Guest Column on A.C. Kleinheider
A reader has submitted a guest column for publication regarding one of Tennessee’s most well known bloggers, A.C. Kleinheider. Kleinheider operates Volunteer Voters. I contacted Mr. Kleinheider this morning regarding the letter as a courtesy. He assures me he’s all for free speech and had no objections to its publication. So, without further adieu:
Guest column by Wes Kliner
The Demise of a Conservative
So often in life we read stories about what happens when someone comes into money. Oftentimes, they get hooked on drugs, or alcohol, or personal gratification of one form or another. Sometimes it’s power. For others it’s the adulation of their adoring public that does them in. Rarely do we hear of them staying just the same as before they had fame, money and the adulation of others for their success.
Unfortunately, we can add blogmeister and self-proclaimed conservative pundit, A.C. Kleinheider to the list of the fallen.
As a fledgling blogger on the Nashville scene, A.C. Kleinheider, or ACK as his following called him, quickly rose to the heights of blog stardom with his pithy and perceptive conservative insights on the political landscape. His Blog – Hard Right – grew quickly as his commentary and writing skills increased. And in the world of Blog, he received the ultimate compliment by being linked to by countless other bloggers who read his commentary and were impressed enough to hold it up for their respective followings to revere.
But alas, with such fame comes the desire of some to “bottle it” and make money off of it. Enter WKRN Channel 2 in Nashville (scion of the mainstream media) and its outside the box-thinking Manager Mike Sechrist. “If it works, let’s buy it” is Mike’s motto.
So, in April 2006, the die was cast. ACK sold out. What, you say? How can I make that charge? Don’t believe me. Believe the man himself. In his own words, ACK admits he “sold out.”
When I started my blog a little more than a year ago I didn’t really expect anything to come of it. I was sending links to stuff I found on the internet to a few friends and I figured a blog would be a less invasive way to relay the information. I thought it might also serve as a way to get my juices flowing, jump start my brain into doing some “published” writing, but I wasn’t overly optimistic about that aspect.
It went pretty good in the beginning. A few like minded bloggers linked to me and although I didn’t have a sitemeter at the time it was satisfying to know that at least someone other than my friends were reading.
Then I found WKRN’s Nashville is Talking. That’s when things became interesting. All of a sudden I was a member of an little informal community here on the internets. BrittneyG would link to me and people would read.
Not just people who already more or less shared a similar worldview, mind you, as is so often the case on the internet. No, exposure on NiT gave me a truly diverse “audience.” Pragmatic libertarians, Yuppie Marxists, Saucy-mouthed Feminists, Evangelical libertarian conservative gun-nuts, and intelligent folks of no discernible political orientation all stopped in to experience my flow. A truly remarkable thing.
From August 2005 (when I first procured a sitemeter) until January 2006 my monthly visitors increased every time the calender [sic] flipped. I was even quoted in the Nashville Scene as a “blogger of some repute” by the fully reputed Roger Abramson. All of this far and away exceeded any expectations I had for this blog.
Then, I bagged the elephant.
O’ Captain, my Captain, Mike “Big Bossman” Sechrist, sent me an email inviting me to lunch with him and BrittneyG at one of Nashville’s finest eateries. A trip to the station followed, and then an offer of employment. Did Kleinheider sellout? You damn skippy.
On April 3, I am to show up at WKRN studios in Nashville and get my blog on — for dollars. Crisp, clean American currency. The blog will be political and more local in focus than this here blog and it will be called VolunteerVoters.com. DoubleV or V-squared to those that will come to love it.
If you have an internet connection, and I suspect you do, I hope you’ll visit. Roughly, eight to twelve times a day would be good. My continued employment is dependent on traffic and, well, boxed wine and peanut butter don’t buy themselves, ya know what I mean?
To Mike Sechrist and Brittney Gilbert, my words will never express my true gratitude. This opportunity is quite a gift and I am humbled and honored that you have bestowed it upon me. I will do my best to live up to and exceed the expectations you have for me and this new project.
