The conservatives who lost did so largely because the PRESSident cherry picked what the conservatives said and did so that very little good came through to the public.
Where the liberals get a free pass to the PRESSidential podium to say most anything they wish (which the PRESSident will then edit out the booboos), conservatives get cut and pasted at their worse.
Also, most of the time, conservatives get some PRESSidental media babe or dude paraphrasing what they said or did, particularly if it was something good. Which means the good things don't get a conservative face, they get a PRESSidential face. When liberals do something good, their own words and speech are put out, which gives them a face and PRESSidential media recognition.
Solutions? The PRESSidential media is a tough nut to crack. It doesn't help things that so many conservative politicians are virtual computer and web illiterates when it comes understanding how to to utilize these growing alternative resources to get their words and actions out. Clearly, Mr Dean and the Dems have something going here, at least as far as keeping in contact with and motivating their far left base...
The Freepers (and their cousins) are fine and dandy resources. However, they (or something like it) isn't utilized by the party or conservative politicians to any significant degree as a means to access and motivate their base.
I attended a sort of 'goodbye' gathering last night for our local Republican Congressman --- who despite being an excellent conservative pro-life, low taxes, supports the WOT, etc. --- LOST by about 1,000 votes to a newby thuggish type Democrat who never held office, and did nothing the entire year but throw bombastic hate-Bush statements.
Anyway, last night I spoke with our COUNTY GOP officials about launching a local daily or weekly newsletter, with REAL balanced news about all things political.
(yeah, and maybe some other stuff just to break up the monotony.
The main problem, as I see it, is my Congressman was NEVER able to get out any credible news about himself, his votes, his political views, or his REAL opinions on national issues such as Iraq, immigration, unemployment.
That's largely because our local newspaper, where I worked as a reporter for six years during the 1990s, is stuffed to the gills with hard-left rabid liberals.
I know that sounds cliche, but make no mistake, I heard the daily banter from the top editor, and 90-percent of the 'hard news' reporters, all of which accused Republicans of "all being a bunch of senile old white men', and other such statements.
The reporter who COVERED my about-to-lose Repub. congressman the days before the election accused me (in the middle of the newsroom) of being a hate-mongering racist .... all because I said I would prefer a flat tax rather than a graduated income tax.
"All you flat tax people just want to take away welfare from African Americans," she bellowed in my face. I am not kidding.
Anyway, back to the point.
Given that no Republican in my area can overcome the embedded bias that comes through daily in the newspaper, I can only think that some type of Internet news site, or weekly mailing will be effective in blunting some of the slant.
I ran a news site in the late 90s (after I was fired by this local newspaper), and it is not that difficult if you have several people willing to help.
I eventually had to shut it down cause I wasn't making money, and had to go back to a real job.
Still, I suggest that conservatives who really want to make a difference can start some type of daily or weekly newsletter in their particular area, in hopes of combating press bias, which not only is REAL, but it is getting worst as years go by.
Who knows, you might even be able to make some money if you find an advertiser or two.