The last time the federal government shut down, in 1995-96, Fox News Channel – today's leading voice of conservatism in the media – did not yet exist, and The Drudge Report was an obscure digest sent by email.
"But today, a fervent group of conservatives – bloggers, pundits, activists and even members of Congress – is harnessing the power of the Internet, determined to tell the story of the current budget showdown on its terms," Jeremy W. Peters reported in
The New York Times.
Peters quoted Christopher Ruddy, chief executive of
Newsmax, the conservative magazine and website, and a publisher whose “
ObamaCare Survival Guide,” a New York Times best seller, has sold a half-million copies.
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“This time the energy is being fueled by a lot of forces that did not exist back then,” Ruddy said. “There’s this new conservative media constellation, and that’s playing into this.”
Jenny Beth Martin, co-founder of Tea Party Patriots, said that during the 1995-96 shutdowns, conservatives felt disconnected from one another, Peters reported.
But now, "people don't feel like they're alone," Martin said. "You feel like you've got allies with you and your voice isn't just in the wilderness."
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