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Yes, that was it, thanks for looking into it. I think I said somewhere above it's easy to get oversensitized when you are debating issue like these. That includes me. The only thing I was offended by is his comment that my tagline was pro-Kerry. I guess expected him to recognize the satire.

I got concerned when that same poster attacked burkeman1 more recently calling him a DU troll. My gut reaction was that he was looking for an easy target (burkeman1 qualifies) and picking fights for whatever reason. There's a fine balance between keeping people like the subject of this thread on the forum while still allowing newcomers who want to really challenge the views of posters like Burkeman. My overriding concern is that forum could in theory be converted into an echo chamber by a determined group of outsiders pretending to be extremely strong Bush supporters who challenge each and every post that posters like Burkeman1 make.

Or am I just being paranoid? Is it worth having dissenters like burkeman1 around who aren't always easy to debate with (to put it politely)? Personally I think that is the biggest strength of the forum.

Well, your tag is slightly ambiguous. : )

Honestly, I couldn't see why you felt attacked - BUT, I also wasn't really able to see why the person you were debating on that thread had pegged you as some kind of pro-Kerry troll. (I think he/she just put your tag together with your position on the topic, which was a reasonable one being reasonably argued, imo - so they questioned you...your sign-up date should have been a clue to that person.)

As for the forum in general: I do see the problem with people here practically campaigning for John Kerry because of their hatred for President Bush. It is impossible to distinguish some people's posts from something you would typically read on DemocraticUnderground - really. If liberals aren't allowed to advocate for Kerry here, I don't know why fringe, extreme-right conservatives would be.

I don't know if a person like the subject of this thread is worth worrying about. I think he's probably exactly where he belongs, in a sea of name-calling, rabid anti-Bush sentiment. People like you, on the other hand, are a different story. You seem to state your views politely and reasonably.

Big difference there, imo. Not that my opinion about any of this matters. LOL (I just wondered why you felt "harassed".)