Replies

I don’t know you very well, though we have posted to each other a few times.

I've never told you this, but you're one of the funniest people I've ever read. :-D You've made me roflmao on many, many occasions.

Anyway, I know folks like me aren't being banned. JimRob is very fair about that.

The concern I have is, JimRob use to stop people from flaming folks for just having a different opinion. Apparently no more. Lately, I've been ripped a new one several times just for saying I don't think Rudy's as bad as all that. And I've seen others given the same treatment.

FR's greatness, in my opinion, came from it being an open discussion forum where the best ideas prevailed.

But the mob seems to be taking over here, now. I don't find much of that open discussion I use to love. Every single political thread boils down to a flame fest.

I haven't been here very long (maybe a year) but I don't really think FR has become all as bad as you think. I personally have reevaluated many of my long-held political beliefs based on discussions with other FReepers. Sometimes I come to the same conclusion as before, and other times I find opinion changing.

Based on your previous posts on this thread, I don't think I agree with you on many conservative/political issues, but that won't stop me from debating with you or within my own mind the merits of your viewpoint.

My point is, FR has given me the oppertunity to do this. It's not perfect, and of course it's not completely "open" to any and all opinions (it IS a conservative site), but it's still pretty darn good.

Some of the people who have been banned or opused out I have got along with fine for years. The problem arises when a subject like Rudy comes to the fore.

You will recall that there are many anti-bushies here. In fact, some folks who are aligned with my thinking on Rudy have been VERY harsh to Bush at times. Sometimes deserved, other times not. But when not deserved, I jumped down their throats (politely, of course). I’ve battled Dirtboy and Reagan Man, Paperdoll, and Spiff, Alberta’s child about our current CIC, and I never let up.

The reason that it seldom came to meltdown status in those threads is because while we disagreed about the efficacy of the Bush administration or a particular policy, we did not disagree on the direction the GOP should always strive for.

The problem I see now is that some of the Rudy fans do not just support Rudy because they think he can win and would be a good CIC, and therfore can overlook his past liberalism. They are trying to obfuscate his record and call that liberalism conservatism, and, think that those of us who oppose him because of his past are idiots.

IMO, and I will venture to speak for many here, there are 4 issues that MUST be met in a GOP nominee: winning the war against the islamo-slime, pro-life credentials, support for the 2A, and low taxes. In theory, Rudy is good for two of the four. But the fact remains, that if a candidate emerges that is pro-life, pro 2A, but also wants to withdraw from the WOT and raise taxes, he’d be in the same boat as Rudy is in our eyes.