If by "heat" you mean hatred, bigotry and ad hominem attacks, we did. We welcome anyone to discuss this..however, for our own "safety" we've been relegated to the smokey back room. ;^)
A huge part of the republican party is the religious wing with very strong convictions.
Not that "huge" IMO. I'm describing the voter who can't have a simple conversation without mentioning "god". Those IMO are the most dangerous to what should be the number one priority...getting consevative judges appointed.
The passion and emotion displayed here recently are evidence of those convictions.
You misspelled hatred and bigotry, IMO.
If our party can not take serious debate among us then we might as well drink Koolaid.
Calling a fellow Republican a Nazi and Pro-death, etc., is not serious debate, IMO.
My thoughts are that the Republican's will hold together not despite our heated debates but because we have the flexibility and strength to allow them.
...obviously not here in FreeRepublic forum however.
That's like saying all businessmen are corrupt, etc.
My main problem in addition to the massive bearing of false witness against others (calling pro-life freepers pro-death) is/was the wholesale rejection of documentation about certain aspects of the saga in favor of vicious rumor-mongering and ever escalating exchanges on the evilness of certain players vs the sainthood on the other side.