In his own words, his continued livelihood became co-dependent on his pandering to a diverse group of “Pragmatic libertarians, Yuppie Marxists, Saucy-mouthed Feminists, Evangelical libertarian conservative gun-nuts, and intelligent folks of no discernible political orientation” the likes of whom frequent WKRN and BrittneyG’s Nashville is Talking.
Now don’t get me wrong, there is nothing intrinsically wrong with selling out. I’m a capitalist. I enjoy making a buck as much as the next guy. But when you hold yourself out as a conservative and then attack a fellow conservative as not being conservative enough … all for the sake of making a buck pandering to a “truly diverse audience” well enough is enough.
Which brings me to the heart of my differences with Adam.
Throughout the state of Tennessee, conservatives and Republicans are excited about the momentum building in the “Run Fred Run” campaign. Yet standing in the face of this overwhelming tsunami of support, both in Tennessee and across the United States, there is the strident voice of one who unswervingly prognosticates that Fred will not run. Who? — Adam C. Kleinheider
Seems that Adam suspects the group he now panders to at WKRN will not keep him in “boxed wine and peanut butter” if he jumps on the “Draft Fred Thompson” bandwagon. Talk about your ultimate philosophical sellout.
Adam … in your commentary above you say “Then I bagged the elephant.” No, unfortunately, it seems that the “elephant” WKRN bagged you. Pre- Mike Sechrist you were ACK. Post-Mike you have become Adam. For the almighty dollar, you have now sold out your conservative ethos to pander to a more diverse group than those who “brung ya to the dance.”
Fred needs to run. And Adam, you need to come clean.
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[...] Here’s an interesting look at how one Republican personal injury attorney hopes to squash the opinions of a web commentator who doesn’t toe the party line: Throughout the state of Tennessee, conservatives and Republicans are excited about the momentum building in the “Run Fred Run” campaign. Yet standing in the face of this overwhelming tsunami of support, both in Tennessee and across the United States, there is the strident voice of one who unswervingly prognosticates that Fred will not run. Who? — Adam C. Kleinheider [...]
By Nashville is Talking » You Disagree? You a Sellout on 03.23.07 1:27 pm
But when you hold yourself out as a conservative and then attack a fellow conservative as not being conservative enough … all for the sake of making a buck pandering to a “truly diverse audience” well enough is enough.
Well, as far as I know, this is ironic to find this statement here reprinted on this blog, whose author once asked if
another conservative blogger was truly conservative
As far as ACK (an abbreviation I use out of pure laziness as I’m not inclined to type out that Hessian Hell of a last name of his) is concerned, he’s doing nothing equivalent of selling out. In the 2+ years that I’ve read the man he’s always held himself out as a paleoconservative who is against wars on foreign soil. Based on that fact alone I highly doubted he’d EVER support Thompson, who is vocally pro-Iraq.
His belief in paleoconservatism long preceeds his employment at WKRN, and I’d rather see him stay consistent to his (however wrongheaded) beliefs than to some sort of peer pressure from the vast conservative community.
Signed,
ACK’s Pragmatic Libertarian.
By Kat Coble on 03.23.07 1:52 pm
That irony certainly wasn’t missed on me, Kat. Good for you for pointing it out.
By brittney on 03.23.07 2:38 pm
[...] This is one of the (I presume unintentionally) funniest things I have read on the Web in quite a while. [...]
By Bob Krumm » Kleinheider, Dr. Evil on 03.23.07 4:47 pm
“But when you hold yourself out as a conservative and then attack a fellow conservative as not being conservative enough … all for the sake of making a buck pandering to a ‘truly diverse audience’ well enough is enough.”
Hello, Pot? This is Kettle, you’re black! This blog and its owner’s persona is nothing but a cheap knock-off of Steve Gill, another hack who owes his living to trying to eat his own. We’d all be better off if you’d just stand down and shut up.
By Phil Hartman on 03.23.07 5:17 pm
I keep coming back to read this for its sheer stupidity.
