Posted on 02/21/2014 9:08:20 PM PST by Sideshow Bob
Well, the elitist establishment (dare I say RINO) editors over at National Review and National Review Online (NRO) have sunk to another new low in their continued attacks on conservatives. It's been bad enough that the NRO stable of writers have been cranking out multiple hit pieces (including 3 in a row from the normally lucid Dr. Thomas Sowell) attacking Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and the House/Senate Tea Party caucus, but NRO is now moving towards silencing conservative criticism of NRO's writers, columns and seminar RINO and libertarian posters.
Don't get me wrong, I like posting and/or commenting on NRO articles here at FreeRepublic. In the past, it was because the NRO article had something new, interesting or important I wanted to share or discuss with other FReepers.
A few years ago NRO added a clunky commenting function to their website and offered a feature that FR didn't have - a like/dislike button (actually, positive/negative). The button allowed NRO readers to express their displeasure at the posting of another commenter. After a while, NRO changed their posting policy to require registration to post a comment or use the negative button.
OK, I wasn't thrilled with losing some of my web "anonymity", but figured NRO - as a conservative website -wouldn't abuse my privacy too badly. Besides, I still liked being able to use that speedy negative button to "shout down" the pinhead RINO's who sometimes trolled over at NRO.
Many people say that National Review has been in decline away from conservatism ever since founder William F. Buckley died. I am inclined to agree. To be sure, the NR/NRO staff is becoming increasingly filled with young elitist East Coast writers from elitist East Coast universities. They might still be Republicans - and Olympia Snowe Republicans at that - or even Libertarians, but their content and editorial slant are increasingly out of step with the conservative grassroots and Tea Partiers. And it's getting really obvious and obnoxious.
First it was NRO's easy acceptance of Juan McCain as the 2008 GOP nominee, then it was their shameless politicking for a Romney candidacy, their quick embrace of Chris Krispy Creme and finally their bizarre condemnation of Ted Cruz, Mike Lee, Tea Partiers and the government shutdown strategy.
With the clean debt ceiling bill recently passed by Congress you would think that NRO and the GOP Establishment writers would be happy with Ted Cruz and the House/Senate Tea Party Caucus. After all, Ted followed their advice and didn't shut down the federal government again to thwart Obama's continuing attempt to bankrupt the country.
Nope. Now the Establishment is ticked off that Ted & the TPers completely outmanuevered GOPe leadership, turned the tables on Boehner & McConnell and outed them as Obama surrender monkeys. It's taken a few days, but NRO has stepped into the breach and has launched a major offensive against Cruz and the conservative base. Each day for the past week NRO, their writers, their columnists and their editors have escalated their attacks. They want to embarrass Cruz and sway the conservative base back to the "reasonable" leadership of Boehner & McConnell.
The editors started by writing debt ceiling editorials that - just as in the government shutdown last fall - agreed with Cruz & TPers in the House on their conservative position, but criticized their tactics. NRO writers next move to writing puff pieces extolling Boehner's & McConnell's bravery in taking an adult position in passing a clean debt ceiling bill.
To NRO's shock and disbelief, their conservative readers are mixed in between seething anger and sneering, scoffing laughter at the positions and opinions of NRO, Mitch McTurtle, John Boehner, the rest of the GOPe circus and the Establishment RINO seminar posters on their website.
How can this be? Mitch & John are the GOP leaders, NR is the foremost opinion-leading conservative magazine (or so they think). They are confused why the conservative base isn't listening to them.
So the RINO Establishment media step up their game. Byron York (a former NR editor), Mona Charen, Ann Coulter and others sharpen their attacks on Cruz. As noted above, even Dr. Thomas Sowell writes 3 consecutive columns attacking Cruz. Their new storyline - Cruz is selfish and ego-driven. That's why Cruz forced poor Mitch & Assistant Senate Minority Leader John Cornyn to cloture vote in favor of raising America's insane amount of debt. Even worse, they argue, that self-serving Cruz is going to singlehandedly cause the GOP to blow their chance at regaining the Senate majority in November.
But this lie doesn't work either.
The NRO comments on these columns and editorials blow up from the normal handful of comments to HUNDREDS and HUNDREDS of comments that are FURIOUS with the NRO, the GOPe, Charen, Coulter and especially Sowell. While it can't be proven, there appears to be an increase in the number of seminar Establishment posters (perhaps NRO staffers?) attempting to combat the reaction of NRO's conservative readership. But it doesn't help. These seminar NRO posters are getting crushed in thread debates and are being hammered with the speedy negative button.
Now perhaps it's just a coincidence, but in the midst of this conservative Tea Party commenting pushback NRO changed their policy regarding the negative button without fanfare. Readers even need to follow a hidden link to learn that NRO will no longer display the running count of users of the negative button. They claim that they will still maintain a negative count internally, but just won't display that to their readers. This gives their readers a false appearance that any debate within their story threads is balanced.
The good news for Free Republic is that more FReepers will abandon NRO's commenting feature and bring their discussion and debate of NRO materials to this website. It's hard not to interpret NRO's policy change as an attempt to diminish and control Tea Party conservative pushback against GOPe messaging. It's also very sad and ironic for NRO to be moving toward silencing conservatives during the same week that NRO pontificates against FCC's plans to censor news and media.
the shutdown was more than question.
