# Right-Wing Blogosphere Schism (Little Green Footballs "Parts Ways" With Right) **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [December 1, 2009, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-wing-blogosphere-schism-little-green-footballs-parts-ways-with-right/519585 "2009-12-01T14:53:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2009, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-wing-blogosphere-schism-little-green-footballs-parts-ways-with-right/519585/1 "2009-12-01T14:53:22Z")
A sign of just how determined the hard-core right is to drive everyone else into the wilderness – Charles Johnson, head honcho of one of the major conservative blog sites, Little Green Footballs, has declared [“Why I Parted Ways With The Right”](http://littlegreenfootballs.com/article/35243_Why_I_Parted_Ways_With_The_Right): > [@](#): > > 1. Support for fascists, both in America (see: Pat Buchanan, Robert Stacy McCain, etc.) and in Europe (see: Vlaams Belang, BNP, SIOE, Pat Buchanan, etc.) > > 2. Support for bigotry, hatred, and white supremacism (see: Pat Buchanan, Ann Coulter, Robert Stacy McCain, Lew Rockwell, etc.) > > 3. Support for throwing women back into the Dark Ages, and general religious fanaticism (see: Operation Rescue, anti-abortion groups, James Dobson, Pat Robertson, Tony Perkins, the entire religious right, etc.) > > 4. Support for anti-science bad craziness (see: creationism, climate change denialism, Sarah Palin, Michele Bachmann, James Inhofe, etc.) > > 5. Support for homophobic bigotry (see: Sarah Palin, Dobson, the entire religious right, etc.) > > 6. Support for anti-government lunacy (see: tea parties, militias, Fox News, Glenn Beck, etc.) > > 7. Support for conspiracy theories and hate speech (see: Alex Jones, Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, Birthers, creationists, climate deniers, etc.) > > 8. A right-wing blogosphere that is almost universally dominated by raging hate speech (see: Hot Air, Free Republic, Ace of Spades, etc.) > > 9. Anti-Islamic bigotry that goes far beyond simply criticizing radical Islam, into support for fascism, violence, and genocide (see: Pamela Geller, Robert Spencer, etc.) > > 10. Hatred for President Obama that goes far beyond simply criticizing his policies, into racism, hate speech, and bizarre conspiracy theories (see: witch doctor pictures, tea parties, Birthers, Michelle Malkin, Fox News, World Net Daily, Newsmax, and every other right wing source) Bets on how long before it’s just two of them trying to beat the other to the draw with a charge of “Heretic!”? ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2009, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-wing-blogosphere-schism-little-green-footballs-parts-ways-with-right/519585/2 "2009-12-01T15:05:32Z")
> [@Steve\_MB](#): > > Bets on how long before it’s just two of them trying to beat the other to the draw with a charge of “Heretic!”? Put me down for twenty on “not soon enough.” ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2009, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-wing-blogosphere-schism-little-green-footballs-parts-ways-with-right/519585/3 "2009-12-01T15:37:02Z")
It had been my impression that LGF had already split with a lot of the Freeper-type crowd, so this doesn’t come as much of a surprise. I think it was really the WoT that spurred a lot of the LGF growth. Or I could be completely wrong. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2009, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-wing-blogosphere-schism-little-green-footballs-parts-ways-with-right/519585/4 "2009-12-01T15:43:21Z")
The comments are interesting as most of the ones using reason are making the point that they agree with most of what Charles Johnson wrote, however they claim also that opposing the items mentioned does not make one a leftist. :dubious: I must be a right winger then! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![CaptMurdock](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/captmurdock/32/11736_2.png) [@CaptMurdock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaptMurdock)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2009, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-wing-blogosphere-schism-little-green-footballs-parts-ways-with-right/519585/5 "2009-12-01T15:48:49Z")
Never read LGF before. It strikes me as a **lot** more moderate than Free Republic. I do see a lot of comments boiling down to “The crazies have taken over the Right, but the Left is just as bad,” which I find a little disingenuous. Mind you, if Nancy Pelosi fell off a cliff, I wouldn’t weep for more than two seconds, but really, how many \*ultra-\*liberals do we have in positions of real power. Hint: the Al Sharptons and the Cindy Sheehans don’t count: they’re not elected and nobody in power listens to them. Can’t say the same for the Repub side of the aisle. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2009, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-wing-blogosphere-schism-little-green-footballs-parts-ways-with-right/519585/6 "2009-12-01T15:52:56Z")
