The media is the message. Better.. there's a message in the media. Take the proliferation of blogs - especially online Left wing diaries and forums. Sure the Right has had its flaming forums; Lucizanne.com, for example.

But there's a difference. Take a popular Left hotspot, like DailyKos. It currently features hundreds of threads on the mechanics of Democrat's primaries, or on the Democrat candidates, and anti-Bush rantings. But it lacks meaningful intellectual bantering.

Conservative forums, on the other hand, remain effective derivatives of articles. They're idea-driven. A guest posts an article, perhaps adds a comment. The website creates a forum for the article. Still, there's plenty give and take, and political heat.

Talk radio, political magazines, and national politics have been also driven by ideas -- Ideas promulgated and promoted by articulate, incisive conservative writers, media hosts, and broadcast journalists. Successful conservative forums have been echo chambers for these ideas, especially print or online articles.

Not so for left wing forums. The successful forums and blogs of the left are generally solipsistic observations, and too often, high-volume whining. Rarely do the contributors reference an article or column. They rant on conservatives, they rant on the President, and they rant on Republicans. When they're not ranting and hating, they're highlighting convoluted political analysis, demographics, and polls to convince themselves that they should be the governing majority.

They are not the governing majority. And their media reveals the reason. For two decades, the democrats and the Left have been intellectually bankrupt. No need to unpack that fact.

Let's just say liberals can win elections only by mimicking conservatives. Bill Clinton, the last major Democrat victory - remember, he lost Congress two years after his 1992 victory - needed conservative clothing to win. Once in power, he 'triangulated' with very un-Left policies to win re-election. That explains why most Left wing blogs and forums rarely reference thought provoking liberal policy articles: Left wing think tanks, columnists, and the Democrat Party long ago lost the battle of ideas.

The second major thrust of Left leaning forums is sheer hatred of the President. That's not unique. Conservative talk shows, columnists and forums flamed against Clinton. Clinton was a lightening rod, and anti-Clinton ranting elevated many a media career. But while conservative forums and some media stars rode the anti-Clinton wave, thoughtful and thought provoking conservative commentators were building the case against his Left leaning policies.

After 9-1-1, Republicans and conservatives led the battle against terrorists, boldly and active. The Left was unprepared. In fact, action led policy. The President's preemptive attack policy was enacted. Conservative theorists and media leaders filled in the intellectual details. The gap empowered the Left's hatred for the President and conservatives. The Florida vote count laid the groundwork for their hatred. Left wing forums are vents for their anti-war hatred, and frustration. The more extreme and more passionate their contempt, the more isolated they become. And the more their forums become an unchanging monologue.

Conservatives be warned. When our focus becomes entirely too much ranting against the enemy, or too personalized, we'll lose our intellectual sheen. When we become caricatures of ourselves, we will be as ignored as the Left in this country. Knowing why you're right, thoughtfully defending ideas, leads to action and electoral victories. As the Left is learning now, disengaged from your intellectual roots, failing to carry the argument, results in a deadening repetitive whining, not very conducive for winning elections. Their online forums mirror their predicament.

Write to Arthur at bruzzone@rightturns.com

Arthur Bruzzone has written over 250 political articles for national and regional media, and has commented on political and urban issues for American and European television and radio networks.  He is an award-winning public affairs television producer/host.His articles and columns have appeared in the Wall Street Journal, San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco Examiner, Campaign & Elections Magazine, among other publications. Mr. Bruzzone holds a Masters Degree in Philosophy from C.U.A in Washington , D.C., and a M.B.A. in real estate. He is a returned Peace Corps volunteer serving two years in the Kingdom of Tonga, and the former chair of the San Francisco Republican Party. He served as a California state commissioner on a major environmental regulatory agency. He presently is president of a real estate investment company headquartered in San Francisco, CA.

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