Back in the early part of 2010 when I was putting together the concept of TeaPartyConnect.com, I decided that other voices should be included and promoted. My thinking was that having other writers contribute to the site would add variety as well as expand the material presented from areas I wasn’t necessarily investigating.
I was using a tool called FeedDemon to subscribe to various conservative blogs and news sources (I can highly recommend FeedDemon, so get it!). In the previous year, I subscribed to many RSS feeds and I sorted through the wheat and chaff by identifying the sources where the best articles originated. That process produced a short list of great bloggers who I now follow on a daily basis.
I’ll save the list of my favorites for another article, but one source made the favorites list early on partly because of the material presented, partly because Michelle Malkin was involved and in part because of the quality of the comments.
The source was HotAir.com and as I read more and more, I began to find myself gravitating to the posts of Doctor Zero. It could be argued that he was simply becoming more popular and therefore I was seeing his posts more often, but I believe it was truly because I really liked his writing style. Doctor Zero wrote informative, entertaining articles which made me feel like we were sitting across the table from each other over a great meal as we regaled each other with some of our latest opinions.
Like a good friend, he was comfortable sharing his opinions, but never arrogant about them. It was clear, at least to me, that we could agree to disagree, even though we rarely did. His examples often contained references to the pop culture of my generation and I got a lot of them on the first reading. Movies and music popped up frequently and his tone was not condescending in any way.
So, when it came time to recruit writers to contribute to TeaPartyConnect.com, I compiled a list of some of my favorite bloggers and I wrote to them. I explained what I was trying to do and asked permission to re-post or cross-post some of their work to our brand new site. Some wrote back and some didn’t. But, while I was excited with every reply, I was particularly pleased when Doctor Zero wrote me and kindly gave me permission to republish his material.
The first Doctor Zero article I republished was perfect for TeaPartyConnect. It was titled “Misunderstanding The Tea Party” and in it he wrote exactly what I had been saying since June, 2009 when I helped found a local Tea Party:
The Tea Party movement is not crazy, hateful, or stupid. Their rallies are disarmingly cheerful affairs, which most certainly do include women and minorities. The movement is still in the process of coalescing, and seeks inspiration and representation, rather than leadership. They know their country is rocketing down the wrong path, and while the current President has a heavy hand on the throttle, the course was set long before he entered politics.
Little did I know when I reached out to Doctor Zero that the path that brought him to prominence on HotAir.com was as amazing as it was. Turns out he was a blog reader who loved HotAir.com and often commented on the the pieces he read on that site. His comments generated so much attention, that the management of HotAir.com invited him to join their ranks of “Green Room” guest bloggers.
It was a good choice by HotAir.com. Doctor Zero has developed a devoted fan base who eagerly anticipate the next post. I wonder sometimes would I have been as bold as I was when I first contacted him had I known all of this in the beginning, but I’m pretty sure it wouldn’t have mattered. As I said before, his style is to put the reader at ease and to make himself accessible through his writings. What I discovered after writing to him is that he is exactly the same way with personal contacts. His comments have been helpful and supportive. His answers to questions are direct and honest.
What more could you want?
How about a compilation of his best work? How about a political opinion reference? How about an educational journey of politics throughout the history of the United States?
Well, apparently, Doctor Zero was once again on the same page as his readers. He recently published one of the finest and most enjoyable compilations of opinion that I’ve ever read. It’s titled “Doctor Zero: Year One” and it contains the best of the best pieces he’s published in his first year of writing for HotAir.com. It ironically also covers most of the first year of President Obama’s administration and while the President’s actions during the first year dominate the book, it is not limited solely to commentary on Obama. It ranges broadly and sometimes in surprising directions. Economics, Tea Parties, and U.S. History are all hot topics. One of my personal favorite articles is “Who Mines The Dilithium?” It combines pop culture with historic economics in a way that makes the material extremely accessible.
While Doctor Zero’s style can’t be described solely as irreverent, he sometimes punctuates his pieces with irreverence. While Doctor Zero’s style can’t be described solely as humorous, I found myself smiling at many of his examples and metaphors. While Doctor Zero’s style can’t be described solely as professorial, he writes with the practiced knowledge of a teacher. While Doctor Zero’s style can’t be described solely as patriotic, his patriotism oozes between the lines, the words and the letters.
One of the things I’ve learned over the past year of working with a local tea party is that many people believe in conservative values without really understanding why they believe what they believe. Unfortunately, when confronted with opposing views, they are often unprepared to defend their own beliefs. If I were king for a day, I would force every member of every tea party group to read “Doctor Zero: Year One” because it would provide each of them with insight into the foundations of their beliefs in an accessible, easy to read format. I’m convinced by the end of the book, every tea party member would be able to confront any opposing view with educated confidence, without anger and with the knowledge that their beliefs are on solid ground.
In short, combine “Doctor Zero: Year One“ and “Confrontational Politics” and any tea partier will be more than qualified to debate almost any liberal.
Doctor Zero’s real name is John Hayward. He is a regular guy and a nice one to boot. Buy his book.
PS: If you want to learn how he got his online name “Doctor Zero”, click here.
PSS: When I re-read this review, I realized that I had written it as though John and I were old friends when in truth, we’ve never formally met. Basically, we’ve communicated only via email and through his blogposts. But I won’t re-write this because perhaps this happy accident is the best recommendation I could offer for his book. I believe that by the time you finish reading “Doctor Zero: Year One”, you’ll feel like you’ve made a good friend too.
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