Posted on 06/14/2011 4:20:58 PM PDT by parksstp
Okay Folks, Enough is Enough!
I have enjoyed participating in this forum for a long time because I enjoy supporting the conservative values people like JimRob, the Tea Party, and other decent Americans hold dear to. It's obvious we are in the fight of our lives for the long-term survival of this country. 2012 is clearly a major turning poing that could very well decide whether or not America survives.
Because of this importance, it is paramount we select the right candidate, the true conservative that will stand with us on all the conservative specturms (social, economic, domestic, and foreign policy). We absolutely cannot settle for another RINO or Democrat-lite candidate.
Many people here have been passionate in support of "their" candidate. Others have expressed gloom and doom with no hope of survival. Still others have taken the "my candidate or nothing" road. I want to address these.
Michelle Bachmann, Herman Cain, Sarah Palin, Rick Santorum (listed alphabetically). All of these individuals have strong conservative credentials, and based on what I know, I would feel comfortable and empowered with supporting any of them in a general election against Obama. Nobody is ever perfect, but these four individuals have shown time and time again that they have the character and the heart to direct the country in the "right" direction.
That being said, I have become alarmed and disheartened at the amount of attacks generated against these folks by posters on this board claiming to be conservative. I have seen Michele Bachmann absolutely brutalized for one reason or another, being labeled a "phony, stalking-horse, RINO, inexperienced, unintelligent". I have also seen Herman Cain get hammered as an "Establishment guy, Anti-2nd Amendment, TARP loving RINO". And some people just can't let the whole Santorum/Spector thing rest. It's like many posters for whatever reason want to turn reality on its head.
I know a lot of people on this board like and support Bachmann, Cain, and Santorum. Personally, I really like Michele and her debate performance last night strengthened my opinion of her. As I said before, I could easily support any of them.
I think many of the Palin supporters feel the same way too (that is, if she decided not to jump in, they could support one of the three above without much reservations). And many of us supporting one of the three candidates listed above, could possibly move to the Palin camp if she got in without any problems.
However, there appears to be a strong minority of the Palin supporters on this forum that are trying hard to deliberately suck the life out of any other conservative candidate who might actually be just as able to carry the conservative banner in the 2012 election. The notion of these folks is that Palin is the only "true conservative" who can do no wrong and that any other candidate claiming to be a conservative in this race is simply a "wolf in sheeps clothing", and that we should simply wait for her entry into the race so that she can be rightfully "annoited". After all, they say, once she enters, the debates against the other conservatives will be useless because she is already obviously the winner!
As someone that believes in conservative values and independent thought, I reject this notion and take great offense to the attacks these people have thrown on Bachmann, Cain, and Santorum.
I like Sarah Palin a lot. I love how she has learned to torture the media and turn the game on them. It's clear she is the most charasmatic of all the conservative indiviudals listed. Beleive me, it would be awesome watching her win on Election Night just to see the reaction of the liberal media (I predict Olbermann would hang himself). She's more than capable to be President.
But Sarah Palin isn't the only conservative. And contrary to some people here, she isn't an object to be worshipped. This type of infatuation always leads to disappointment, because NO candidate is perfect.
I like Michelle Bachmann. And I like Herman Cain too. And if either of these individuals ever made it to the WH at the top of a ticket, then I believe are country would be in good shape.
So I'm asking nicely to please, stop the attacks on the other conservatives in this race. These people are not rivals, they're allies. Let them each state their case to the American people, then take a step back, and make a good, rationale, objective decision.
P.S. By "Conservative Candidates" I do not mean Romney or other RINOS (those folks are fair game)
The first opponent to be defeated is Romney. Let us be very, very clear about this.
I am hoping Bachmann will be the one to step up for that.
Now did I attack those candidates or did I point out their records. I will place Gov Palin’s record up against all comers and she will stand head and shoulders above all of them on issues and character. And you know why i can make such a great case for Gov Palin because for the last 3 years the palinhaters have forced me to research and defend Gov Palin. Competition and “attacks” make a stronger better candidate. If Bachmann, Cain and santourm can not handle "discussions" on freerepublic they will be destroyed in the MSM world.
Your post sounds like someone that doesn't want to defend your candidate that hopes, prays, wishes that your candidate can skate through the primary “undamaged” and with high favs to then “win” against Obama. Let me tell you that isn't what will happen. your candidate “might” skate through the primaries if we do not discuss them but then in the general they will face the entire MSM onslaught naked as the day they were born with no defenders, no one knowing their record and no one willing to stand up and push back on the MSM narrative they from that day.
So “if” we followed your plea. We would lose in a landslide come Nov 2012. Either buck up on stay in the truck...
The mere ordering that you chose in the enumeration of what the conflict should be called might be enough to ignite some passions. At least you didn't mention "The War of Southern Rebellion" in the list. :-)
I must have missed that. I had people on both sides of the Civil War, so it’s a topic that interests me.
bachmann was asked today on GMA to talk about romney care she dodged the question....several times... bachmann will never defeat mitt. the only person that stands a chance of defeating Mitt at this point is Palin.
>>Some of that is the new touchiness of folks. If you attack their position somehow that constitutes a hurtful personal attack. Of course, it isn’t. But, we’re much touchier now.<<
I invite you to look at this thread and see the personal attacks and from where they originate.
Look for terms such as “as usual you...” “whining” “thin skinned” and the like. See how those posts relate to the point in the posts.
The point of the OP was that Gov. Palin can never be criticized, else the critic is attacked — not his/her points, but him/her personally.
Maybe that is what you were saying — maybe I just misread it.
Total falsehood...did you watch the video before posting?
The actual war itself was almost "civil" compared to some the most heated threads of the past, notably those involving the aptly-named Non-Sequitur (who was banned last winter) and Stand Watie (whom I haven't seen in ages hereabouts).
As much as I admire Palin and value the fact that she has been vetted more thoroughly than all other candidates in my lifetime (combined), I recognize her flaws and hope her staff is reading FR and absorbing helpful advice. We should not be in the tank for any candidate, nor should our knives be out for fellow conservatives. We need to make sure that the evil, anti-American communist in our White House is neither reelected nor replaced with a RINO who will allow his actions to stand. That should be our priority, not some purity test than even Ronald Reagan would have failed.
There are a very small number on FR who act differently, and I suspect some are actually trolls, while others are simply tense because the United States as both a free country and as a beacon of hope may be destroyed in the next few years. I hope we will be understanding of those who are feeling the understandable stress and be patient with them (while booting the trolls who are only trying to boost internal friction).
Well, you’ll note I did say “some” not “all”.
I know that is a popular opinion here. It does not impress me.
Bottom line—only Sarah Palin is feared by the Marxists.
Get your mind around that.
>>Palin can never be criticized? what the last 3 years wasn’t enough for you?<<
Well, Gov. Palin can’t be criticized here, anyway. As I said, the response is invariably at attack of the critic, not the criticism.
That is the point.
Palin has a proven record of appealing to a broad politial spectrum and concensus-building with high job performance approval ratings.
the truth never impresses anyone until after it’s too late.
>>Well, you’ll note I did say “some” not “all”.<<
LOL! Always wise to leave an escape hatch (and I say that admiringly) :)
That’s because the Marxists don’t know the rest.
Whoever wins the Republican nod, gets my vote. I remember FR in 1999 and the condemnation of the coke-snorting RINO G W Bush.
Being a conservative Independent living in California, my vote ain’t gon’ be worth diddly.
All I can do is say ABO12 and cross my fingers it’s a true conservative.
Very well said, unseen1.
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