First Friday (www.itsfirstfriday.com) launched this summer, and its happy hours (first Friday of each month, obviously) are picking up speed. First guest of honor? Grover Norquist. Then The Washington Examiner’s own Bill Sammon.
Michael Steele in October. Newt Gingrich in December. Christopher Hitchens soon (details haven’t been finalized yet). Founder Derek Hunter also is praying that Karl Rove might one day stopby.
The group hopes to bring together young conservatives who long for the good ’ol days when conservatives were, well, actually conservative.
“We’re a group of people for whom Goldwater is more than the punch line of a pee joke,” Hunter said. He may try to steer First Friday — whose Web site also features a blog and weekly podcast — toward Think Tank Land eventually, while trying to maintain the current fun vibe. In the meantime, the happy hours will have to suffice, and Hunter says political persuasion is not a deterrence.
“It’s Friday and everybody is just a person on a Friday afternoon,” he says, rather diplomatically. Then, being more honest, he admits: “But you know what you’re getting into. If a dirty hippy shows up, they’re more than welcome, but it’s probably not a good place to bring up politics.”
