Among friends

On Friday, I had the honor of speaking at the Heritage Foundation’s 28th annual resource bank meeting in Miami. Every serious account of the rise of the conservative movement emphasizes the role of the Heritage Foundation. I was grateful for the opportunity to participate, regretting only that I could not attend both days of the proceedings.
My panel considered, what else, “New Media: the power of the blogs.” My talk was well-received, if overshadowed by the excellent presentations of Cliff May, Tom Bevan (Real Clear Politics), and Nick Schultz (Tech Central Station). Tom, who must know more about the world of op-ed than anyone, observed that, in that world, “there’s not a lot of heft on the left.” According to Tom, leftist opinion writers can turn a phrase well enough, but often struggle when it comes time to actually make an argument. Perhaps they were insulated too long from being expected by their editors to undertake that labor.
It’s fun to introduce oneself as a blogger for Power Line at events like this. In the various “day jobs” I’ve held, the reaction when I introduce and identify myself is pretty uniform — a reasonably respectful acknowledgment. As a blogger, by contrast, I almost invariably receive one of two reactions, glowing praise or a look of total incomprehension.