We can all learn a lot from Ann Coulter, and I don't mean about conservative principles, which is a given, but about how conservative principles can be promulgated through compelling presentation. Ann makes you laugh, and only after do you realize that she's made you think.

I've written several times at this point about the value of presentation separate and apart from the importance of content. Jerry Seinfeld is a very wealthy man today because he understood that a show can be about nothing and still watchable for its entertainment value.

Liberal talk radio failed miserably because the could grasp that unmitigated and relentless hissy fits are boring. Jon Stewart's wild success is based on the idea that liberal ideas can be palatable is couched in humor.

I had a conversation over the weekend with an Evangelical friend of mine who was annoyed that the Mormon church keeps getting media mentions as "the fastest growing" church in the country. He pointed out that various Protestant denominations like the Assemblies of God, are growing much faster. I pointed out that this was effectively a kind of accounting trick seeing as the AofG are getting most of their new congregants from other Protestant denominations. Does it really count if a Methodist starts attending an AofG church?

It occurred to me then that this is probably the case for conservative media as well--we are all simply playing musical chairs, sharing the same audience over and over again without actually increasing its overall size.

I don't know if Ann is a particularly good example of a conservative evangelist, but I suspect she is, because she's pretty funny in that sarcastic, ironic way. She attracts an audience for no other reason than to see what she'll say next, and that's a very positive dynamic for conservatism.

For bloggers in particular, there will always be a market for good, solid political blogging, but we may want to consider some new tricks.

Instead of all just linking to each other, why not try to cultivate linking relationships with friendly, non-political blogs on gardening, food, technology, etc...

Tailor some blog posts for the non-wonk. Be pedantic about conservative principles and why they work.

Make it funny.

Use mixed media. Ed Cropper's blog is a great example of this. His postings consist of pictures subjected to editorial photoshopping. His jpegs wouldn't be out of place on a bowling blog, to give an example.

Create a contextual link chain from the general to the specific. Make it easy for someone who might be initially attracted by a humorous juxtaposition to drill down to a broader and more specific context.