Andrew Breitbart Digs Palin

In an interview with Neil Cavuto, the Dr. Cool of the conservative movement, Andrew Breitbart, spoke out openly in support of Gov. Palin. Money quote:

Breitbart: "The interesting thing about [Palin] is that she represents the common American, just like those people at the tea parties... I think that the average American out there is looking at Sarah Palin as an X-factor, somebody who's treated poorly by the press, sombeody who's treated poorly by the supposedly smart people in Washington that got us into this mess in the first place... I think it's more than just Democrats. I think Republicans are worried about Sarah Palin because she's not beholden to the Republican establishment."

Cavuto: "What should she do?"

Breitbart: "I think she just continues being Sarah Palin and I think that she needs to go out there and show that she has a fight in her because this is like Rocky Two: Can this person come back from a drubbing?"

For those of you who don't yet know Breitbart: he writes a weekly column for the Washington Times, and regularly deputizes for Dennis Miller on his nationally syndicated radio show. More important than his journalistic credentials, though, is the fact that Breitbart is a big player on the Internet scene. As in: massive. Together with Matt Drudge, he helped turn the Drudge Report into an Internet sensation. He went on to set up his own news site called Breitbart.com, and was the primary developer for the Huffington Post. His involvement with that project was strictly business, though. His real mission is helping conservatives win the battle for the hearts and minds of the Internet generation. To that end, he's doing two things that should be of particular interest to Palin fans. One is continually preaching about the importance of developing a highly integrated and effective conservative web community:

"A digital war has broken out, and the conservative movement is losing. Read the comment sections of right-leaning blogs, news sites and social forums, and the evidence is there in ugly abundance. Internet hooligans are spewing their talking points to thwart the dissent of the newly-out-of-power. We must not let that go unanswered... It is time to fight back, but it won't be easy. The enemy is willing to do and say anything in order to win."

Notice the same word cropping at the end of both quotes: fight. Breitbart may look like a cuddly toy, but he's itching to take the fight to the liberals who currently dominate the political side of the Web. His second big project is related to the first. Ultimately, what Breitbart wants to achieve is to wrest control over popular culture back from the liberal elites. To that end, he's created a Web hangout for conservative Hollywood types called Big Hollywood (if you haven't been there already, go and check it out). In the last few decades, conservatives have tended to write off this entire aspect of modern culture as 'beyond salvation', deciding instead to use it as a tool with which to bludgeon their Democratic opponents in the conservative heartlands. Breitbart thinks that strategy is partly responsible for the losses of the last few election cycles (not entirely, mind you, but still significantly). His alternative is the same as on the Web: stand and fight.

If Palin's serious about reforming her country, she should consider dropping Breitbart a line. With all the fighting talk that both tend to produce, it sounds like they have a lot to talk about.

Update by JR: Here is the video of Andrew Breitbart discussing Governor Palin with Neil Cavuto: