RedState's Erick Erickson Defends Controversial Twitter Posts On 'Colbert Report' (VIDEO)

Last night, RedState's Erick Erickson defended most of his controversial Twitter posts and explained his opposition to a GOP purity test during an appearance on "The Colbert Report".

Erickson described his transformation from practicing attorney to running the "day-to-day operations" of the conservative group-blog. Along the way, he discussed how the site approaches the issue of criticizing Republican politicians for their fealty to conservative principles -- he opposes the planned "purity test" on the grounds that it's too "establishment" and that it simply allows people to take party money for checking off boxes, rather than as an honest evaluation of their actions. As Erickson notes, it's a traditional role that political blogs take on, paralleled on the progressive side of the blogosphere as well.

Discussion soon turned to some of the more interesting ideas that Erickson has put out there on Twitter, such as calling former Supreme Court Justice David Souter a "goat-fucking child molester," comparing Linda Douglass to Joseph Goebbels and referring to President Barack Obama's Nobel win as an "affirmative action quota" pick. When asked if he'd be willing to "repeat any of [those tweets] with his face on camera," Erickson replied: "The last two, yeah. The first one was not my finest moment." Apparently, the distinction was that he did not, at the time, understand that Twitter was something beyond "talking to my friends... being with my friends online," but actually a public forum where thoughts are shared with the entire universe.

WATCH:

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Erick Erickson
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor Economy

[Would you like to follow me on Twitter? Because why not? Also, please send tips to [e-mail] -- learn more about our media monitoring project here.]

Comments

[protagonia]

06:30 AM on 01/07/2010

Erikson is both inarticulate, and a Iiar. He sells us short for profit.

[LMPE]

06:06 PM on 01/06/2010

Erick the Red...neck

[Freesia2]

12:11 AM on 01/07/2010

Yes.

[DemocraticStraits]

06:01 PM on 01/06/2010

As a conservative, what bothers me about Erickson is his lack of any kind of discernible philosophical basis for his belief system. His basic lack of intellectualism, also completely absent throughout the rest of his site. Any type of philosophical soul searching or questioning of the entrenched belief system is quickly attacked and purged.

For instance, if you were to question the war on drugs because it is unconstitutional or impinges on personal freedom, well, that would likely get you banned. Questioning immigration policy because it is nearly 180 degrees out of sync with our foundations will certainly get you banned.

IOW, there's no Charles Krauthammers or David Horowitz's or William Safires there, let alone Thomas Jeffersons or Ben Franklins. Well, my cousin was pretty close, but he died, leaving a bunch of knuckledraggers behind.

Red State is pop conservatism, which is to say, neo-conservatism. No thought required. No self-examination required. Just get as far from liberalism as possible without even wondering if there's anything there worth absorbing.

[bryanphoto]

09:38 PM on 01/06/2010

Cheers to what you said. I have always been fiscally conservative while socially liberal. And in my time here I have found liberals to be neither, democrats to be neither, and republicans to be neither (I'm talking politicians here folks....chill).

[BobSacomano]

11:19 AM on 01/06/2010

Erickson = dbag

[knerd]

12:36 AM on 01/06/2010

When small men cast large shadows it is a sure sign the sun is setting....

[Naithom]

01:08 AM on 01/06/2010

Well said.

[Imago]

01:52 AM on 01/06/2010

Oh, lovely!
Fanned!

[Laplase]

10:28 PM on 01/05/2010

What is sad is that right wingers have no idea they are being made fun of. I have met many people on the right that actually think Cobert is a republican. Woosh!

[lisaman]

10:55 PM on 01/05/2010

So have I. It is hillarious!

[protagonia]

06:32 AM on 01/07/2010

Another IQ test at which they fail miserably.

[ArbitorA]

10:01 PM on 01/05/2010

What would be awesome is to see more Conservative / Republican guests on Colbert!

[bassface49]

09:57 PM on 01/05/2010

The expression on W's face as Stephen roasted him at that WH Correspondents Dinner several years back is priceless!
Kind of the same look Erick got when he had to start chewing on his quotes.
Oreilly squints at him like he's not sure if he should giggle or snap him in half....
and Faux News 'counterpunch'!
RED EYE!

[satanlite]

09:44 PM on 01/05/2010

Listening to that kid talk for 30 seconds told me everything I wanted to know.

Twerp.

[xsm941f]

10:28 PM on 01/05/2010

Twerp squared.

[mrmikes]

03:34 AM on 01/07/2010

Cubed.

[Wulfbrande]

09:40 PM on 01/05/2010

"talking to my friends... being with my friends online,"

Interesting how their misunderestimating of the Internets shows what they would be saying in private - and shows what kind of maniacal hypocrites they are.

I hope Souter slaps him with a libel suit.

[9liberal]

08:45 PM on 01/05/2010

I saw this last night...hilarious....I love you Colbert!

[larmarch5]

08:39 PM on 01/05/2010

EE almost seemed to be taken aback when Colbert shifted into the quotes. Surely he knew Colbert is satire . . . Or maybe not. Heard an interesting interview on NPR with John Oliver. He remarked on how they meet these Far Side characters at the bagger rallies who say the most ridiculous things and that they absolutely, sincerely believe what they are saying.

[satanlite]

09:47 PM on 01/05/2010

LIstened to the same interview. Astounding and I'm sure it's true. The level of mental illness among the bagger/haller/birther crowd is terrifying to contemplate. Downright terrifying.

[devildog09]

10:58 PM on 01/05/2010

Any more terrifying than the folks who advocated hauling President Bush from the white house and putting him on trial at the world court? More terrifying than the democratic officials in Florida who published a newletter with photo of Bush in the crosshairs and caption "snipers wanted". Nah- I guess that was just clean fun

[alisonv]

11:19 AM on 01/06/2010

Mental illness and appalling ignorance.

[Caily]

09:59 PM on 01/05/2010

So true. People that don't recognize that Colbert is satire are the same that think The Onion is real news.

[Pyfagorus]

08:26 PM on 01/05/2010

Colbert has on Erick Erickson... expect a sharp uptick in right-wingers who think Colbert is really a right-winger who's just pretending to be a left-winger who's satirizing right-wingers.

[boxman15]

07:57 PM on 01/05/2010

I love it when die-hard far right conservatives go on the Colbert Report because they never seem to get that he is mocking them. I am sure some of those guys would agree with Colbert's "defense" of Bush at the WHCD in 2006.

The new set is great, too. It's a great compliment to his character's huge ego.

[Skoutt]

07:55 PM on 01/05/2010

OMG! So all of my posts on HP are being read by the public and not just my friends. Thank you Erik for enlightening me.

[Pyfagorus]

08:38 PM on 01/05/2010

It gets better, Skoutt. Pretty soon folks will be able to see aaaaallllllll of your naughty bits at airport security screenings.

[KindOne]

02:29 AM on 01/06/2010

This is to kill the airline industry, right?

I mean, it works, who is going to travel by air anymore? Not me.

It will be good for the air, I presume, for people to choose other forms of travel.