See? They ARE zombies!

Short and sweet: Dan Bartlett, former advisor to George W. Bush, describes conservative bloggers in the January 2008 edition of Texas Monthly:

I mean, talk about a direct IV into the vein of your support. It's a very efficient way to communicate. They regurgitate exactly and put up on their blogs what you said to them. It is something that we’ve cultivated and have really tried to put quite a bit of focus on.

As Markos Moulitsas adroitly puts it, "Conservatives do love to be told what to say. Saves them the hassle of having to think for themselves."

P.S. Speaking of conservative bloggers, Eric Boehlert asks (and answers) the question, "Have they stopped whining yet?":

The incessant whining last week over the non-story about how some Democrats were allowed to ask Republican candidates legitimate questions during the CNN/YouTube debate was as revealing as it was embarrassing. When did Republican bloggers conclude that their candidates were so brittle and fragile that they had to be protected from unnecessary exposure to everyday citizens?

If that doesn't creep you out, I don't know what will. A college student asked a question at a CNN presidential debate, and furious right-wing bloggers, hunting for proof of a liberal media bias, commenced with a cyber deep-dive and quickly posted unflattering information about the student's family.

I'll say it again: GOP bloggers are so afraid of democracy that they spend their days and nights blaming the press for allowing it to take place.