I am wondering something and wanted to bring this to your attention to see if what I noticed is concerning to any others here.
Outlaw Woman, you hit upon an interesting point... that it is hard to say something here about a candidate sometimes without all the people working for another candidate rolling in in large numbers to engage in name calling and finger pointing.
Might it be because those folk have developed a system of adding keywords by the title so their little group knows to jump in for engagement together?
For instance, I saw the below keywords listed for this thread beside the title (also available keywords for searching):
bachmann2012; liberals4perrt; liberals4perry; perrittes; perry; perry2012; rickperry; vanity; Click to Add Keyword
Now going back and reading the original post for this thread, I would guess the poster most likely added the keywords rick perry, perry 2012, and maybe perry.
I would guess the poster, based on what he/she said and the title of this thread would NOT have added the keywords "liberals4perry", "perrittes" or "bachmann2012".
Seeing that anyone can add keywords after the poster has started a thread and seeing the keywords just in this thread alone lends me to wonder if some here are using the ability to add keywords as a way to unite trolling (even if it is a conservative group trolling for a different conservative candidate).
Personally, I don't think this would be inherently such a problem to be able to add keywords after the fact, and I'm not asking this policy be revisited, but the fact that the later-added keywords themselves seem to sometimes be name calling should at least be acknowledged, and we might want to at least understand that some of these later-added keywords may be signal words to call out the fighting forces against another candidate's followers. (For us who would like to point out truly outstanding traits of another candidate, it might help to understand why we sometimes get so crushed by an entire crowd when we do.)
I'm all for healthy debate between conservatives here. I think we could all agree that both Michele Bachmann and Sarah Palin are both conservative, but they do not do everything exactly the same in every single instance. There is room for differences here so we all can learn and come out better people for it.
I just think it might help the rest of us here who just go about our business sharing and talking, studying, learning, and just plain enjoying the Free Republic website and the friends we make there, only to sometimes suddenly feel alone, bullied, and crushed, to understand that it is not always what we have said but that we may simply be targets of a group who has come to obliterate a message.
I thought it might help those of you who have experienced this same thing to at least know where it may be coming from and why it may happen.
Perhaps it might also help to check the keywords on a thread before we post anything of a sensitive nature so we at least know if that particular thread may have been chosen to be lined up for a group's battle.
Let's check out those keywords for this thread once more.
bachmann2012; liberals4perrt; liberals4perry; perrittes; perry; perry2012; rickperry; vanity; Click to Add Keyword
I won't say anything, but people, just remember we can see those.
What my thinking entails is: we have an enemy to our very existence, residing in the WH. And any opinion I post or have posted has that in mind and yet, I've been "attacked" by the, what I call the 'Pack Attack' mentality on Free Republic.
It has been absolutely astounding (and heartbreaking) to me that I've been "flamed" for pointing out the obvious about an individual, dead or alive,
Personally, I tend to look at things in 'black or white' values. That is to say that there is no gray in my processing.
So this Perry bashing causes me concern. Yes...there are things in his background that I've been concerned with however, after researching (extensively) most of my concerns are addressed (so far). But when recounting what I've seen or my opinion the ugliness begins and always includes disparaging remarks about me personally.
I'm sorry..I thought that we had a common enemy and that is someone who wishes to ENSLAVE all of us. So..I thought we would be weeding out candidates without 'attacking' those that have positive views about a candidate.
Palin is my choice...period. A Palin/Perry ticket is my "dream" ticket, but Palin hasn't announced (yet) so Perry is my choice. His positions on Israel, 2nd Amendment, Abortion, and the free market have been answered for me personally, yet when pointing those positions out, the pack attack surfaces.
But the most disconcerting thing is when I see "FReepers!" stating that they are going to 'sit' out the election if Perry is the nominee. WTF is up with that?
Perry may have some 'dings' in his record but for the love of God, to state that you refuse to vote for him, if he is the nominee' is treasonous. Again, imho.