> [@CaptMurdock](#): > > Never read LGF before. It strikes me as a **lot** more moderate than Free Republic. Four, five years back it was pretty wild. It slowly became more moderate. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2009, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-wing-blogosphere-schism-little-green-footballs-parts-ways-with-right/519585/7 "2009-12-01T15:57:45Z")
> [@CaptMurdock](#): > > I do see a lot of comments boiling down to “The crazies have taken over the Right, but the Left is just as bad,” which I find a little disingenuous. Mind you, if Nancy Pelosi fell off a cliff, I wouldn’t weep for more than two seconds, but really, how many \*ultra-\*liberals do we have in positions of real power. Bernie Sanders, Dennis Kucinich, and . . . that’s about it, really. Not even most of the [Congressional Progressive Caucus](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congressional_Progressive_Caucus) can fairly be described as “ultra-liberal.” ---
**Author:** ![wmfellows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c2a13f/32.png) [@wmfellows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wmfellows)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2009, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-wing-blogosphere-schism-little-green-footballs-parts-ways-with-right/519585/8 "2009-12-01T15:58:46Z")
What does the blog title refer to? ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2009, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-wing-blogosphere-schism-little-green-footballs-parts-ways-with-right/519585/9 "2009-12-01T16:03:38Z")
> [@Steve\_MB](#): > > A sign of just how determined the hard-core right is to drive everyone else into the wilderness – Charles Johnson, head honcho of one of the major conservative blog sites, Little Green Footballs, has declared [“Why I Parted Ways With The Right”](http://littlegreenfootballs.com/article/35243_Why_I_Parted_Ways_With_The_Right): > > Bets on how long before it’s just two of them trying to beat the other to the draw with a charge of “Heretic!”? Will there be a follow-up piece explaining “Why I waited until December 2009 to part ways with the right”? -Joe ---
**Author:** ![Lightnin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightnin/32/180_2.png) [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2009, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-wing-blogosphere-schism-little-green-footballs-parts-ways-with-right/519585/10 "2009-12-01T16:14:38Z")
> [@CaptMurdock](#): > > I do see a lot of comments boiling down to “The crazies have taken over the Right, but the Left is just as bad,” which I find a little disingenuous. I see that a lot on a lot of sites, such as Digg. I guess they’ve realized they can’t defend their party’s actions, so the only thing left is to make the opposition look just as bad. That’s what bugs me so much about the Right, currently- doing the right thing isn’t as important as making the other side look wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2009, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-wing-blogosphere-schism-little-green-footballs-parts-ways-with-right/519585/11 "2009-12-01T16:22:39Z")
> [@Lightnin](#): > > I see that a lot on a lot of sites, such as Digg. I guess they’ve realized they can’t defend their party’s actions, so the only thing left is to make the opposition look just as bad. That’s what bugs me so much about the Right, currently- doing the right thing isn’t as important as making the other side look wrong. Really? I see it a lot on other sites, too. Like, um, this one. -Joe ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2009, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-wing-blogosphere-schism-little-green-footballs-parts-ways-with-right/519585/12 "2009-12-01T16:26:44Z")
> [@](#): > > 1. Support for anti-government lunacy (see: tea parties, militias, Fox News, Glenn Beck, etc.) Except, of course, when the Republicans are in power, when anti-government protests become _ **TREASON!** _ ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2009, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-wing-blogosphere-schism-little-green-footballs-parts-ways-with-right/519585/13 "2009-12-01T16:30:38Z")
> [@Merijeek](#): > > Will there be a follow-up piece explaining “Why I waited until December 2009 to part ways with the right”? I’d cut the guy a little slack. Ideas can be like trench warfare sometimes. Every time you’re questioned, you want to be a little safer, dig in a little deeper. And it’s hard to examine your beliefs and the resulting company you keep when everyone is telling you to keep fighting. To come out and admit it publicly is something I can respect. And if he can stand up for principled conservatism without the excesses he lists, I can respect that, too. ---
**Author:** ![otternell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecc23a/32.png) [@otternell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/otternell)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2009, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-wing-blogosphere-schism-little-green-footballs-parts-ways-with-right/519585/14 "2009-12-01T17:29:43Z")
it would be really nice if the US had more than 2 parties. (and I mean viable parties that actually have enough of a following to be able to get into office). It seems like both parties are moving further away from the middle, which is a bummer to me. (opinion only, no cites) ---
