What a load. IMHO, FReepers are (generally) Conservative first, and maybe Republican if the party is doing what it should be doing as our representative party. If not, plenty of FReepers openly criticize GOP policies and votes without getting banned.
You get banned for being a troll, or a jerk to other FReepers.
But dang, FR is great, ain't it?
Perlstein doesn't understand that nobody could possibly organize all the individual efforts that go into FR by using a top-down hierarchial leadership structure. There's too many individuals making too many decisions about individual action for this forum to be managed in that way. This is a forum based on grass-roots activism and individual initiative. There is no high-level management of FR other than the excellent management of the FR website. This is a forum built on individual freedom, personal initiative, and personal responsibility, which are the values we believe in around here.