If people think that a guy who’s been expressing conservative values on this site since 1999 is suddenly a troll because he isn’t hailing Hayworth as the new Messiah, that’s groupthink. Claim it isn’t all you want, but it won’t change reality.
It's characteristic of groupthink to lump people together without specific evidence indicating such.
I'm opposed to McCain. I have investigated independently the charges Maelstorm leveled against Hayworth and found them wanting. He has been spamming them all over the forum even after being confronted with evidence to the contrary. Hence, my opinion is that he's trolling for those who have not and will not investigate the charges to predispose them against a viable alternative to McCain. I don't care how long he's been here; that is what the behavior resembles. The charge had NOTHING to do with what I think of Hayworth and only with this series of posts on Maelstorm's part. So, I did have specific evidence and multiple personal observations in support of the epithet.
You did not.
What is more disturbing is that you, also a long term FReeper, needed to construct a subjective definition of "groupthink" to reinforce the accusation. Brainwashed leftists behave that way; conservatives usually do not (unless the issue is abortion, where we too often allow ourselves to be herded into unproductive positions like stupid sheep). So instead of pissing on something that isn't what you think it was, why don't you tell us what your problem with Hayworth really is?
Personally, I think Hayworth is a professional demagogue with little real world background. He got used and did his best to fix it and it cost him a cool half million bucks to do so. So IMO, he does have his heart in as right a place as he can figure. He has name recognition and established communications skills. However, he could be just as bad as that intemperate backstabbing thug McCain and I would STILL support him, just to teach creeps in the Senate (like Lindsay Graham) a lesson. Our situation is so precarious. I have seen nothing to indicate that Hayworth would be anything but an improvement over that creep, especially as regards border enforcement which I see as one of many life and death issues for this nation. We have limited choices of viable alternatives among Senate candidates in Arizona. Re-electing McCain is not an option.
So, how is that "groupthink"? It certainly isn't thinking of him as some sort of savior (and the simile on your part is offensive).
If Maelstorm keeps relentlessly spamming the same flimsy stuff all over the forum to the benefit of McCain, I'll call that behavior what it appears to be to me. Deal with it.