When did Freepers turn so nasty? (vanity)

vanity | 2/12/2016 | Optimist

[Optimist]

Over the past several months, Free Republic has begun to show an ugly side of its members. Although admittedly comprised of many strong-willed, opinion-charged individuals presenting thoughtful, conservative insights into the topics of the day, this forum has begun to show a seamier side as the Trump-Cruz-Rubio-Carson 2016 Primary heated up. You all know what I mean. Many of you have either been at the giving or receiving end of EMOTIONALLY-charged attacks against various candidates or even individuals as their supporters.

Herewith a few thoughts I would like to share:

1. Passion for a candidate and buying into the campaign is exciting and important for exposing others to knowledge and understanding more about "your" candidate.
2. Most of us WILL NOT be able to have a voting impact on which individual becomes the candidate, so why such vitriol? A little perspective is really needed. What are you going to do if by mid-March (when only 20% of the country has had any type of primary vote) and your candidate has fallen off the slate? Face it ANY of these candidates are better than any Democrat or potential Independent opposition, and will have a better chance of being elected than nay 3rd/4th/obscure party candidate.
3. When did we turn into the Ron Paul group? Sorry, I don't mean to offend, but you know what I mean: personality driven, my guy can do/say no wrong, I'm going to get in your face if you don't see things my way, and .... well, you hopefully see the similarity.
4. None of the candidates is 100% perfect, but they all have characteristics that are admirable:
   • Trump is politically astute and media savvy, and has made an apparent conversion to conservative principles with support driven primarily by his fight against illegal immigration, and actually opens New York as a potential electoral win.
   • Cruz has a proven track record of fighting and winning for conservative causes, believes (along with other noteworthy legal minds) that he is eligible to be president, and is not afraid to stand up for and convincingly explain his position.
   • Kasich, has a history of fighting for fiscal responsibility, understands the workings of both legislative and administrative politics as well as decision balancing and decision making in an important electoral state.
   • Rubio is the new younger face of the Republican Party (hell, he's the younger face of the 2016 election) from one of the two critical electoral states in the past several elections, eloquently espousing conservatism and having shown his political chops by running and winning against an entrenched Democrat.
   • Bush comes from a conservative background, with administrative experience in what has consistently been a crucial electoral state, with the potential for earning crossover votes from the Latino community.
   • Carson presents the studied, calm outsider's perspective of the challenges we all know we face, speaking for many who are ready for the politicians to take a back seat and let intelligent people of good heart give it a try.
5. Yes there are negatives for all of them, but this is THE BEST crop of candidates we have ever had to choose from, unlike past elections when it seemed inevitable that the hand-picked, it's-his-turn, establishment candidate was chosen for us. And, besides, go back and re-read number 2.
6. And (finally?) a word about pundits: (Glenn Beck, Rush, Fox News, et. al.):
   • Fox - yeah they seem to be coming down pretty hard on "our/my guy(s)" but they are still a lot better than almost any of the hacks on all of the other networks, and why are you surprised that they have a bias for/against any of the R candidates (aren't all of us exactly the same?) when we have always known journalists are NOT unbiased, but just hopefully, at Fox, a little more centered.
   • Rush - has taken up the banner for many of the candidates and refuses (as always) to endorse one in particular, instead cheerleading the positive aspects of each because he knows one of them will be the only way to stop HillBerniBiden.
   • Beck - is passionate and has done exactly what we want "our" media pundits to do: TAKE A STAND! I'm sorry if his choice and their definition of conservatism isn't yours, but at least he has the balls to speak up, stand by his candidate, and explain his principles in as objective a way as you could hope. Considering some of the nasty attacks I have seen recently against different candidates and their supporters, as well as Beck, it would seem we need to put up a mirror so we can each see ourselves as others see us. We are better than that.

Well, this is what happens when one (Ok, I) become frustrated with the ad-hominem attacks against so many good people both on this site, and otherwise supportive of conservatism and the rise of a conservative Republican Party. We are all decent, America-loving conservatives who are driven to strive for what is best for returning this country to its pride.

Please Freepers, make your best case, and trust that whoever eventually runs against the Demobeast will, with God's light, be the right person for the job.

Let the flame-war begin, I have donned my suit! And God bless.

[Mariner]

It is and always has been OK to bash or support any candidate of your choosing...until Jim makes the call.

It has never been and never will be OK to bash a fellow Freeper.

Those who take the basing of THEIR candidate personally are the ones who turn around and bash a Freeper.

Don't take it personally and don't bash Freepers.

[tubebender]

I don’t log in to FR as much as I use to but you are 100% right about the infighting between members and it influenced how much I donated to the current freepathon. FR has slipped into the gutter of some local blogs I used to enjoy

[StAnDeliver]

"It is like watching two patients in a memory X are ward have an argument."

Like Elvis versus JFK.

