In remembrance of Andrew Breitbart, I’m going to continue having fun
Ten years ago, yesterday, conservatism lost a giant when Andrew Breitbart suddenly passed away at the age of 43, and while some may be a little down about what could have been if he were still with us, in remembrance, I have decided the best way to honor him and his work is to continue having fun.
Andrew Breitbart, the founder of the online news network hijacked and ultimately turned into an arm of Trump Pravda by Trump’s former chief strategist Steve Bannon, was a giant in the conservative movement; he was a visionary who predicted much of what we see playing out in American politics today.
Known for his no-nonsense, zero-tolerance approach to fighting for the things he believed in, Andrew Breitbart waged war against the progressive left and faux conservatives, making enemies of people from every political persuasion along the way. And while many criticized him for his confrontational demeaner, he considered his propensity for creating enemies something to be proud of.
In a 2011 interview, Andrew Breitbart was asked about how it felt to have so many people hate him; he unashamedly responded, “It’s fun to be liked, but when standing up for what you believe in, it’s also very fun not to be liked.”
In my personal no-nonsense zero-tolerance war against progressives in both parties, the Fellowship of the Pharisees, and faux conservatives in Washington and the media, I’ve been the recipient of some of what Breitbart must have experienced.
Sure, many of the vitriolic attacks I receive on a fairly regular basis have come from those on the left, but the overwhelming majority of the attacks I receive in the Age of Trump have come from people who claim to be conservative. When you consider that Trump hijacked the Republican Party and replaced conservatism with nationalism, attacks from people who used to be allies come as no surprise, but it’s a clear indication of where the battle lines have been drawn.
Check out these examples of comments I’ve received from Republicans and members of the Trump Cult who have read my work and/or heard me on the radio over the past few years (language warning):
“Your [sic] a typical whinney [sic] never trumper! We (the base) are tired of hearing your shitty radio commercials. Get a new job, loser, Trump and party will win the mid terms you little bitch!”
“You piece of garbage Democrat/never trumper [sic]. All you do is post shitty radio commercials that are pointless. Bush lost get over it bitch! You sound like a whinney [sic] soy boy. Grow a pair and move on with your life, loser!”
“Expecting conservative politicians to be as conservative as you would like would be disastrous to the party … I think you might be a democratic [sic] plant because you sound as negative as they do toward Republicans.”
“You are such a fake. It’s no wonder that no red state in the US will air you on their stations. You criticize everyone who is conservative and trying to make this a better country to live in. You criticize being patriotic and loving our nation. Get a life.”
“Are you on drugs? You, sir, are no conservative! You’re a traitor to the conservative cause. STFU and get in the Trump Train! I bet you’re in love with Romney and Ryan.”
Lately, some of my “conservative” social media followers have gotten into the act by trying to pigeonhole me with accusations that I must be pro-Democrat or pro-Biden since I’m so critical of Republicans and Donald Trump.
Of course, if they made even the slightest effort to actually do any research, they’d know I don’t play the binary politics game owned and operated by the Republican/Democrat duopoly and that I am, in fact, an equal opportunity critic of anybody and everybody who fails to uphold Christian constitutional conservative values.
In today’s political climate, particularly since Donald Trump, conservatives are faced with choosing between living by their convictions or surrendering to compromise.
Those who choose compromise may succeed in winning the approval of power brokers and the politically self-interested while those who choose to live by their convictions will find themselves hated by them.
It’s fun to be liked, but not at the expense of abandoning my convictions and surrendering to compromise.
Even though people will hate me for doing so, I’ve decided to honor Andrew Breitbart by continuing to stand up for what I believe in and in remembrance, I’m going to have a ton of fun doing so.
David Leach is the owner of the Strident Conservative. He holds people of every political stripe accountable for their failure to uphold conservative values, and he promotes those values instead of political parties.
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