Good job, Wes Kliner. You don’t have much in the way of Google search results for your name, and now this will be (one of) your highest one(s). Hope that makes you proud.
By brittney on 03.23.07 5:20 pm
That goes for you and Gill both. You both hurt our Party and, by extension, the conservative movement. But it gives you notoriety, so I guess all is well. I can’t wait until you implode, just like your brethren at TeamGOP have already done.
By Phil Hartman on 03.23.07 5:21 pm
Katherine–as far as my question back in the day on Abramson–perhaps you should read it again. Maybe down here in East Tennessee Abramson ain’t exactly a household name. I asked “how” he was a conservative. It was a fair question.
As far as Mr. Kliner’s piece, he sent it to me and two other bloggers that I know of. I contacted Kleinheider to see if he objected to its publication, he did not. I know that Kleinheider is big boy and can defend himself if he desires and I’m also certain that he would welcome the controversy.
And Brittney: yes, he’s a real person. Does not having a big internet presence on a google search mean you’re not entitled to an opinion?
And last, to Phil Hartman who is too chicken to use his real name: as far as being a Steve Gill wannabe–well, thank you. I think Steve is a great man and a great patriot. You obviously however, tend towards the cult of personality as I’ve gleaned from your other posts on my site.
You can be loyal “Phil”, to party and ideas even when you speak out against a politician. Just how do you think politics works? Representatives represent people.
As far as hurting the party, well, little chicken craps like you are the reason we lost the majority. You’re wimps…and America doesn’t like wimps–which is why, Mr. Hartman—Fred Thompson is a shooting star in the Presidential field and he hasn’t even announced.
Regarding any implosion–if I do, it will be on my own dime. I’m not employed by a politician or any special interest–unlike you.
By Terry on 03.23.07 6:14 pm
I’m a big fan of ACK’s. I’ve read him back in his ‘Hard Right’ days and I continue to read him daily. He hasn’t changed. He’s witty, insightful and seems to know what is going on. The fact that I disagree with him on many issues is irrelevant to my admiration of him. He does have influence in our Tennessee blogging world.
But..when did Carter become the arbiter of all things conservative? when did conservative America sit breathlessly waiting for ACK to pronounce something as good or denounce something as bad?
What’s really strange is that ACK isn’t really saying that Thompson shouldn’t run..he just thinks he’s not going to run. I agree with ACK. I don’t think Thompson has the inner burn to run, and I think that is both the determining factor in the decision, and a reason I admire him all the more.
I don’t know anything about the author of this post, and I certainly bear him no ill will, but, really Mr. Kliner, what in the world are you talking about?
By john h on 03.23.07 8:08 pm
I don’t think Fred will run. Perhaps he’s playing the influence card – when he decides not to run, he’ll endorse one of the front runners.
As for real conservatism – Duncan Hunter (www.gohunter08.com) is the real deal. I just wish more conservatives in TN would start supporting him.
By John Stuart on 03.23.07 8:45 pm
Brittney Gilbert……….get a real job! You are paid to blog and you still can’t come close to Terry Frank who does it on the side, with a family to care for, a thriving business, a radio show, and a column. Your constant comments are getting old. Just blog off.
By sickofbrittney on 03.23.07 9:05 pm
Let’s see. We’re talking about the same guy who says that Vladimir Putin “eh, not such a bad fella”. Probably just a coincidence that Russia is the third most dangerous country in the world for jouranlist but no…Putin’s far too smart for that.
That fired, foul-mouth, anti-Christian John Edwards blogger “Amanda Marcotte is a woman of honor” for the noble act of falling on her sword rather forcing Silky Pony to be a man and make an executive decision and fire her. Even though she complained ad nauseum about it afterwards. Honor, it seems, has an expiration date.
Who practically had to have a restraining order against him to keep him from throwing himself at Harold Ford Jr. Who voted for Ford because a deranged leftard nutbar like Chris Lugo wasn’t politically savvy enough for his tastes.
“This dreadlocked fiend has neither the presentation nor the authentic leftist views that I can get down with.”
