July 17, 2009

BLOGGER SPOTLIGHT: John Hawkins

Today the Blogometer talks to John Hawkins, who blogs at Right Wing News in addition to maintaining two other websites, Conservative Grapevine and Right Wing Video.

(If you're looking for Friday's edition of Blogometer, click here).

Where did you grow up?
Small town America. Stoneville, NC: population 1000.

Where do you live now?
On the Carolina Coast. I don't give out any more details than necessary. It helps keep liberal bloggers from posting my address and phone number in hopes that their readers will harass me.

If you have an occupation other than blogging, what is it?
I've been a professional blogger since early 2005.

What's on your iPod right now?
3 Doors Down, Nickelback, Snoop Dogg -- a little of this, a little of that. I like just about everything from rap to country to classical music in small doses.

What book do you think every person should read?
I would say the Bible, but I haven't finished reading it cover-to-cover myself, so that would be hypocritical. How about Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged"?

Please finish this sentence: "When I'm not blogging, you'll probably find me..."
...preparing to blog tomorrow. I eat, drink, breathe, and sleep politics -- and when I dream, it's of polls, elections, and news stories. Granted, the news stories I dream about may involve shooting zombies with Sarah Palin, but you get the idea.

What has been your favorite blog post, or your favorite story to write about?
I have been writing about politics since early 2001, so there are a lot of fave posts, but this one seems to have really resonated with people: "Confessions Of An Isolationist Wannabe".

Which blogger(s) do you consider indispensable, if any?
There are no indispensable bloggers or other human beings, my friend.
Except in the rarest of cases, 30 days after you're dead, everyone except your family will barely remember that you ever lived.
Depressing, but true. That's why we have to make as big an impact as we can while we are still above ground.

Who's your favorite non-conservative blogger?
Glenn Reynolds, with Mickey Kaus, Ann Althouse, & Megan McArdle also in the mix.

Who's your favorite active politician? Least favorite?
Jim DeMint is the prototype of what a Republican politician should be.
On the other hand, John McCain is a living example of the Inside-the-Beltway thinking that has crippled the Republican party and let the Democrats take complete control.

What would you realistically like to see Republicans accomplish in 2009?
The GOP needs to recruit blue chip candidates, raise lots of money, fix the primary system, upgrade our tech, and repair the relationship with conservative activists. In other words, lay the groundwork for a big comeback in 2010 and 2012.

If you could give President Obama advice, what would it be?
Obama wouldn't take any advice that I'd give him. He has the staggering arrogance that comes with rising as high as a man can rise in life without having the balancing humility that comes from the struggle it takes to accomplish big things in the real world outside of politics.

What keeps you up at night?
Work. When I am done with that, I sleep like a baby. If only it were on a big pile of money, I would be completely content.

Posted by Ian Faerstein at July 17, 2009 03:12 PM