Rightosphere Itching to Take On Obama and ... Their Own

They're chomping at the bit; can't wait until January 20th arrives. No, I'm not referring to the millions of Americans who cast ballots for Barack Obama. And it's not just the millions more who want to see George Bush go back to Crawford permanently. (Fifty-one days to go, fellow survivors!)  Right-wing bloggers view being part of the party on the outs as a great opportunity to catch up with the lefty bloggers who have, up til now, ruled political punditry on internet.

Conventional wisdom is that the right wing dominates talk radio while the progressive blogs wield more clout than the conservative websites. However, as The Hill Newspaper reported this week: A Washington in the hands of Democrats offers online pundits on the right a fresh political target and a chance to vent against their ideological opponents. The reverse scenario allowed their liberal counterparts to blossom during the blogosphere’s infancy, when the GOP controlled the Congress and the Bush administration held power between 2003 and 2006. But the aptly named “rightosphere,” much like its liberal counterpart, “the netroots,” doesn’t simply want to criticize the other team. It sees this as its time to reshape the Republican Party.

“The rightosphere will be much better when the right has something to oppose,” said Jon Henke, who writes at The Next Right. Oh, and we can already list the topics the wingnut blogs will be the favorite objects of their bloviating: health care reform, workers' rights, offshore drilling, and all that government spending (note: it was fine when the Rethugs were doing their drunken sailor impersonations; not so okay with the Dems in the White House).

Before they get all riled up about anything an Obama administration does, the right wing bloggers first have their sights set on their own party.  And here's where it gets interesting... they don't agree on anything.  Republicans' favorite pastime is cannibalism and the devouring began even before John McCain lost the election.  Several bloggers on the right have particularly targeted traditional media pundits such as Peggy Noonan and David Brooks.  Well, and anyone else who dared to raised questions about Sarah Palin's readiness for national office (or state office, mayor's office or the post office, for that matter.

Matt Lewis, a blogger at Townhall.com, wrote that Palin’s conservative critics cost McCain votes.  RedState has adopted a particularly hard Palin line: If you don't recognize Sarah the Moosehunter as the future of the GOP, we'll ostracize you.

Even putting Palin aside, the rightosphere is preoccupied with a debate over igniting future cultural wars or retooling to expand the Republicans' ever shrinking base.  Here's how that conversation goes: "Lemme see.... should we amp up on the gay marriage bashing or pretend we like Mexican food and salsa music?  Bible thump at every turn or make Michael Steele the (black) face of the RNC and then hang the "Diversity Accomplished" banner?"

Without a doubt, a new Democratically controlled government will galvanize the right wing into a fist of opposition fury, but this current delicious skirmish of in-fighting has the markers of a GOP internecine battle that will not be resolved easily or soon. Type on, Rightosphere.  The Netroots are enjoying the show.