Booing the Character Issue - We should care if the accusations against Cain are true.

National Review ^ | 11/11/2011 | Mona Charen

[TBBT]

I think I understand why the audience at Wednesday’s CNBC debate booed Maria Bartiromo’s question to Herman Cain about sexual-harassment allegations. They don’t believe there is any truth to them. They suspect, along with the candidate, that the women concerned are part of a liberal lynch mob out to smear another strong, conservative, black man. They know that accusations of sexual harassment are often nebulous and PC. If I guess correctly, they also believe — with considerable justification — that the press is less interested in the dry details of policy than in salacious tales of misbehavior. They resent being dragged into another smutty distraction.

Yes, but. As someone who was well-disposed toward Herman Cain as a public figure (if not as a potential president), I cannot help recalling the response of Democrats to revelations about Bill Clinton. “We know all about it,” one exasperated reader wrote to Newsweek magazine, “and WE DON’T CARE.” In fact, the majority of Americans did not care — and it was not our finest moment as a nation. Liberals, who professed to be appalled by the one accusation against Clarence Thomas (just one non-contemporaneous accusation — not four or five), dismissed Bill Clinton’s behavior as no big deal. Stuart Taylor noted at the time that even if everything Anita Hill said about Clarence Thomas were true, it would not be nearly as serious as the allegations against Bill Clinton. Conservatives argued at the time that character mattered. Liberals replied, in effect, that it didn’t...

Read the rest here: http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/282909/booing-character-issue-mona-charen

[TheOldLady]

I can't zot you, sweetie. I just post when someone has been zotted. I pinged you because you announced to the thread that sklar was gone.

You may have a different opinion about whether the moderators should zot someone, but the decision is theirs. They are very careful about serious matters like revoking posting privileges, and in my experience, they're thorough and fair in their decisions.

Jim Robinson's intentions about the tenor, culture, and ambiance of his own website are plastered all over the place, and if there is anyone who wants a different site, they are welcome to leave at any time. But they are not welcome to change anything in Free Republic's charter.

But you're closing in on 14 years here, so why am I, a mere n00b, preaching to you? [shuts up and goes away]

[frogjerk]

think the point of the article is the important thing, which is that we are behaving just like the Democrats and we are engaging in exactly the same tactics as the left and we are even proudly proclaiming that if it's our boy we're talking about, we don't care about either our character or his.

A point that neither you nor the author have supported with any type of objective facts or reasoning. Your argument is based solely on feelings.

[lonestar]

As I said, your post is dumb.

I think your opinion is dumb, as well!

[lonestar]

LOL!

In the past I knew what the rules were and never paid much attention to who was zotted.

In the good old days it took more than a difference of opinion.

I read sklar's post history...and I didn't see anything wrong and I didn't share his political opinions 100%.

I don't remember the guy before this a.m. and it seemed like a cheap shot to me. Still does. And thank you.

[FreeReign]

I think your opinion is dumb, as well!

Okay, you're so right.

There is "little if any independent thinking" here at FR. All these find posters are drones who don't think for themselves.

Unbelievable.

[Stepan12]

I was thinking about the black man preying on the white woman angle as well. Rather transparent IMO.

This is what pisses me off. This seems like an attempt by David Axelrod to manipulate what he believes are racist feelings in Conservatives.

Besides me not believing the charges, I do not like my emotions manipulated in such a fashion and I'm sure many Conservatives agree with me.

It has been about 100 years since heavyweight great, Jack Johnson (he could play the doube bass, too),was knocking out opponents and having white wives, but Axelrod acts as if the cultural climate is the same now as it was then.

[goat granny]

Lets not forget Jenifer Flowers had phone conversations from Clinton. She was ripped apart. She had the smoking gun about him..

[bcsco]

Did you see sklar’s post before it was pulled and he wast Zotted?

[TheOldLady]

I did not, but if it was pulled, it must have been bad.

Lonestar says that she didn't see anything all that bad in his posting history, so that last post must have been a doozy.

[RinaseaofDs]

We do care. At issue was a baseless character assassination attempt of Cain that was put down.

This was NOT about Cain being a womanizer. I haven’t seen any credible evidence of that yet.