Edwards pimping his wife’s breast cancer to tweak his failing candidacy. Tut, tut you cynics. Silky is man at his most man. But mention Romney’s wife’s illness and you’re just pathetic.
“Hey, remember, our candidate has a dying wife, too! Don’t forget us. Goodness, that’s pathetic. Let the Edward have their specific sympathy today.”
There’s more. Plenty more. Little cartoons showing Condoleeza Rice as being a white woman in black face.
WKRN’s “conservative” sociopath who ingratiates himself by brown-nosing leftists.
And as long as he “toes their line”, they are more than happy to pay him to do it.
By smantix on 03.23.07 9:28 pm
Oh gawd, I’m now forced to publicly defend ACK. Ack!
ACK hasn’t changed, with the exception of growing into a better writer and journalist because of being in a newsroom and getting a better feel for the well oiled political machinery on both sides, and learning how to gather information and sources more effectively.
The fact that he gets paid for writing what he thinks doesn’t make him a sellout. He still writes his crazy pro Pat Buchanan crap, proof positive he isn’t being pressured to change his core belief(s) to placate anyone on either side.
He thinks Fred won’t run. I agree with him on that issue. What does that one issue have anything at all to do with him being a conservative? (Or me being a liberal, for that matter)
Have you seen his anti gay and anti pro choice rants? Safe to say he’s not taking a step backwards from expressing those (personal) beliefs, and it’s clear WKRN isn’t telling him to step back from them.
Regarding Sechrist, he clearly wants ACK (and Brittney) to let their own opinions come through on their respective blogs.
Sechrist has taken a lot of heat for that…some of it from me. I know (first hand) that Sechrist doesn’t want to cramp their style. Sechrist and I go toe to toe on some issues, but have a mutual respect for each other. It’s called being a pro, something I didn’t think ACK was before,(or Brittney) and I’ve enjoyed watching both of them grow into being pros without compromising their core beliefs.
And speaking of pros, kudos to Terry for having the class and respect for ACK to ask him if he minded if she posted the guest email before posting it.
By Sharon Cobb on 03.24.07 2:05 am
Smantix – Other than the last piece you cite about ‘brown-nosing leftists’, how are those other positions ‘lock-step’ with WKRN? do they think Putin is a ‘jolly good fellow? Did KRN support Ford? Where were they on the Edwards ‘firing’ issue?
I’m not saying ACK was right or wrong on those issues. I disagree with his assessments myself often, but how is taking those positions ’selling out’? He talked like that when he was ‘Hard Right’, and he talks like that now.
Mr. Kliner’s secondary thesis here is that ACK is taking this position re Thompson because he is toe-ing some ‘party line’. What exactly is WKRN’s line re Fred Thompson?
I disagree with you re your animus against ACK, but I still don’t see how any of those positions, and his OPINION that Thompson isn’t running has ANYTHING to do with WKRN. ACK is being ACK.
I don’t have any particular love (or hate) for WKRN. For a station that hires Steve Gill AND ACK and Brittney as analysts and op-ed types, I’m not sure I can discern a clear picture.
By john h on 03.24.07 5:06 am
[...] In any case, I’m fading back into the ether for a while. And, after all, why not? The right side of the Tennessee blogosphere is already in very capable hands. [...]
By Bob Krumm » I Think This Is Farewell on 03.24.07 6:23 am
I find it humorous and somewhat hubristic that A.C. Kleinheider’s strongest defenders in this thread have been self-professed libertarians and liberals. I can understand their desire for not wanting Fred in the race and hence their support. It would seem I was correct in my somewhat bemused assessment after all … they will be able to keep him in “boxed wine and peanut butter.” If I were still a practicing plaintiff’s attorney (for whatever reason that has any bearing on the subject) … right about now, I’d be saying … “I rest my case.”
For those professed conservatives of varying stripes who maintain that ACK is just making a prediction – In just one of his many postings on the subject ACK wrote … “[He] has a history of this kind of nonsense. He is known for having a lot of theoretical ideas about what he would like to do — but not much follow through.” Nonsense? I don’t know about you but that doesn’t sound like a simple prognostication to me.
