @rumpfshaker and even though we've found out via Twitter that we're not the best writers, we're still damned good.— streiff (@streiffredstate) April 27, 2018
Whoa, and on the same day? Freaky, maybe some of the RedState guys can hook up with Milo...Shorter @RedState: "The purges will continue until morale improves." pic.twitter.com/xJ3kRFrCnn— The Patriarch Tree (@PatriarchTree) April 27, 2018
Milo Yiannopoulos' media company lays off most of its staffers https://t.co/r4h99V4R6j pic.twitter.com/A4rf0g9QE0— The Hill (@thehill) April 27, 2018
Salem also owns Hotair. Allahpundit is sweating.
ReplyDeleteI am a big fan of Allahpundit. I want critical, even if occasionally he borders on depressive, so long as it is fair and objective (albeit slanted). What I did not like about some of the mods at RedState is they were not about debate, they were about bullying. A site that balances those critical or skeptical of Trump is fine, provided they are at least fair to those who disagree and somewhat objective.
DeleteI read that crew some ca. 2004 when they were a fairly novel presence. Most do not have a particularly distinct voice. Allahpundit does, after a fashion, but it's stereotyped and tiresome. He gets responses, mostly along the lines of 'sigh, wake us when one of your prognostications actually comes to pass".
DeleteStevens, alas, was simply too thin skinned for the job of Mod. The way he handled your banning was worthy of a 4th grade bully hogging the slide. He got what he deserved. I doubt he'll find another gig. Resurgent won't be able to keep him long, and that lash up will probably die before long as well.
ReplyDeleteStevens did some free tech works for them, but he seemed off (like not right in the head). I did not take him too seriously, but I did enjoy making fun of him after he went full BSC and terminal AH.
DeleteA site like RS needs debate, to drive traffic. I was no troll (I was very respectful that it was not a MAGA site). I was respectful to all and did not go out of my way to be provocative. But merely criticizing Evan McMullin was too much for them. Petty tyrant hall monitors. So they drove people away and definitely drove down traffic. Very predictable. Very Sad.
I hardly ever read Red State. And I recently stopped reading Patterico because his never-Trump just got so obnoxious.
ReplyDeleteAnyone can start a blog. No one is obliged to pay for it or read it.
If this was the right decision, RedState will do well.
ReplyDeleteI seriously doubt it, though. The world doesn't need another pro-Trump blog. As far as I'm concerned they're OrangeState now and I'm not going back-- and I was there since the beginning, 2004. They're dead to me now.
It is not being pro Trump, but just not so hostile to anyone who liked Trump. It was insane. They drove people away from RedState and killed traffic. You can have a mix of opinions, but don't treat your readers as the enemy. That is what some of the mods were doing at RedState. You have plenty of places to go for TrumpHate.
Delete