Posted on 12/14/2013 10:33:19 AM PST by The Bat Ladys Husband
First of all, let me say that I have been a lurker on FR since 2000. My wife (The Bat Lady) has been registered and a poster since the same time. I generally use FR as a news source and in years past as an info source for FR organized protests/demonstrations. I don’t generally comment on articles because I mostly agree and don’t need to preach to the choir. However one article fired me up and I finally register in August 2013.
That being said, I recently commented on an article regarding Steve Stockman running against John Cornyn. Knowing a lot about Texas politics I said Stockman was not a viable candidate. OMG! You would have thought I said I pissed on Reagan’s grave. I was called a troll, a Cornyn plant, a GOP-e (if my friends had heard that they would be laughing their asses off.) With all the name-calling I had to look to see if I was on FR or DU. Conservatives pride themselves on the quality of their debate versus liberal knee-jerk name-calling. I guess some here on FR can’t raise themselves above that level.
Sticks and Stones! But more disturbing to me is the rise what I like to call the FR-e. Those are the posters that think that because they have been on FR for a long time that they are some kind of royalty and that newcomer’ comments and insights have no validity if they do not parrot their particular perception. I was called a noob “prattling"
(prat·tle talk idly or childishly: to talk in a silly, idle, or childish way silly, idle, or childish talk)
Just because someone has recently discovered FR or recently joined after lurking they prattle? Oops, my bad, I guess they don’t prattle if they agree with the pompous long-term freeper. Maybe we could cut back on the fundraisers if we encouraged new members rather than drive them off or turned them off with vitriolic discourse and vicious name-calling
(vit·ri·ol·ic adjective - filled with the intention or desire to do evil.)
If you haven’t looked at the Home page (click Free republic at the top left of the browse page) I invite you to look again: Jim Robinson states: “Believing that the best defense is a strong offense, we (myself and those whom I'm trying to attract to FR) support...”
Jim is trying to attract people to FR. How does denigrating a new reader attract them to FR? Being a victim of a verbal knock-out game by a supercilious FR-e certainly does not encourage a "newbie" to participate or even hang around
(su·per·cil·i·ous adjective 1. behaving or looking as though one thinks one is superior to others.)
Certainly all long time members don’t fit this category but those who do know who you are (or maybe you don’t) and so do we.
skip the attacks on any position of yours that are mere vitriol; they do not represent arguments where a reasoned response will help produce a reasoned dialogue - something i never seem to admit often enough myself
if an opposing response represents a reasoned argument, whether you agree or not, jou have a chance for dialogue though that is no guarantee of changing anyone’s mind
as far as the stockman candidacy itself goes, you cannot stick your head in the sand on the facts of the current climate in the GOP, where the GOP elites have declared war on the GOP conservative base, openly, as if THEY - the elected incumbents ARE the party and everyone else should just go along, in spite of the grass roots base of the party seeing their votes elect folks who do not go out and fight for the Conservative principles they get elected on, but fight to stay in office just to make deals and compromises on expanding the federal government with Dims
in that atmosphere, the GOP base has a right to question the conservative veracity of the party’s incumbants, and the incumbants and the party leaders have no right to expect the grass roots to bow and defer to them just because they hold office now
is that an argument for Stockmand per se?
No. But it is an argument for why Cornyn is maybe one of the incumbants that does not deserve election without a good challenge in a primary. If that is true then is Stockman the best challenger for Cornyn? I’m not one to answer that.
But, your position seems to be that you don’t like what you see as kneejerk reactions to your opposition on Stockman, but what others took from your position might have been that they viewed it as an unthinking kneejerk support for Cornyn; and as I said, the GOP elite has NOT offered any reason at all for kneejerk support of GOP incumbants in general, given their record in the last session of Congress.
I’m with you on the childish vitriol thrown your way. It’s stupid. But, on the main topic you started this thread for that may be the only support I can give you.
The case for Cornyn has to be made, pro and con, on his votes in Congress, which should be the same basis as any case against him. As far as who is the best one to make a case against Cornyn, to the extent there is one, the GOP voters will have to decide.
If you think you have case in favor of Cornyn, state it, without thinking their cannot be valid arguments opposing it.
It's not a loss until all the votes are counted. And talking down the race only helps Cornyn by reducing turnout.
/johnny
When we tried to establish a FR network out side of the regular site he proved himself to be an #sshole. He tried to impose a failed Kali Republican Assembly on those of us that KNEW what worked in our own States.
He was an arrogant bully whom I grew to despise, sorry Jim.
He has bad-mouthed FR and JimRob on other forums. I’m not a fan of his.
I never could forgive the AL for the DH rule. Now they’re going to allow instant replay decisions on almost everything. Plus, they’re trying to make up bogus rules about Home Plate collisions, and why? To protect the most padded person on the Diamond!
Yeah, I really hate the hijacks, too. Yah nOOb.
For the best sense of how much mistrust & loathing is out here for the fascist sonsabitches in DC since (at least) '08, spend some time clicking usernames and see how many blank pages pop up.
The shootin' may not have started quite yet, but the war surely has . . .
Yes, everything you say is true. Knew him in the early days. I think he ate a few too many pizzas.
that is a good one
“I’ll stand with Marcella”
You know I said if the engineer and Johnny got together, the world would not be safe. You and I are like that, too. Now, if the four of us were together, the planets would not be safe.
A lot of people went Anti-FReeper, some are stuck that way, like Lucianne Goldberg. I feel sorry for them, they’re like atheists whose belief system consists of disbelieving somebody elses.
I wonder what Bob is up to these days?
If you have been lurking, you should have known what was coming your way. If you like Cornyn and not Stockman, that is your personal preference. However, just because it’s your personal preference does not
mean it’s the preference of a lot of posters here. If you post in an open forum, don’t be shocked when others who do not share your views, post their opinions, as well. That is why it is an open forum.
.. or the chick with the sparkly fonts ! d:^)
Oh, I quite agree. The problem isn't that it allows old hitters a lease on life but that it means that pitchers don't have to pay for their head-hunting sins by stepping up to the plate themselves. OTOH, have you ever tried to keep a scorecard through a couple of the NL double-switches? It looks like the flowchart for 0bamacare.
I dunno about the home plate collisions thing. That kind of stuff can get to you over time, but it's a lot worse in the NFL. I remember Steve Young of the Niners getting his bell rung like Quasimodo.
Oh, we haven't had a recipe on the thread yet. Here's one for bean salad:
In a bowl, gently mix one 15-oz can garbanzo beans, kidney beans, green beans, 4 green onions, and one stalk of celery, sliced. In a separate bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup vinegar, 1/4 cup vegetable oil, 1 tablespoon honey, a quarter tsp mustard, garlic powder, black pepper, onion powder, and cayenne pepper. Pour dressing over the salad, and toss gently to coat. Cover, refrigerate at least 2 hours, and gently toss before serving.
What else do we need to make this thread complete? Oh, yeah, Beauregard was a better general than Lee, evolution should be incorporated into the Constitution, and anyone who uses a 9mm as a primary carry piece is a homosexual.
That ought to do it.
Ah. Class of ‘98. But: You’re October 98. Kneel before Zod.
The last I knew he was on TBL and it was an on again, off again thing. He would say that he had inside information on FR, someone would poke him and he'd leave. It happened a lot.
Stick this on your lunchbox and be proud :
;)
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