Progressive Veterans Group Slams New RedState Logo

A few days ago, I reported on conservative website RedState's new, quasi-military "Strike Force" logo, aimed at inspiring grassroots organizing efforts. Now, the group VoteVets.org has taken aim at the insignia:

Erick Erickson, the editor of RedState, has just given us fodder to use for the rest of the year. In an attempt at being politically savvy--and by telling himself that what they do is somehow akin to being a "soldier" in a "war"--Erickson has decided that conservatives need to field-organize like progressives. And what better way to motivate the "troops" for activism than by inventing your own unit crest which, of course, replicates those worn by actual combatants in real wars?

While I am more than happy to mock RedState's goofy logo (are they starting a war, or a soccer team?), I have to point out that co-opting military style is not the exclusive province of the right. A great many of the lefty protesters that Caleb and I encountered in Denver did the same, and The Young Turks even use military ranks to designate levels among their donors.

I find it goofy either way. Still, many of the folks at RedState have served, or are serving, and so far they have not objected. I don't think VoteVets has any greater mora; authority over this than they do.

I have an elegantly simple solution, though. I suggest changing the name of the site to "RedShirt.com," and using the rank and insignia of Starfleet as organizing principles. It would accomplish much of what the current program does, and nobody would even bother calling them dorks. What would be the point?

They could come up with great catchphrases, like "Set phasers on deregulate!" and "Beam me up, Scotty, there's no intelligent design down here!"

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