R.I.P. Rufus
Tue, Jun 24, 2008 3:04 pm
With all due respect to his lasting impact upon pop culture, we were never big fans of George Carlin’s comedy routine. So today we mourn George Carlin’s passing by instead praising his legendary performance as Rufus, the time traveling tour Sherpa in the 1989 classic, Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure.

Stoneridge VP Michael Clingaman featured in Louisville Courier-Journal
Mon, Jun 16, 2008 2:01 pm
Stoneridge Vice-President Michael Clingaman drops science while discussing Senator Mitch McConnell’s re-election prospects in today’s Louisville Courier-Journal.
Click here to see article.

A Note On The Passing Of
Tim Russert
Fri, Jun 13, 2008 5:49 pm
It’s easy to be cynical about political journalism. The Internet has allowed anyone with a computer to become a "journalist." A YouTube Presidential debate? Print newsrooms are getting smaller. And every television network seems to have a clear bias, even those who claim to be "Fair & Balanced." (Yeah, I said it)

Few anchors/journalists follow a story wherever it leads, for there are constituencies to coddle and advertisers to please. Today’s political news is rife with "drive-by," gotcha journalism, covering only the most salacious elements of a story.

Tim Russert was different.

As a teenage political geek, I’d watch moments of Meet the Press while my family and I were getting ready for church (though Russert didn’t take over the show until I was in college). I watch it still. Sure, I watch some of the other Sunday shows. But these other programs are like the band opening up for U2—they’re entertaining, but under no circumstances do they belong on the same stage with the biggest band in the world.

The big stories, the big interviews, the big "gets"--Russert had them all. Why? Because he was an honest, straightforward interviewer. He left no stone unturned and was equitable in his treatment of elected officials from both parties. He was very, very fair--a quality for which he was honored with too-many-to-count journalism awards.

Though I never met him, it was clear to me (and all who count Meet the Press as the gold standard of political journalism) that he was a good person, a loving husband, and a proud father. What a wonderful legacy to leave behind.

God Bless Tim Russert and his family.

Palmetto Primary Day
Tue, Jun 10, 2008 1:45 pm
It’s primary election day in South Carolina, and hopefully there’ll be some new, ethical, conservative blood in the State Legislature as of tomorrow morning. Here’s hoping that good, real conservatives all across South Carolina will be dancing the Dance of Joy later this evening:

You see the Lost season finale last night?
Fri, May 30, 2008 1:16 pm
Yeah, we’re geeks for Lost.  So what did we learn during last night’s season finale?

Locke is the dead guy in the coffin?  Interesting.  And he’s Jeremy Bentham, not Locke.  Is that supposed to be an allusion to Jeremy Bentham, the British jurist, political radical, and leading supporter of Utilitarianism?

Ben literally moved the Island.

Godspeed, Jin.

Sayid shot that guy in the Santa Rosa parking lot at 8:15. The numbers are bad!

The heavy breathing call Kate received?  Played backwards, the caller says, "The Island needs you.  You have to go back before it’s too late."  You can listen for yourself right here: YouTube  

Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull
Mon, May 26, 2008 3:16 pm
Swinging on vines?  Really?  Vines?  And aliens? Sigh . . .

Mr. Lucas, step away from the notepad, put down the pencil, and stop destroying my childhood!

McCain on Daily Show
Fri, May 23, 2008 5:35 pm
Funny stuff from our nominee:

McCain on Saturday Night Live
Mon, May 19, 2008 6:00 pm
McCain’s mock campaign commercial.  The guy has a great sense of humor:

Gas Prices
Wed, May 14, 2008 9:46 am

Candidates Looking for Slogans
Mon, May 12, 2008 11:13 am
A good slogan helps drive your message and can be the foundation upon which the rest of your messaging campaign is built.  So, in the interest of assisting political candidates out there that don’t have the $2,500 we charge to create a slogan (kidding, we don’t charge for that), the Stoneridge Group is providing this low-cost, effective alternative.  Just enter common campaign-oriented words like, "win," "real," "victory," "conservative," etc.

Click Here

We’ve Launched Some New Sites
Fri, May 9, 2008 1:03 pm
We’ve launched a bunch of great, new websites in the past couple of months.  Please check them out:

North Carolina House Republican Caucus
majoritybuilders.org

Gwinnett County Commission Chairman, Charles Bannister
electbannister.com

Humiston for Congress
humistonforcongress.com

Everyone Please Pass Your Tin Foil Hats To The Front
Fri, Mar 7, 2008 4:03 pm
In what can only be described as a, well, insignificant development, Ron Paul has conceded he will not become president. Like the unwashed, sheep-like masses of people who spent months running behind Forrest Gump as he jogged across the United States, the dedicated devotees of Dr. Paul are also faced with the question, "What do we do now?"

