I realize that. Did you miss the part of my comments that talked specifically about freepers who ping JR because they think we shouldn't be supporting Rudy and they want it to stop?
I tend to ignore the names attached to posts so I don't notice people pinging jim into the conversations, although I guess it happens.
I have noticed Jim has been very involved in the conversations. I've even responded to him occasionally, in a way that would likely make you happy.
I find a lot of the over-the-top rhetoric unproductive, on both sides. When I'm talking with primarily pro-Rudy people I tend to attack their positions, in other threads I do the same.
Because, in my opinion, it seems people are being more emotional than logical in their support. With Rudy supporters, I can't tell how many actually like his positions, vs those who simply think he's the only one who could win and they are settling almost 2 years before the election.
With most of the others, it's the absolutist attitude about their brand of "conservatism", as if anybody who thinks you shouldn't shoot unarmed mexicans simply for being on our side of the border must be flaming liberal illegal-lovers.
Now, I understand their position regarding Rudy, because even if you buy him as a "fiscal conservative" (I have my doubts) he still has a vast number of positions which will translate to policy that will be wrong for the country, and the president does set policy through budget requests.
Worse, if the democrats hold the house and senate, even if Rudy doesn't push his social liberal agenda, I can't imagine him vetoing it.
My biggest fear is that he will support modifying DOMA to require states to honor civil unions from other states. He fully supports civil unions, and if you do it's hard to argue against the discrimination of requiring long-term "unioned" couples to stay only within their few states that recognise them or else lose all their special privileges.
Of all the problems with the other candidates, not one of them scare me as regards abortion, gay marriage, civil unions, or general moral clarity.
I think Romney could be my candidate, but I need to see him for six months or so to watch for this "flip-flopping" and figure out what he really will do. He's saying the right things, but there's a lot more than talking in being President. I'd like him to stay viable though until the first primaries.
About the only candidate I wouldn't mind seeing drop out is McCain. He's got no chance of winning, he's too old, but while he's around it weakens the rest of the conservative field.
I also suspect that a good part of the Rudy support are republicans who hate McCain and see Rudy as the only chance to stop him. Much like the democrats used Howard Dean to knock out their more radical candidates in 2004, and then discarded him for a "safe" choice.
Only I hope we don't go with safe, but with the truly qualified.