[BradyLS]

Were you here for the Schwarzenegger/Tancredo Wars of 2003? I’m not sure these days are as bad as those. But I’m often reminded of them.

[GailA]

It’s not just the personal attacks on FReepers, candidates, but on the conservative media outlets we rely on that is new.

I’ve been on FR for at least a decade, and never have I seen that happen.

There is so much misinformation being repeated even when articles are posted that refute it. Keep repeating a lie often enough and people believe it.

Each candidate has a weak point or two. We have focused on Cruz and Trump. Ask the question do we need a F bomb dropping dictator as President. Isn’t 8 yrs of the Dictator 0bama enough? A candidate that has appeared on Playboy Mag, cheated on wife 1. As for this wife...10. The First Lady would be the first to have posed nude in lesbian porno shots http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2015/08/16/hannity-responds-to-becks-question-on-donald-trump-i-will-attempt-to-answer-it-in-my-this-post/

[StAnDeliver]

"I remember the old Fred Thompson vs Duncan Hunter battles of '08 and the massive Giuliani purge. Good times."

Nothing compared to Arator and the Buchananites going over the cliff...which by the way, Arator used to start concern troll threads just like this one we're in...

FR GOES NUCLEAR -- But is it Fision or Fusion?

08/24/2000 2:41:55 PM PDT · by Arator · 683+ views

Vanity | 8/24/00 | Arator

Between the Bush implosion in progress and the latest smearfest against Buchanan-Foster, this has been quite a day of FReeping. Probably the most intense I've ever experienced. The split between Bushies and Brigadiers, GOP loyalists and third party rebels, establishment play-it-safers and anti-establishment insurgents is approaching critical mass. The status quo cannot hold. Conservatives can go one of two ways: Either there will be fusion -- one side joining the other in common cause -- or there will be fision -- a permanent and irreconcilable schism. I'm an optimist. I believe that, as the Bush campaign goes on to repeat ...

[BradyLS]

Were you here for the Schwarzenegger/TancredoMcClintock Wars of 2003? I'm not sure these days are as bad as those. But I'm often reminded of them.

*headshake*

[jimbo807]

I turned nasty about the time that the Carson and Cruz supporters started implying that I was going to hell for not buying the product being sold.

[nascarnation]

LOL for me it was when C.E. Wright called me a moron.

[MortMan]

Anger has supplanted reason, poisoning many debates. With so many furious at the political class but unable to act on the anger, it spills over into the supporters debate.

[BluH2o]

I've been around Freeperland quite a few years now ... it's always been a tad testy. Have a few war stories of my own ... ;)

[TruthWillWin]

Nothing new. Flame wars have occurred ever since I have been here. (1998) We did have some fun ones however, “Ash Alerts” for example, but some were just nasty.

[al baby]

The primary season is always tough but I notice a very distinct change around 2008 or so coincident no it was the won that got in to power I think we are all just sick of it and deep down we know our best days are not ahead we peaked in the late 60’s with the moon deal then when Reagan had us on life support and we rallied that culminated when bush Sr. Wusses out going into Baghdad and finishing off Hussein big mistake and we should have just kept going and take it all it was supposed to be about oil then we elected Clinton then another bush had is dad finished the first one be no need for the second one the towers would still be there bush fell short I like bush 43 with his 45 or so resting heart rate but he failed to go into Saudi Arabia and finish them off but they are all family so he would not do that and then a Chevys face said it all at the inauguration of a Hussein to the White House the calipite was over the west was won Islamist extremist but I digress

[TruthWillWin]

Lucianne’s screen name was Trixie IIR.

[Rashputin]

"Elderly age regression is in full force."

How cute, BS disguised as analysis. I don't know about the average age other than there are obviously plenty of people around on FR who still remember what this country was like before and after Reagan and have watched things go down the tubes ever since the rats and rinos came out in force as soon as Reagan was gone.

If regression is the problem in your mind then it's people who want to regress to a time when this country was at least mostly still tied to the Constitution and the Federal government wasn't demanding that the citizens deny what their Christian faith teaches and embrace what Izlame teaches all in the name of USSC dictated tolerance that is found no where in the Constitution.

Give it a decade or two and given the penchant of academics to twist history to suit the fad of the day no one will be around who actually remembers what this country used to be like before the Federal government dictated your life from religion to using the bathroom.

Maybe the unicorns and rainbows of submission will suit you better then.

In the mean time, just roll over belly up like a whipped dog.

[HandyDandy]

“It is wiser to not hit send, and be thought a fool, than it is to hit send and remove all doubt.”

[MayflowerMadam]

I love your post!

[GSWarrior]

After the elections all of the greasy posters who recently registered here will vanish back into the swamp from whence they came.

[MayflowerMadam]

Once I was called a POS. LOL! Can’t recall who it was (I don’t care). I laughed. Another FReeper asked Mod to pull it, and it was gone.

[MHGinTN]

Pretty Old Sweetie