Today is Not So Super Tuesday
Tue, Mar 3, 2008 12:00 pm
Voters go to the polls today in Ohio, Texas, Maine, Rhode Island, and Vermont. While things still appear bleak for Hillary Rodham Clinton, she could manage a small change in the by earning victories in Ohio and Texas. As we believe she’s a far weaker general election candidate, everyone here at SRG HQ is pulling for the Senator from New York.

And we’re keeping our fingers crossed that McCain victories in Ohio and Texas will shut the door, once and for all, on the Untitled Mike Huckabee Experiment. Huck’s had a good run, and he’s certainly a fine spokesman for many of the issues that social conservatives hold dear, but it’s time for him to ride of into the sunset--and to do so while he still has his dignity. Huck’s supposed to be in Arkansas on Thursday for a news conference, so here’s hoping that Huck, Chuck Norris, and the Total Gym announce they’re withdrawing from the race and coalescing behind the Republican nominee.

Now, for the laughs: Here’s a video of Stephen Colbert trying to convince the Smithsonian to post his self-portrait. Funny stuff:

Huckabee on SNL
Mon, Feb 25, 2008 9:22 am
"We're not quite sure what he's still doing in the race, but we admire Huckabee's ability to laugh at himself. The odds are greater that Obama will someday discuss something of substance than they are that Huckabee will win the Republican nomination. Watch the video of Huck's surprise appearance on last weekend's episode of Saturday Night Live."

BREAKING NEWS: The Emperor Has No Clothes
Wed, Feb 20, 2008 10:11 am
Watch a hilarious exchange in which an Obama supporter, Texas State Senator, Kirk Watson, struggles to name a single thing Obama has accomplished during his 3 years in the United States Senate.

Clap, clap, point, point
Tue, Feb 12, 2008 5:22 pm
Hilarious video of Steve Colbert (of the Colbert Show and Daily Show fame) commenting on Hillary Clinton’s election night tactics. Enjoy.

Steve Greenberg Wins in a Landslide!:
Wed, Feb 6, 2008 10:49 am
Stoneridge would like to congratulate our client, Steve Greenberg, for winning Illinois’ 8th Congressional District republican primary, thereby securing the right to take on Democrat Congresswoman Melissa Bean this November. Steve easily outdistanced his 2 other primary opponents, winning 57% of the vote. Congratulations Steve!

 

We’re voting today!:
Tue, Feb 5, 2008 8:52 am
You’ve no doubt heard today is Super Tuesday. So, provided you’re a resident of one of the 24 states voting today, please, make sure you find time to vote. We must add a special shout-out to our Alaska friends who’ll be casting their votes in 50 degrees below 0 conditions. You gotta want it, Alaska! We won’t lay it on thick with the, "It’s your duty as an American, etc" talk. But you know, especially if you’re a Republican, that you have a responsibility to help select our nation’s Commander in Chief. The men running for the republican nomination are good, honorable men, each of them possessing diverse strengths and principles. So please, find time to cast your vote tomorrow.

 

Redesigned Stoneridge Website to Launch in 5 . . . 4 . . . 3 . . .
Fri, Feb 1, 2008 3:02 pm
We’re working round the clock in preparation for the launch of stoneridgegroup.com 3.0. Sure, we just overhauled our existing site a couple of months ago, but much has occurred in those intervening months; Green is the new brown, minesweeper isn’t as fun as we were led to believe, and you all once again seem to have found a way to outwit our pop-up ads. To keep pace with these changes, we decided to throw our existing site out the window in favor of something fresh, something new. So keep checking back to see us rock the web world once again.

 

Stoneridge Group pulls down first victory of 2008:
Mon, Jan 9, 2008 5:02 pm
Candidate Alecia Webb-Edgington and her team's unrelenting hard work over the last several weeks, along with direct mail by the Stoneridge Group, propelled her to victory last night in the 63rd Legislative District in Kentucky by a margin of 6 points. The Special Election was to fill a vacancy in a Northern Kentucky State House seat. We congratulate Alecia-- that is Rep. Edgington, on her victory and welcome her to the Stoneridge family.

 

Drudge is for Romney:
Mon, Dec 29, 2007 8:52 pm
Ok, ok. Drudge is for Romney, and he’s trying to crush Huck. We get it. Uncle! Though we don’t have a dog in this fight, we think you ought to hear, "I'm Mitt Romney, and I approved this message" every time you click over to drudgereport.com.

