Frankly, it’s not that easy for an “operative” to move opinions here on FR. You can put up persuasive arguments and get people to think things over a second time, but you aren’t going to change their minds over something as basic as this.
They would be better advised to visit regularly just to keep an eye on what important segments of the base are saying and where their current interests lie.
It’s a good early warning system.
Interest in controlling the borders was fairly marginal here earlier, with a small group of freepers who intensely supported it; but it has gradually increased, and now is virtually unanimous. The argument over the Harriet Miers fiasco was a lot more two-sided than amnesty has turned out to be, with some people defending Bush’s right to nominate her right to the end. I scarcely see that with the amnesty bill.
I agree with everything you’ve said Cicero. The strange thing is that the ‘pro-amnesty’ posters here lately at FR (the last few days, especially) aren’t even trying to persuade anyone. They aren’t taking to time to go over this bill and point out where we’ve ‘gotten it wrong’, or anything of the sort. They are just repeating the same rhetoric we’re hearing from Congress and our President over and over. Plus, when anyone presents them with honest-to-goodness hard evidence, as well as serious suggestions besides amnesty they pretend they haven’t heard a thing, or resort to personal attacks. It’s quite frustrating. I’d really appreciate an honest-to-goodness discussion of solutions, and an explanation of how exactly this bill is ‘good’ for the country instead being treated as an incompetent child...
Our elected officials are there to speak FOR us, not TO us it’s about time they remembered that...
“Frankly, it’s not that easy for an “operative” to move opinions here on FR. You can put up persuasive arguments and get people to think things over a second time, but you aren’t going to change their minds over something as basic as this.”
You’re right, but a lot of FR “bots” aren’t particularly bright. Nor are they all that good at debating, particularly in a forum such as FR where the mods aren’t likely to come to their rescue when they choke themselves on their own petard.
(It’s funny. At one time I actually preferred a more genteel environment for political discussion. It’s part of the reason why I waited until 2004 to become a FReeper. Several thousand posts later, I can’t imagine being on one of the more genteel sites.)