Frankly, I didn’t believe it when they leveled that stuff at Clinton, and then somebody actually came up with DNA!

I was floored at the time.

[bcsco]

Sklar criticized Free Republic and Jim Robinson personally. As I pointed out in post #40, He said “We have been ordered” to rally around Herman Cain, or words to that effect. I can’t state the full post because it’s been pulled. It was a very critical statement about FR, and a personal statement about Jim. That’s why I challenged Sklar. There was no call for it. Previous posting history may have been more muted but this was over the line, IMO. And apparently the Mods agreed with me.

It was Lonestar who in post #68 brought to my attention the ZOT, and actually laughed over it (”LOL”). Now Lonestar wants to question the ZOT. Hmmmmmmmmm.

[lonestar]

Sklar criticized Free Republic and Jim Robinson personally. As I pointed out in post #40, He said “We have been ordered” to rally around Herman Cain, or words to that effect.

Yes, and s/he also said that and if anybody has an independent thought they get the zot. And that was it!!! It was early morning in TX!... and JR was probably still in bed in CA. If JR did it is, of course, quite a differnet thing than SOMEBODY else doing it in his name. I've been around here since 1998; it doesn't sound like something JR would have a zot-fit about!!!!

I don't know if you read sklar's earlier posts but if you had you would know that s/he is still holding out that Sarah will change her mind and enter the race. So why was s/he called a Romneybot...and is that the real reason for the zot?

A lot of people post a lot worse and don't get the zot. When did the rules change so that having a different opinion and you're gone!

It doesn't ONLY apply to Romney.

Sure it's JR's site and he can make the rules BUT...a lot of people are thinking that JR isn't in good health and some people around here have the ability to zot and are using it on people they don't like. IF that is true, they are doing JR a dis-service and are hurting him a lot more in the long run than those being zotted.

A lot of really nasty things posted by some people are being ignored, while others get zotted for merely complaining about not being able to express a different opinion.

Why do you think it's taking so long to meet the freepathon goal?...the zots are taking their $$$ with them and others are afraid to donate today because they'll be gone tomorrow!

Are people with zotting privileges abusing it?

[Godzilla]

At one time our country’s justice system was base upon innocent until PROVEN guilty. Our lame stream media has made smear campaigns against Republicans and particularly conservatives a blood sport where they are guilty until the quit the race (and then it vindicates the charge). The public showed it at the last debate booing the moderators and cheering the cause of truth.

If Cain is guilty, have the guts to come forward and provide substantial evidence and make yourselves available for cross examination. Hiding behind lawyers some 15-20 years after the fact doesn’t support you claims, especially when your background and character is so highly questionable.

[lonestar]

If independent thinking were banned here, you’d be gone.

LOL!

Sklar is gone!

68 posted on Friday, November 11, 2011 8:34:38 AM by lonestar

*******************************************

It was Lonestar who in post #68 brought to my attention the ZOT, and actually laughed over it (”LOL”). Now Lonestar wants to question the ZOT. Hmmmmmmmmm.

**************************************

I was NOT laughing that sklar was gone, but WAS GONE for "independent thinking"...exactly as you predicted!"

LOL!

[Col Freeper]

Thanks for the ZOT ping.

I posted the following a while back after another poster (jla) got Zotted.

Sklar was one of the "others" I was referring to as someone who was going through the "mutating process" right before my eyes.

==========================

I have been wondering for awhile just how long jla was going to last.

It's kind of a strange thing to watch what I call the "mutation" process.

It starts out with some emotionally vested responses, mild personal attacks against one or more other posters, and a tendency to mild snarks.

Then it develops into even more emotionally vested responses, heavier personal attacks against a wider spectrum of other posters, and very heavy snarking.

Then it transforms into a kind of batpoo crazy emotional response, nasty vile personal attacks against a wide range of targets (even all of FR), and of course, results in the inevitable ZOT.

It's a strange phenomenon that I have watched for many years, over and over again.

As I read through the various FR threads tonight, I see a number of others who seem to be going through the same mutation process.

Kinda sad to see it happen sometimes, other times, not so much.

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[skinkinthegrass]

thanks, for the ping...."he's smokin' !!!!"

[TheOldLady]

You’re welcome!