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I have been around here quite a while and I have personally noticed that if you say something controversial, instead of respectful intelligent debate discussing the merits of the issue, you get personally attacked and crucified, not by just liberals, but so called conservatives also. After a few episodes like that, it becomes just not worth it.

...if you say something controversial, instead of respectful intelligent debate discussing the merits of the issue, you get personally attacked and crucified, not by just liberals, but so called conservatives also.

Uh, Crevo threads of the past were absolute war...
Now you can talk about carbon dating, evolution and life on Earth before 6,000 years ago and not get flamed. I think manners have actually improved.
But I do miss some of the talent lost in the great purges of yore.

The personal attacks by fellow FReepers are definitely a problem. It turns off quite a few. I’ve invited several conservative friends to the site who enjoy it for a few days before they stumble upon a knock-down, drag-out among a few FReepers and decide it isn’t worth reading through that stuff to get to the insightful commentary.

The mods have so many theads to review and they aren’t babysitters either, so sometimes personal attacks go unrestrained. It’s up to FReepers whether or not we want to increase the number of site members and therefore our activism and political influence.

The top two complaints I’ve received from conservative friends who’ve looked at FR and decided against it were a) people trashing conservative media pundits who are generally share our views and b) birthers yelling “Obot troll” at anyone who disagrees with them.

if you say something controversial, instead of respectful intelligent debate discussing the merits of the issue, you get personally attacked and crucified, not by just liberals, but so called conservatives also.

You've never been crucified by a liberal on Free Republic. Ever. There's only us conservatives here.

And, what constitutes "controversial" on a conservative forum? Seems to me, that would necessarily be some point of view that the majority of professed conservatives vehemently disagree with.

If you're being attacked so much that you have to voice a beef about it, I'd say that you're probably off the reservation, and that the community is letting you know that.

It does get ugly, particularly lately.

What is getting under my skin lately is the 'RINO police.' Everyone is a RINO: DeMint, West, Bachmann... offer a name and someone throws the RINO card.

Want to talk 2012 candidates? For some it's Sarah Palin even if she's not running. Discuss anyone else and they'll go scored-earth: you must be a RINO and your candidate is a stalking-horse for Romney, be warned or we'll call for a zot. I exaggerate, perhaps, but not by much.

Some believe the nomination is hers, candidate or not, and no one else can have it. That stuff doesn't do Palin any good if she ever does run. It drives people away to see that cultish craziness. That's different than passion.

It doesn't do FR any good, either, because there really are actual candidates in this race and we need to discuss their pros and cons. We need the best alternative to Romney running.

I've been saying lately, if people wait around for Palin, and she does not run, the conservative alternatives will have lost valuable time needed to build a strong campaign and raise funds against to fight Romney. Primaries and caucuses start in January, people will be busy worried about home heating oil and the holidays by October. These next 3-4 months are crucial to the nomination.