Wow, how short peoples’ memories are. I have a Freepmail from Jim Rob earlier this year imploring me not to criticize Gingrich, because Romney was so terrible. Now you guys are telling me Jim Ron, and all the other Freepers who supported a conservative (or who supported Newt Gingrich) are terrible and should be shunned? This used to be a conservative web site.
If you asked my if Romney will save the country, I would answer no. If you asked be if Obama will destroy the country, I would answer yes. Electing Mitt will allow us, conservatives like those here, to save the country.
Dude, you know I love ya. But things change. I'd still have supported Gingrich, but the RNC brain trust in DC turned out to be correct, Gingrich is reviled by too many (ignorant) people. It bears similarity to why Hillary Clinton cannot seem to get traction over the years, although in her case, the people who revile her are enlightened.
YET: It's true, that what gets you banned in one period of time, won't get you banned in another. Peoples' -- and the forum's -- views evolve, when confronted by the realities of the situation.
Trolls will always fight against the goals of the site, even if the goals -- by necessity -- must change. I suppose a good way to accomodate this, for those that are not trolls, is to be aware of the position of the site (and the position 'paper' should be updated and publicized as time changes).
And if you disagree with those positions, no worries... just don't troll, and you'll be fine. There's ways of phrasing things so you don't piss people off, especially The Powers That Be! I've done it any number of times, when my position was different than Jim Robinson's.
So Romney is the Republican candidate, and Romney has surprised me more than once, positively. I can assure you he will not be a perfect conservative -- hell, I'm not sure *I* can be -- but I do have the impression, from the indicators I outlined, that he will be better than I initially felt.