Climate Of Fear

NRO ^ | 10/7/04 | Nevski

[Nevski]

Blogger Robert Musil suggests that a climate of fear has descended upon Republicans in at least some parts of the country. Based in Los Angeles, Musil says most Republicans he's spoken with are afraid to put Bush-Cheney bumper stickers on their cars, or signs on their lawns, for fear of physical retaliation from angry liberals. The problem is not symmetrical, says Musil. Stickers and signs for Kerry are widespread in Republican neighborhoods. Yet even in their own communities, Republicans are holding back. Intrigued by Musil's claim, I put up a post on NRO's blog, The Corner, asking for reader comment. I was quickly flooded with nearly 300 e-mails, almost all of them backing Musil. Here is the story they told.

[MrBambaLaMamba]

Reckon I better remove that "Vote the Democratic Party - The party of the slave owner" sign from my SUV right quick.

[MEG33]

A feeling of moral superiority ?..Piffle! they are common hoodlums.

[Ironclad]

It's against the homeowner association rules to post signs in the unincorporated Ventura County community where I live, so I can't say one way or the other. I do see a fair number of bumper stickers, though, going both ways.

[Yardstick]

*bump* -- intesting article.

I have no doubt that a Bush sign or sticker is more likely to be stolen or vandalized than a Kerry one. It's just a matter of ideology. The Left believes in subversive acts of creative destruction in a way that American conservatives simply do not.

[Tacis]

Well, if the Republicans want the problem to be symmetrical, the solution is eay! Just sign up a bunch of union thugs, they'll tear down or beat up as ordered!

[Yardstick]

whoops, make that "interesting"

[Gingersnap]

Excellent article! The flag as "stand-in" for Bush signs is alive and well in my neighborhood. Most of my neighbors are conservatives of one stripe or another but there are no Bush signs on my street. Our street dead ends at an elementary school and the foot traffic is high. Instead we all seem to have really BIG flags.

[Fatalis]

Why do Kerry supporters feel free to vandalize Bush signs and damage the property of the president's supporters? Corner readers agree that it's the liberal feeling of moral superiority that "puts them above the law and gives them leave to abridge the rights of others." Another typical comment was: "There's nothing more intolerant than a tolerant liberal." One reader called for an amendment to Voltaire's classic statement of liberal tolerance: "I may disagree with what you say, but I'll sneak onto your yard in the middle of the night to steal your sign, you fascist bastard."

[SMARTY]

"We may fear retaliation for putting stickers on our cars, but our voice will be heard loud and clear on November 2."

Two things.

First, this is why I think polls are not accurate. Many Conservative voters keep their politics to themselves. The poll indicators do to fully reflect the range and depth of Conservative sentiment.

Secondly, my boss has been markedly hostile and abusive to me since she determined that I support the President. For this, I pay everyday. She likes to demonstrate her particular rancor in front of people who work here so now my co workers are monstrous and rude to me as well because she has set the tone. When the President is re elected, it will be awful for me. But that's OK.

[Dog]

Hang in there. I have someone like that at where I work....she and I have had a few yelling matches.

[KC_Conspirator]

Why do Kerry supporters feel free to vandalize Bush signs and damage the property of the president's supporters? Corner readers agree that it's the liberal feeling of moral superiority that "puts them above the law and gives them leave to abridge the rights of others." Another typical comment was: "There's nothing more intolerant than a tolerant liberal." One reader called for an amendment to Voltaire's classic statement of liberal tolerance: "I may disagree with what you say, but I'll sneak onto your yard in the middle of the night to steal your sign, you fascist bastard."

What a great article. Liberals are so full of hatred they alienate people, even friends.

[GOP_1900AD]

Now being passed around:

We The People of the United States of America call upon the Governors of all 50 states to station National Guard troops to protect all political party headquarters in each state's major metropolitan areas. For headquarters in smaller areas, and headquarters which are more limited facilities, we call upon the governors to station highway patrol, state police, or state troopers. We call upon the Mayor of the District of Columbia to coordinate with the applicable protective agencies as well. All parties on the ballot should receive the appropriate protection based on the size of the metro area they are in and the size of the facility. If warranted, similar measures should be put in place to protect the polling places on Election Day.

Orders to guardsmen and law enforcement officers to shoot-to-kill upon any mob attack should be issued.

Failure to take such actions should be considered gross incompetence.

In order to address the possibility that the recent attacks on headquarters of political parties are a diversion in advance of acts of terrorism or war, we also call upon the governors to activate their state militias and if need be to deputize selected citizens as special reserve state law enforcement officers. Where state militias and deputation statutes do not yet exist, we call upon the affected governors to sponsor such legislation as is needed in order to instate the applicable mechanisms.

In God We Trust.

[bicyclerepair]

I feel for you. I guess I'm lucky, the owners of where I work are all conservative and have Bush/Cheney stickers on their cars.

Good luck.

[backhoe]

When Goons Attack-Bullies Storm Republican Office ( vandalism, shooting, more-)

[Madame Dufarge]

When our neighbor put up his Kerry sign, we had our Bush/Cheney sign up within the hour.

The ju ju had to be counteracted.

[SMARTY]

Is it just me, or are all Democrats and Liberal types ill-bred and coarse people with minimal people skills?

[kylobo]

stop it all. file a harassment law suit. boss will be gone in a short. fear not life is good.