Posted on 04/05/2007 8:46:45 PM PDT by Pistolshot
I came here in 1998 looking for conservative, logical, thoughtful conversation and debate on the things that matter to us the most. I was a Reagan Republican. One of those who had watched in horror as our embassy staff in Tehran was taken by fanatics. The answer should have been overwhelming force, but it was Carter, that limp-wristed, can’t-we-just talk-this-out, weakling who had made the military a shambles, and stripped it of its soul because of VietNam. I knew from the beginning that there was no room in this world for weakness and that was the beginning of my road to conservatism.
Now here we are, in the beginnings of a campaign to deny the Democrats not only the White House, but the two houses of Congress. It is extremely early in this race, the leading candidates that have announced are far from acceptable to a large majority of us. Yet, day after day on this site we have the Rudy machine, the McCain people, Mitt’s people, and every other supported candidate backer posting missives about their guy. Some are repeated vitriol that has no debatable content, and only begs to be ignored. Some of it is the adage of ‘Don’t like it, too bad. He will be our candidate.’ In the past I’ve seen posters here who were thoughtful, logical, literally passionate about impeaching Clinton, but with a HUGE degree of civility.
What is taking place here, and I am guilty of it too, so don’t think I am pointing fingers here, is the destruction of what is good about this site. WE ARE CONSERVATIVES, first and foremost. We have our passions that lead us to the candidates we have running. Debate is the give and take of ideas to reach a consensus about a direction. A direction we should all look at for the country, not because of the ‘he can beat Hillary’ dogma, but because the candidate we choose is THE one to carry what our hopes and dreams are for this great nation. I have seen posters here demean others, insult integrities, bash people they DON’T EVEN KNOW ON A PERSONAL LEVEL, and generally look like some of the slime that lurks on DU.
We are supposed to be better than that. It’s time we stop acting like we cannot debate without insult, stop treating each other as if our opinions don’t matter or our vote. It’s time that Jim starts looking around and suspending or closing some accounts for this type of behavior until it gets under control.
We are not DU here. The candidate we vote to carry the platform will be the one who reaches out to the most diverse among us. If that doesn’t happen for your candidate, I’m sorry. But to stoop to some of the tactics I’ve seen here based on a persons opinion or religion is despicable and speaks poorly for all of us.
I don’t need to respond to tripe like that.
That worked out well, didn't it?
Really taught those RINOS a lesson, they did!
:-)
No one is saying you must vote for Rudy, certainly not the Rudy-ites, he's not even the nominee.
I may sound a little retarded here, but they have to care, don’t they? Why would the press keep harping on how we’re divided as a nation if most people just didn’t care?
At least you aren’t bought and paid for.
It sure did!
I wonder if they got their Thank You cards from the DNC yet?
If that is the price that I have to pay, then I am willing to pay it. I will not compromise my core principles for the sake of expediency. We have survived many bad presidencies and with God's help we will survive many more. But if we sacrifice our principles and actively seek to elect those who would literally sacrifice our posterity on the altar of economic prosperity, then we will not be able to count on God's help any more.
IF we abandon principles and abandon God, then God may very well abandon us. I will not vote for a pro-Abortion candidate of any party. I am not the only one. I will not abandon what I believe to be the most important issue of our lifetime simply to put a roadblock in the way of power hungry democrats. Let the democrats elect their pro-abortion candidates. That is their issue. They can have it. If we cannot muster the courage to put up a viable choice on that issue, then we don't deserve to lead.
No problem! All we have to do is pre-agree to vote for whatever blockhead the Republican nominee finally is no matter how revolting his policies about state-funded abortion or handgun registration may be to us. Once we have deposited our troublsome principles at the door all will be sweetness and light.
LOL...makes me think of that old joke, “We’ve already agreed what you are; we’re just dickering on your price now.”
That said, one of my frustration is with the 100%ers. These people would be great drill sergeants but not much else. They live in a fantasy world of disconnect between their crystallized ideology and reality. I’m no moderate, but one has to be at least 10% pragmatic or one will get nowhere in life.
I think we all agree that there is too much on the line to allow any of the democrats to win the White House. We may disgree on the kind of candidate we need to nominate to insure that won’t happen, but that is what the primary is all about. At this point, I think Rudy is close to my beliefs and can win. I do think he would be better than Hillary. However, if another republican with stronger conservative convictions shows himself as a strong match against the dems...I would love to support him.
Free Republic is a wonderful place to work out all of our struggles as we seek to keep Hillary and/or Barak out of the White House.
I am very socially conservative, I work in my local crisis pregnancy clinic. But, I think that is a battle not won in the White House but within our communities. However, I think the WOT is THE issue upon which all of our futures depends.
So, I will just read all I can, watch all of the debates, pray for direction...and when it comes to the General Election I will be filling in my little oval for the Republican Nominee. I hope you all will be also.
You're right. I personally know many people like you describe. I have friends..a married couple. They are very well off. Their property if up for sale right now for almost 3 million bucks. They are as extreme conservative as you can get. BOTH OF THEM ARE ON PERMANENT DISABILITY and receive monthly checks. Obviously, they don't see any hypocracy in that.
More “it’s the conservatives’ fault” garbage.
Where I was, we had no problem getting conservatives out. Why? We ran conservatives. And guess what? We won, in spite of the RINO sniping we had to endure right up until election day.
And you're willing to take the rest of the country to hell with you, huh?
This country has always been divided. Elections, as far back as I can remember, have been decided on those who straddle the fence, or simply don’t give a damn about politics until the day of the election.
You see, a more effective response would be to demonstrate how I am wrong. The fact that you call my position “tripe” indicates you believe my position to be extremely flawed...yet you point out no flaws.
Well, I’ll be back in an hour or so. I’m off to watch diggnation with my Sweetness.
That’s the new talking point...there’s not a bit of difference between Rudy and Hillary. What can you even say in response to that?
This thread is a waste of time. RINO lovefest. But I admire your courage and your principled position. The only hope for the country is that millions of people just like you will get off their butts and act.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.