October 30, 2009

BLOGGER SPOTLIGHT: Dan Riehl

Today the Blogometer talks to Dan Riehl, who blogs at Riehl World View.

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

Where did you grow up?
New Jersey, please remind Republicans that [Ronald] Reagan won it in 1980 and 1984. I know, I was there. A libertarian/conservative coalition can win it, again.

Where do you live now?
In Northern Virginia just off the Beltway on the "right" side of it -- the outside.

If you have an occupation other than blogging, what is it?
Occasional blog consulting of a political nature.

What's on your iPod right now?
I don't own one, most independent full-time Right-side political bloggers can't afford luxuries.

What book do you think every person should read?
Best to ask Katie Couric, I hear she's big on that, though I will suggest One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez as the best book I've ever read.

Please finish this sentence: "When I'm not blogging, you'll probably find me..."
Asleep, watching a movie, reading primarily political news items on the Internet, or some combination of the above.

What has been your favorite blog post, or your favorite story to write about?
Natalie Holloway for purely technical reasons -- it ran for over a year and allowed for true investigative reporting with depth, often breaking stories ahead of the mainstream media that received national attention before blogs were taken more seriously for their journalistic capabilities.

Which blogger(s) do you consider indispensable, if any?
The fundamental concept behind blogging is that none should ever be indispensable. As a democratic media form, they have power and importance because of mass. If one becomes too important it has failed to support the ideal.

Who's your favorite non-conservative blogger?
Who has time to read blogs?

Who's your favorite active politician? Least favorite?
Fav = Sarah Palin for the energy, but the jury remains out. Least Fav = Barack Obama.

What would you realistically like to see Republicans accomplish before the 2010 midterms?
To genuinely stop being a party of DC and return to being a party of the people, again.

If you could give President Obama advice, what would it be?
I'd say work on your resume but as the experience section has always been so light, maybe the UN after 2012 is your only hope.

What keeps you up at night?
That the fundamental principles and ideals that made this country great have been betrayed by two political parties and their respective professional political classes that are too powerful and too far out of touch to save it now. If so, then Euro-socialism here we come.

Please feel free to ask and answer your own question.
Were you serious here, or are you just a crazy blogger?
Yes, and No.

Posted by Ian Faerstein at October 30, 2009 02:30 PM