[conservatism_IS_compassion]

Do you think [O'Sullivan's] simplistic reasoning sufficiently explains the phenomenon?

IMHO:

Free commercial journalism, under competitive pressure, will bully society at large.

Journalism is superficial because of its deadlines, negative for the same reason that the boy cried "wolf" - and in love with its PR power. Each individual journalist both loves his own PR power and fears the PR power of journalism as a whole.

That is why journalists are bullies - and why it requires courage to take the positive, long-range perspective of conservatism. Organizations for conservative purposes will therefore be bullied - and given dismissive labels such as "right wing" - by journalism.

Organizations which do not have explicitly conservative purposes will therefore distance themselves from conservative organizations to gain access to the protection of the cowardly, bullying herd of journalists and fellow travelers. Sullivan's First Law: "All organizations that are not actually right wing will over time become left wing" follows.

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

O’Sullivan’s First Law" states that "All organizations that are not actually right-wing will over time become left-wing."

And although O'Sullivan himself gives some examples as a lame "proof," his law is demonstrably true. My proof follows:

1. Journalism is negative (if it bleeds, it leads)
2. Journalism is superficial (because of deadline pressure)
3. Journalism is arrogant (in claiming the virtue of objectivity, and also in its belief that "you never get into an argument with someone who buys ink by the truckload").
4. Journalism is cowardly (in that each journalist fears all the others - taking the "you never get into an argument with someone who buys ink by the truckload" warning to heart when journalism in general needs to be opposed by a courageous voice.
5. It follows that journalism is cynical and bullying.
6. It follows that any organization or individual such as a SCOTUS justice - which is courageous and principled will be labeled "right wing" - or, perhaps, "out of the mainstream." Anyone who lacks courage and principle will be pulled to conformity with the left wing by the flattery and derision of journalism - and be praised as "moderate' and "mainstream" (and, before they ran the word into the ground, "liberal").