[EveningStar]

Like my friend farmfriend, I post at both FR and CP under the same screen name.

CP is like most forums. It consists of different factions. Some of the folks there are AFers (anti-FReepers). Some are not. They range from conservative to center right, with a few moderates thrown in.. Some are religious, some are not. They have Catholics, Protestants, Jews, agnostics, atheists, and who knows what else. Some are nice. Some are hard on the outside but kind if you get to know them. Some of them are outright assholes. Just like most forums.

What ties these people at CP together is their desire to expose kooks. They go after kooks on both the right and the left, but their primary target is kooks on the right because those kooks make us all look bad and therefore undermine our progress. However, there is no consensus among CP folks as to who is a kook and who isn't.

I'll give myself as an example. I'm a conservative with some libertarian views. I tend toward Judaism but I have not yet converted. I am very much pro-Free Republic. I really like a lot of the posters here at FR. I even run a South Park ping list here. Most of the kooks I go after are on Liberty Post. My main disagreements with FR have been over their banning policy and the arbitrary policies of some, but not all, of the mods. For instance, I didn't like it when they banned two of my pals, Chancellor Palpatine and Sabertooth and I don't always agree with them when they move or pull my posts. But these things happen at ALL forums, not just FR.

As for why I hang out at CP, well many of the people I like hang out only at CP. Also, there are certain things I can say at CP that I can't say here. But once again, ALL forums have their taboos, and that includes CP.

[farmfriend]

Well said.

[veronica]

Kook is in the eye of the beholder I guess. I think people who claim to be Conservatives, yet attack Tom DeLay, Rush, Ann Coulter, etc. are kooks. Just my opinion. :)

[Trinity_Tx]

Very well said, ES. : )

It's funny...being a part of the WPPFF*, and supportive of the MMP (though I support Bush on almost everything else) left me pretty much an enemy of management and ~95% of the people here.

I love a good debate, but fighting just stresses me out. Get enough stress in RL. ; )

At CP and my other forums, the conflicting positions are still there, but aren't as nearly as brutal to deal with. For one thing, they're not usually radical about things, and they're (mostly) types who know good people, even friends, can honestly and politely disagree.

But also, I think there's more personal accountability by both members and leadership, due to their smaller size. So, the inevitable jerk here and there usually doesn't last too long. Everyone knows well and considers each "source". ; )

I never paid enough attention to FR business history, or particular personalities here, to make big public judgments about the other stuff. I assume if there are defenses to be made about anyone or anything, they can and should be made to those threads by those who do.

Anyway, that's my 2 cents, FWIW...

*obligatory caveat: I didn't want her tube pulled. I had very serious problems with the way it was handled. I just wanted the vitriol and lies to stop.

[technochick99]

I'll give myself as an example.

You and me both, ES, although I primarily lurk. Hell, Xenalyte and HOTD have show up there as well, and admit to lurking.

[Xenalyte]

The Xenalyte on CP is also me, and I'm Ralla on LP.

And in real life, I am Spartacus. ;)