**Author:** ![furt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/439d5e/32.png) [@furt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furt)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2009, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-wing-blogosphere-schism-little-green-footballs-parts-ways-with-right/519585/15 "2009-12-01T17:39:05Z")
> [@Lightnin](#): > > I see that a lot on a lot of sites, such as Digg. I guess they’ve realized they can’t defend their party’s actions, so the only thing left is to make the opposition look just as bad. That’s what bugs me so much about the Right, currently- doing the right thing isn’t as important as making the other side look wrong. Yeah, cause “both parties suck” is totally not a valid opinion to hold. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2009, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-wing-blogosphere-schism-little-green-footballs-parts-ways-with-right/519585/16 "2009-12-01T17:40:28Z")
> [@Merijeek](#): > > Will there be a follow-up piece explaining “Why I waited until December 2009 to part ways with the right”? The falling out has been ongoing for some time now: > [@](#): > > September 21, 2009 > Since the people at Powerline have made a big public announcement about it, I’ll just say that I’m not the least surprised that they’ve delinked LGF. Powerline has been going in a very bad direction recently; the “all Obama-hatred, all the time” focus is bad enough, but worse are their articles supporting European extremists like Geert Wilders (who wants to deprive Muslims of the freedom of religion and ban books) and outright fascists like the Belgian Vlaams Belang party. [http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2009\_09/020047.php](http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2009_09/020047.php) ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2009, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-wing-blogosphere-schism-little-green-footballs-parts-ways-with-right/519585/17 "2009-12-01T17:44:00Z")
> [@otternell](#): > > it would be really nice if the US had more than 2 parties. (and I mean viable parties that actually have enough of a following to be able to get into office). It seems like both parties are moving further away from the middle, which is a bummer to me. (opinion only, no cites) The GOP is moving away from the middle but the Dems are moving towards it – or, at least, Obama is. That’s the view from the left, at any rate. See [this interview.](http://www.democracynow.org/2009/11/19/as_wall_street_posts_record_profits) ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2009, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-wing-blogosphere-schism-little-green-footballs-parts-ways-with-right/519585/18 "2009-12-01T17:47:50Z")
> [@](#): > > Yeah, cause “both parties suck” is totally not a valid opinion to hold. “Both parties suck” may be a valid opinion to hold, but grousing about it on blogs and message boards is not a valid response. If you think that both parties suck, then you should pick whichever one you think sucks less, and try to reshape it into something that doesn’t suck. ---
**Author:** ![furt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/439d5e/32.png) [@furt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furt)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2009, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-wing-blogosphere-schism-little-green-footballs-parts-ways-with-right/519585/19 "2009-12-01T18:13:38Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > “Both parties suck” may be a valid opinion to hold, but grousing about it on blogs and message boards is not a valid response. If you think that both parties suck, then you should pick whichever one you think sucks less, and try to reshape it into something that doesn’t suck. Sorry, I’m not much of a joiner. I have my principles and ideas, and I vote accordingly. Generally speaking, I side with the conservatives more than liberals; but I’m not going to join the Republican party and I’m sure as hell not going to refrain from saying that Bush sucks just because I think Obama sucks more. That’s not being constructive, it’s being dishonest. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2009, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-wing-blogosphere-schism-little-green-footballs-parts-ways-with-right/519585/20 "2009-12-01T18:24:17Z")
> [@furt](#): > > Yeah, cause “both parties suck” is totally not a valid opinion to hold. It’s almost always just an excuse to distract people from the issue at hand, as though one for one flaws cancel each other out. And I could buy it maybe 15 years ago that “both parties do it” or something, but there is such a ridiculous divide between the republicans and democrats currently in batshit craziness that it’s just flat out reality denial to follow up widespread right wing craziness with “uh, well, one guy on the left in 1978 said the same thing, so … gotcha! criticism averted!” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-wing-blogosphere-schism-little-green-footballs-parts-ways-with-right/519585.md?page=2)