Why we are raising a Racket

Prepare to pop your bubble

Welcome to the Racket. If you’re a first-time reader – and you probably are because the Racket is brand new – then you’re probably wondering why the world needs another political and news blog. In our hyper-politicized world, that is a legitimate question.

Steve, Jay, and I are, as Joe Walsh put it, ordinary, average guys. We aren’t political wonks, elected officials, or lobbyists. We aren’t partisan and we don’t have an ax to grind. What sets us apart from most of the political commentary today is that we aren’t cheerleaders for one side or the other. We cut through the BS to tell the objective truth as we understand it. We believe that is sorely needed.

Steve and I are alumni of Erick Erickson’s Resurgent blog. The Resurgent started as a conservative but Trump-critical site. That filled an important niche and we loved working with Erick. The freedom to write what we wanted and have it seen by a wide audience was unprecedented for me. Erick let us have free rein and let the chips fall where they may. It was good while it lasted.

But it didn’t last. Erick started a new radio show and the Resurgent eventually faded away. In the end, the site was purchased by The First a few months ago.

While our new editor is a really good person, the site has a different audience from what we were used to at Resurgent. We also get a lot of freedom to write what we want, but the more pro-Trump audience there has led to friction. I was pleasantly shocked when they didn’t fire me when I posted my endorsement of Joe Biden from a conservative constitutionalist point of view, but there has been some guidance that we should primarily aim our barbs at the left as the right tries to unify. That has been difficult given President Trump’s behavior past the election.

Don’t get me wrong, The First has not prevented me from publishing articles disapproving of Republicans but they have encouraged me to – in my view – water down my criticisms to avoid having their core audience tune out. I don’t think that a Republican-leaning site knows what to do with conservatives who don’t think that Donald Trump is a good president. (Full disclosure: I left the Republican Party in 2016 and now identify as a conservatarian.)

In the end, The First has the same problem as the rest of conservative media. They need to make money and, at the moment, there is no percentage in disagreeing with Donald Trump. That presents a problem for those of us who value the truth above partisanship. We can either sell out with most of the rest or try to find our own niche.

That’s what the Racket represents. The Racket is our attempt to create a platform where we can be straight shooters and tell the truth unapologetically without having to tiptoe around the fragile feelings of snowflakes on either side. I can tell you without a doubt that if you read the Racket long enough, you will get ticked off.

This isn’t to say that we are offensive. We are generally polite, Christian conservatives, but we are in the business of bursting the partisan bubbles that most people on both sides inhabit. Neither side is all right, but neither is all wrong. Rather than looking at every issue through a partisan lens, we’ll look for the truth, regardless of where it leads. Our purpose is to shine the light on the dark corners of both sides of the political racket.

I can’t promise never to offend you, but I will promise never to lie to you, even when the truth is unpleasant or difficult. If that appeals to you, then follow the Racket and share our stuff with your friends who would appreciate it. If enough people want to break out of the partisan bubbles, then maybe the Racket will be a success.

If not, we all have full-time jobs so we can keep writing about the world as we see and understand it anyway. We are blessed that we do not have to follow the party line for our paychecks so we can write for ourselves as much as for those who read us.  

And that’s the truth.