I see that viewership of FR is down about 22% over the past few months. The shrillness has been, I would think, the main reason for this. Civil debate is one thing, but the hyperventaliating and name-calling has driven a lot of people away. If the owners here were really concerned about the future of this forum, you'd think they'd reign-in some of what's been going on, even if they happen to agree with the position of the spleen-venters. There are appropriate ways to voice an opinion. Much of what we see from the anti-Rudy crowd doesn't measure up to those ways.
I think the owners, and a lot of the conservatives, think that there is a lot of distraction here lately and a little purging of the riff-raff might make this a more focused and useful forum.