I have no idea what Fred is thinking. I suspect that none of you does either. I hope he runs. I’m certainly not excited about any of the current crop of candidates. I suspect his decision will be based in some small measure on whether there is a groundswell of grassroots support — and blogs are just one indicator (albeit somewhat artificial) of such support. I assure you I bear no personal animus against Mr. Kleinheider. He is an excellent writer. I’m just doing my part to try and unearth the preconceptions and motives of those who would seek to throw a wet blanket on the hopes of those of us who see a real dearth of candidates that we can get truly excited about –- other than Fred.
By Wes Kliner on 03.24.07 8:42 am
John – they aren’t. I don’t agree with Kliner’s assertion that Kleinfelter has changed his opinions by joining Channel 2. I’m simply pointing out that he’s not much of a conservative. He’s the kind “conservative” that liberals like – the 4% kind of conservative that the 96% hates because he consistently tries to frag them.
I threw in the links to show that most people on the right don’t defend leftists like Putin, Marcotte or Edwards. Underscoring that kissing up to the left is what got him where he is.
People like Harold Ford Jr. aren’t conservative. Just like Bredesen, they campaign as moderates but at the core fall squarely in the Hard Left camp. Anyone who fancies themselves as being so politically astute knows that.
Bredesen didn’t run on his opposition to the death penalty but as soon as the election is over he enacts a de facto moratorium on it. We know this going in. Ford’s who image was contrived to distance his actions from what he says. So in that, his biggest supporter is a kindred spirit.
By smantix on 03.24.07 11:04 am
Many libertarians, myself including, are conservative, Wes.
Maybe not as conservative as you like, but I’m betting every eeeevil liberal on this thread would consider me conservative.
By Kat Coble on 03.24.07 11:51 am
but… but .. President Bush saw Putin’s heart and saw a good man! oh, wait, that’s right – President Bush isn’t really conservative either.
and the rabid dislike of all current announced GOP conservative prez candidates kinda plays out much more like self-loathing.
the only constant i can find on pages like this one (unlike ACK’s) is an Us or Them, All or Nothing, No Dissent Tolerated Mentality.
The “ACK isn’t what you want him to be” essay is … well, at least it gives his blog some publicity.
and perhaps the real title of the essay should be The Demise of Conservatism.
By Joe P. on 03.24.07 1:30 pm
Wes – I don’t know you, and you probably don’t care about that, but I hope Thompson enters the race. I don’t think he will, because I don’t think he wants it bad enough. That’s not pooh-poohing him or belittling him at all. I like the guy even though he is much more conservative than I am.
I just don’t get the connect between saying: “i don’t think he’s going to run” and trying to discourage Thompson from running and hoping to discourage people from supporting him.
The only conservative bloggers I don’t really care for are the ones that paint everything in very solid black and white and don’t bother with the discussion in lieu of pronouncements.
The ‘liberal/conservative’ axis can be really misleading and mis-representative of one’s world view. Kleinheider makes it all that much more interesting.
By john h on 03.24.07 2:11 pm
I don’t see any difference in him.
By Donna Locke on 03.24.07 5:20 pm
Terry,
I just have to tell you that I’ve been laughing about “chicken craps” all day. I presume you used it to avoid the harsher profanity of the ’s’ word, but all I can do is envision a bunch of chickens at a dice game in an alley.
I said over at TCP this morning that I can picture the chickens staging a musical version of Guys and Dolls called “Cocks and Hens” where they sing Oldest Established Permanent Floating Crap Game In The Barn, and I promise you as soon as I get the words written I’ll post them for you.
I know you didn’t mean to amuse me, but it does.
By Kat Coble on 03.24.07 5:52 pm
[...] (Inspired by Terry Frank and with apologies to Frank Loesser and the good people of Las Vegas.) [...]
By For Terry Frank (and everyone else) « Just Another Pretty Farce on 03.24.07 6:11 pm
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