I <3 Angry Benson.

It's also my understanding that young republican numbers are greatly inflated. For example, sign up for their email list but never actually attend a meeting or pay dues and they'll still count you as a member.

Angry Benson is the franchise, da bomb and the business.

Oh, well if the 6,000 is counting all their mailing list subscribers, then knock it down to 5,998, 'cause I'm on there twice. Holy moley.

There's definitely something left to be desired, but Kevin did talk to several of us for 15, 20, 30 minutes apiece. It was a lot of information to boil down for one article (the amount he spoke to us, I was expecting a three-day series!), so I guess I'm not surprised that my extensive socio-historical discussion about radio coverage of the Fighting Irish and their underdog role in the changing perception of the Catholic working class in the 1920s got boiled down to "Shelby drinks Guinness and is looking for Knute Rocknes." Um. Yeah. I don't know whether I'm glad or sad that Apres Diem doesn't serve my stable beverage, the PBR tall-boy. Does Guinness make me an effete liberal snob?

Well, it was a good showing. Perhaps we can work our experience into the communications track at the YDG Convention: How to Be on Pins and Needles Talking to Reporters. My own console started flashing red and beeping when the conversation drifted toward my familial political background...could have gone horribly wrong.

Seems like Duffy was trying to out you as a YR Shelby. For all the time he spent with you guys, he could have written a better story.

In defense of reporters (and I'm not usually defending them) all of their stories also get edited by multiple other people. If the editor thinks something is a good story or angle, it doesn't matter how much other legwork the reporter did.

But I agree, this was somewhat of a hatchet job.

I'm more disturbed by the need to explain what a koozie is! Talk about the AJC being out of touch!

I think the writer (and editors as Chris points out) were writing from the "red state" perspective so they couldn't admit how cool the YDs are.

I didn't think it came off as a hatchet job (but not a lovefest either.) I think a reader who doesn't know about the YDs would come away thinking they are a thriving group facing a big challenge. Which is true.

Hell, they could have left off the part about the $250K, or the YouTube - both of which contribute to the YDs sounding both successful and cool.

I would die fighting to ensure that Georgia doesn't become "the next Connecticut." No offense.

MEM, you are not alone.

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