Pelosi didn't pass Obamacare by making sweeping suicide stands in 2007. She focused on annihilating the GOP and told her lib base to shut up till Dems controlled it all. Libs dont play games, they go for results
Then they passed Obamacare 2009/2010.
This a perfect example of a fact you wont hear from talk radio.
The Dems also tolerated NRA members in House, who were libs on other stuff.(most got clobbered in 2010)
Dems started that rumor in 2011. But is this a meaningful change, if its even true? Doesn't he just vote as told?
Exactly, the GOPe leadership group is an interwoven Establishment cabal. Which means that if Cantor has begun any meaningful effort to position for the Speaker's job, then Boehner truly realizes his time is up. I fully anticipate Boehner - if he survives both the primary and general elections - to announce his retirement AFTER Thanksgiving as one big final FU to the conservative base.
Then they passed Obamacare 2009/2010.
This a perfect example of a fact you wont hear from talk radio.
100% FALSE - talk radio repeats that fact nearly every day, or at least every week. It usually pops up in a caller question about why can't the Republicans maintain party discipline on basic party platforms when Pelosi & Reid do so with the Dems? Sometimes the talk radio hosts (you seem to despise so greatly) ask it rhetorically. Sometimes, they pose it as a question to their audience.
Whatever the form, the answer is: the GOPe leadership and their sycophants believe in nothing that doesn't personally and immediately benefit them.
You may have missed the point.
Pelosi held off the lib base in 2007 with a GOP POTUS and protected her moderate members in swing districts until it counted, to get power in 2010 and pass an agenda.
She used to power to crush attempts at shutdowns and impeachments in 2007 and 2008. If Bohner was like she was he would be crushing conservatives to get power in 2017 to ram though conservative policies.
She told her lib base to stuff it until then so she could get results.
\ She was out for results, to win.
That is the exact opposite of what those who pushed the shutdown argue. They claim that Pelosi never used restraint.
No, I understand the point. Your premise is flawed and your conclusion is wrong.
The difference is that Dems need to move or appear to move to the center to gain election. Republicans need to move or appear to move to the right to gain election.
Democrat leadership reverts to the left after election, GOPe leadership reverts to the center after election. There is no logic, fact or even an iota of evidence that Boehner will move to the right and pursue an actual conservative agenda in either 2015 or even 2017.
You seem to forget that conservatives have seen this movie before. We know how it ends. No need to ever watch it again.
Move right from where?
What election?
That sounds just like simple buzz-phrases directly from talk radio. Those are jingles.
Shutting down the government or launching impeachments are no more popular for either party 2007 for Dems or now for GOP. Pelosi knew that.
She wanted results and got them and it didnt include those.
She had a real plan. Not like that contradiction after contradiction fiasco shutdown disaster from last fall that was designed to lose.
Not saying Bohner would play like Pelosi, they are not the same. He is too weak and cutting is way tougher than handouts are,
FYI, I do not listen to Levin or Limbaugh.
FYI, Boehner, McConnell and Cantor are piss poor leaders. How do I know, Sowell told me so.
Exactly! When was the last time Boehner/Cantor/King tried annihilating the Dems? I only see them trying to annihilate Cruz, Lee and the TEA Party. I NEVER see them attack Pelosi, Ried, Obama or Obamacare relentlessly.
As opposed to your simple buzz-phrases here at FR? No thanks, I'll take those on talk radio instead. You really seem to hate talk radio, did a host cut you off once during one of your ramblings?
Shutting down the government or launching impeachments are no more popular for either party 2007 for Dems or now for GOP. Pelosi knew that. She wanted results and got them and it didnt include those.
Re: Shutdowns & Impeachements - Popular, almost never. Necessary and vital to a healthy constitutional republic, sometimes yes.
She had a real plan. Not like that contradiction after contradiction fiasco shutdown disaster from last fall that was designed to lose.
And what was the downside of the shutdown? I see no lasting harmful impact of what you claim to have been a fiasco.
Not saying Bohner would play like Pelosi, they are not the same. He is too weak and cutting is way tougher than handouts are
Agreed.
ROTFLMAO. Nicely done.
A subtle nuance. Well done, then.
GOP-e response: There they go again stealing YOUR hard earned wages. Right now you are working through June of each year to pay for Obama’s, Pelosi’s and Reid's pet projects. ARE YOU TIRED OF THAT YET? We can help. We are going to get out of your way by lessening regulations, lowering your and your boss' taxes and letting you keep your money. We are going to let your boss keep his money so he can give YOU a raise. We are going to let American Know How take flight and grow this economy! Your kids will find good paying jobs so they can get off your insurance. Vote Republican and Happy Days Will Be Back!
There! Was that so difficult?
What conservative policies has Boehner ever supported? Oh, I know the $1 Trillion Farm Bill? Immigration Reform? The crappy Ryan Budget?
Be careful. You're starting to sound like a talk radio jingle/catch phrase. lol
Was:
That is what happened to Alan West? What say you in Boehner’s defense. My sister last a good Rep. Very sad.
Should be:
That is what happened to Alan West. What say you in Boehner’s defense? My sister lost a good Rep. Very sad.
Uhh...no contest, your Honor?
Unfortunately it is true about Boehner eating his own. Very sad for the country.
My whole point, Bohner is no mirror Pelosi.
He wont rule and fight the way Pelosi did.
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