Fortunately, not all conservatives would see liberals the way one of your chosen blogs does -- the blog that said ""I used to be a liberal (cough) (choke) (gag me) but saw them for who they really are after September, 11 2001 (limp dicked wussbags)."

Liberals and conservatives are simply patriotic Americans who see the path and destiny of this country differently. I just do not think that comments like that above help to build a strong America. The more that either group engages in petty name calling and demeaning of the other, the farther away we move from opportunities for real dialogue.

I may disagree with every cell of my body with a belief that my conservative sisters out here may hold, but what does it help anyone to caricature them and ridicule them? That sort of arrogant divisiveness is part of what is weakening our country.

~~ Contributing Editor, Mata H. also blogs liberally at Time's Fool

Mata, you have every right disagree with Raven, just as she has every right to express herself and her feelings.

You are correct, not all conservatives feel the way Raven does. We all see the direction of this country differently.

I didn't feel it was my place to censor her content simply because she has an opinion that differs from others.

that I find offensive (although I vehemently disagree), it's the name-calling, the arrogance and the obvious contempt for those who view the world differently.

laurie
www.notjustaboutcancer.blogspot.com

Laurie, I understand your point. However, it does work both ways. Each political party has resorted to name-calling and has spewed their share of insults and venom. It doesn't make it right and it is equally offensive.

My intention was to share some female, conservative bloggers here, as there are so few -- and they do not receive as much publicity as blogs on the left. I wanted to keep these bloggers' words in tact.

Please understand the bloggers I have featured are women who have the same right to freedom of speech, just like you and I do.

Dana,

Mata, Laurie and I are not questioning the right of any of these bloggers to say what they say. And, yes, people of all political stripes name call and spout nonsense. So what?

You write that you want to know who these women are and to highlight their writing because its so rare. That's fantastic.

I got involved in politics at a very young age and have thoroughly appreciated discussions and debates over many years with people who hold very different opinions than mine. Intelligent, reasoned, fact-based conversations of these sort help me expand my thinking and sharpen my own perspective.

I don't appreciate or enjoy anyone (even those who agree with me) who relies on cheap, petty name calling and flabby, lazy, dishonest sound bite type of argument.

So, if what you've highlighted and presented here is indicative of who conservative women writing on the web are and have to offer in the way of intelligent debate then I'm quite sad.

Are there no conservative women bloggers who can offer a reasoned, fact based discussion of the issues important to our country's future and for the next election?

For instance, Lizzy Blackney's rant you link to is angry but not factual. The California Republican party officials are quite conservative however the state electorate is mostly not. Therefore more "liberal RINO's" like Arnold are elected Governor. If you look at House Representatives from Orange County and some of the more rural parts of the state they are amongst the most conservative members of Congress. Duncan Hunter, Ed Royce and Wally Herger for example all have well over 90 ratings from The American Conservative Union. The question she should be asking is how to translate their appeal statewide. So I'm happy that she's happy to be in the great state of Texas but she's offered absolutely nothing in the way of issues or prescriptions to think about and I as a her ideological opposite have just suggested a way to think about strategy based on the facts and haven't called her one name.

So if the best a conservative women blogger can offer is an assessment that she is superior to me and her argument is smart, persuasive and should be considered because somehow my flacid penis prevents me from thinking clearly then I'm immediately turned off from engaging with her argument since it's flawed from the start.

I hope that you find some great bloggers in the future to highlight who will challenge me and make me think.

BlogHer CE Entertainment & Books
Pop Consumer

It's the nature of the discourse. I think Conservative blogs steal a page for tone from talk radio...and we all know what that sounds like!!

I do like lefty sites like Lindsay Beyerstein and Amanda Marcotte but they can get pretty venal too. It's just that I tend to agree with them.

We're not all like talk radio. Just like liberals complaining about whacko rightwingers, we can all write with a certain level of histrionics.

A while back, a friend asked me to post my personal views on feminism. In no way did it reflect what other conservative women believe or speak for anyone else. I was beat up pretty savagely in the Tennessee blogosphere.

I for one, would love to see us blog less about abortion and feminism and more about other topics. I talk about them occasionally on my blog, but mostly write about conservative politics, technology and communication.

Women are far more than these two topics, yet this seems to be the focus of most political blogs.

It is hard to get past the firewall of partisanship. Where are the "normal" people? Not the extremes that are presented in talk radio, FOX and certain blogs. Here is my problem with a lot of conservative blogs. There are times when I want to understand what the conservative point of view on a certain topic.

I have just about given up on anyone that appears on television. Except for maybe Bill Moyers and Tavis Smiley.

So I'll go over to Sister Toldja or Heretical Librarian or a blogger/web site. There is a lot of anger in that neck of the woods. If you read long enough you'd wonder if they would support a bill to deprogram liberal tendencies out of humans. Unless I am really determined I wind up leaving because I've been damned three time to hell because of how I see the world.

I am sick to death of being called unpatriotic because I disagree with the actions of my country.

It must be the same feeling conservatives feel wandering over into liberal blogs.

So what am I saying? Maybe there should be a list of safe places that conservative and liberals can go to find out exactly what each one believes and why without demonizing the other. It must exist already right?

Something like "global warming" Liberals believe..... Conservatives believe..... Scientists believe...

Hmmm. Let me check that out and I'll report back to base.

Gena - Out On The Stoop

Calling Chris Matthews a "sexist blowhard" (even if it might be true) is negative and insulting, too. If we're going to have this conversation about uniting together and not resorting to name-calling, shouldn't we all start with ourselves?

I linked to one blogger who is more extreme than the others. In no way does this paint a picture about all conservative bloggers and I'm sad that people feel that way. I think it's important to give some variety. There is a broad range of conservatives out there.

Because one person has stronger words for an opposing party it does not mean he's wrong. If so, Michael Moore would have been censored ages ago.

I do hope the next time someone on the left (or right) calls our president an ape, or insults his intelligence that you'll find those remarks just as offensive and speak out against them.

Thank you all for your comments. The offensive wording has been removed per a reader request.

I just wanted to thank Dana for including me in her post. And I agree with those who said that insults and bad language is not a good way to get one's point across. Anyone who reads political blogs knows that that stuff goes on on both sides. I personally don't allow cussing or insults on my blog, although I do make fun of politicans or those in the limelight, who doesn't? Raven has her own way of expressing herself. It's not how I would express myself and I see why some would be offended, but it's a voice, just like FireDogLake and Amanda. They choose to be crude as well.

But many of us don't, so don't paint one group with a broad brush.

Rightwingsparkle