 

Michael Clingaman Gets His Varsity Uniform:
Mon, Dec 14, 2007 11:01 am
Free agent Michael Clingaman has signed with Stoneridge. Michael brings to Stoneridge a decade of campaign experience. His career stops have included stints at the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) where he recruited candidates and served as the Southern Field Representative and the Republican Party of Kentucky(RPK) where he served as the Executive Director.

Michael also has managed numerous campaigns including a Gubernatorial campaign and one of 2002’s top congressional races. He also logged time at at the highly-respected Washington, D.C.-based polling firm, Voter/Consumer Research.

 

For All The Philosophy Majors Out There:
Mon, Dec 14, 2007 11:01 am
Tired of negative ads? Then enjoy this very funny Immanuel Kant attack ad produced by Friedrich Nietzsche:
Click Here
And yes, we understand the vast majority of you have no idea what’s going on here.

 

Alan Keyes? Seriously?:
Thur, Dec 13, 2007 1:30 pm
Are you guys as stumped as we are as to why Alan Keyes was included in yesterday’s GOP debate. They guy is a joke of the first order. He’s an arrogant, rude, carpetbagger who pays himself a salary with campaign funds, and his aimless rants make you want to shout, "Alan, shhhhhh! The grown ups are talking." Anyhow, we had to point out how much Keyes sounds like our favorite cartoon character, Marvin the Martian. See for yourself. Click Here

 

JAY POLLS HIGHER IN
CHICAGO THAN OBAMA:
Mon, Nov 19, 2007 3:52 pm
Well, at least he was better received at the Illinois Republican Party Training Retreat. Jay spent this weekend in Chicago doing a seminar on New Media for Republican activists across Illinois at an event sponsored by the ILGOP. Recently, Stoneridge has done quite a few projects with the state GOP, most notably helping to launch three new websites, The Railsplitter, Blogging on Blago Blog and their flagship site, WeAreIllinois.org to replace a much older ILGOP.org site. Its exciting to see a state party listen to new ideas AND implement them.

 

NO HOPE FOR DEMOCRATS:
Mon, Nov 19, 2007 12:45 pm
Okay, so Micheal Clingaman, our new VP, is worth the money. He found this clip. Enjoy.

 

Our friend Gabe’s new book:
Fri, Nov 16, 2007 5:56 pm
Our buddy (and Jay’s college roommate), Gabe Lyons, just published a book entitled, "unChristian." Gabe runs a non-profit ministry geared toward reaching young people. Gabe’s book (co-written with Dave Barna) details how a sizeable percentage of young Americans hold at a pretty low opinion of Christianity, or perhaps more accurately, a low opinion of Christians. They view us as hypocritical, judgmental, and insensitive. In "unChristian," Gabe explains what believers can do to change that perception and what we can do to contribute positively to our culture. You can find out more at unchristian.com.

 

Heading Into the Final Days:
Wed, Nov 14, 2007 2:38 pm
All the mail is out the door. After weeks of off-year election induced craziness, it’s now all over but for the shouting. We’re involved in a handful of municipal and state legislative elections here in Georgia, a statewide race in Mississippi, and a special election in Tennessee. It goes without saying that we’re on the side of the angels in each of these races.

We’ve done some incredibly creative pieces for these races (the creative vibe is no doubt the result of all that fish oil Michael has been drinking) which we’ll soon add to our online portfolio.

 

Holy Cow!  Edgard threw back 8 plates of "All You Can Eat" shrimp at today’s team lunch
Fri, Sep 15, 2007 3:00 pm
Once each month, we take the entire Stoneridge team out to lunch. Due to the long wait at two of the restaurants we dropped by, we ended up at Red Lobster, which to no one’s surprise, did not have a long wait. Edgard, our Director of Geek 2.0 and the newest member of the team, thought he’d impress his peers by ordering the All You Can Eat shrimp. Edgard threw back 8 plates of a Scampi/Buffalo Shrimp mix. It was a site to see. There was shrimp shrapnel everywhere. Dude can eat.

 

Web Whiz Joins SRG
Wed, Sep 05, 2007 10:26 am
Edgard Negron has come aboard to run Stoneridge’s Geek 2.0 operation. Edgard has nearly a decade of experience in corporate web-based marketing, and will be a tremendous asset to our clients as we continue to expand our web design/eCampaign operation. You can read more about Edgard here.

 

Extra water needed; please send to Georgia
Thu, Aug 30, 2007 1:04 pm
Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last 6 months, you already know we ain’t got no water here in Georgia. Not a drop. So we’re asking for some help from all our friends living in states where Democrats have not banned rain. Send us some water. Please. Already opened bottles will be accepted. By the way, that sound you hear is each of us expressing our inner anguish through the majesty of song.