Bryan Fischer, a former Idaho Senate chaplain, branched out from social issues to become a leading voice on all things conservative.
The gas tax, global warming, the future of newspapers. All of these and more were frequent topics on Fischer's Idaho Values Alliance Web site. Fischer was the type of person with an opinion about anything, and a penchant for getting ink and airtime.
I suspect this angered his many critics nearly as much as his tendency toward divisiveness. Fischer preferred to call his politics pro-family (which implies that his foes are somehow anti-family). And he was never above bombast: Fischer last week labeled Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor a "racist lightweight."
So if Fischer was mentally marking days on the calendar last week, he didn't show it. So the news Monday that Fischer will leave Idaho for a talk radio host's job in Mississippi came as a surprise.
And, I think, it presents an opportunity for the state's conservative movement to repackage itself.
While Fischer built himself into a prominent voice in Idaho politics, I think he lectured more than he debated. More than once, other bloggers corrected me when we referred to Fischer as a "blogger," since his Web site didn't allow comments. The "preaching to the choir" line, however cheap, actually applies here.
It's any blogger's prerogative to set up his or her own rules, but I think the Idaho Values Alliance's one-way dialogue was misguided. Fischer was shrewd enough to use the Internet to promote his positions and use e-mail alerts to mobilize like-minded Idahoans (having been on the receiving end of one such alert, I can attest that he had a following).
Fischer recognized the immediacy of Internet politics, but ignored its interactivity. And I think that's a mistake.
On Monday, Fischer said the Idaho Values Alliance will soon move into "whisper mode." How about, instead, a conversational mode?
Get Twitter updates on my blog and column and Statesman editorials.
Become a follower here. On Facebook, join the Idaho Statesman
Opinion Page Group for updates.
Delicious
Digg
Yahoo
Money Talks
My bet is he got a better money offer.
I'm surprised, the lefties opposing Fisher and his extremism have not gone after the organization's nonprofit status given all the politicing he does under the guise of a tax-deductible funded nonprofit.
Embarrasing was the list of Idaho politicians
that either belonged to his organization or donated to his livelihood. His opinion is his opinion and he has the right to shout his particular brand of biblical prejudice and intolerance from the mountaintop, the internet, or to a crowd of tea (just breathe through your nose) baggers. However, to have politicians like Otter (if memory serves me right) actually support him, while not unbelievable, is entirely disappointing.
Sir, we do not discuss our business in front of our families.
----------
Supporting nothing everywhere all day and very well.
Thank you for hollering.
Liar
Bryan Fischer's response to this post was to lie some more:
http://www.idahovaluesalliance.com/news.asp?id=1103
I was the most prolific commenter on his site, when it had comments, and rarely did anyone use profanity, and if they did the comment was struck down pretty quickly. Bryan shut down the comment section because he claimed he lacked the time to continue to dialog with others.
Bryan will continue being Bryan. That is a loud mouthed religious robot programmed to quote mine and ignore substance in order to remain a persecuted "christian".
Let's see Binker - does your
Let's see Binker - does your 43 st allow folks like fischer to comment. When I read the rules, it said it was only for crazy democrats that preach to their own choirs
sounds like you don't practice what you preach.
Topic
Changing the topic? Good job! A little too obvious, but nice attempt anyway.
43rd's rules were set long before I blogged there, which is why I make sure that I come visit the little people now and then.
So you are SLUMMING.
----------
Supporting nothing everywhere all day and very well.
Thank you for hollering.
Comments
In fact, Fischer has scrubbed all evidence of such comments from his site, but some of the old posts contain this disclaimer:
"TO COMMENT ON TODAY’S UPDATE go to Idaho Values Alliance and scroll to the bottom of the page. Be sure comments are appropriate and addressed to the topics of the day. Comments that do not contribute to the public dialogue on the subject matter will not be accepted."
His diatribe: "toxic stream of nasty, profane, hate-filled and blasphemous posts made by folks who consider themselves the very paragons of tolerance." wouldn't stand a review of the evidence that he has carefully hidden from public perusal. In effect, Bryan Fischer continues to be a liar.
So he'll fit right in with the AFA.
"a penchant for getting ink and airtime"
What'd he do? Wrestle the keyboard from reporters' hands? Knock the cameraman to the floor?
Idaho media fully cooperated with his penchant, giving the impression that he was an accurate reflection of all Idaho conservatives, which was unfair to both conservatives and liberals.
I know, I know, the pressure of deadlines, and he answers his phone and speaks in soundbite. But please, a little variety and more representative opinions from now on? In a state as full of conservative Republicans as Idaho supposedly is, it shouldn't be difficult to find more than one spokesman for opposing viewpoints.
Ditto
Good point Fisher.
Terrorist do what they do because they hope for media exposure to 'their cause'. Domestic wackos and terrorists (like anti-abortion extremist-killers) use the same strategy. IF media were more select and less interested in sensationalism, perhaps some of the extreme fringes on both ends would fade away.
Everytime the Statesman highlighted him, outside of the
actual news stories he was involved in, I was always puzzled. The fringe on both sides makes for more interesting story, but usually skews the dialogue away from problem solving and progress.
We were a lot more interesting without him, find a better fool?
----------
Supporting nothing everywhere all day and very well.
Thank you for hollering.
Fischer's Responsiveness
Bryan Fischer has answered most of my emails very promptly. He may not have his own blog any more but he has been very quick to let people know where they can go to voice their opinions. Unfortunately the bulk of those opinions disagreeing with him involve name calling and bogus charges as opposed to a reasoned argument about why he might be wrong. Under the circumstances it is easy to see why he would shut down his own blog.
He must suck then. Is that it?
----------
Supporting nothing everywhere all day and very well.
Thank you for hollering.