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.

[MarDav]

What was that old Star Trek episode (Shatner/Nimoy days) where the aliens/alien force they encountered fed off of the anger being expressed by the crew? I don’t know if it was something they ate, some vapor they inhaled, but the crew of the ship started to turn on each other, first it was frustration, then anger, finally resulting in physical acts of violence. If I remember, they would be prodded into altercations and there would be the alien hovering somewhere tucked away in a corner, glowing and growing. It wasn’t until Kirk and Spock figured out that they needed to use the opposite emotion to defeat the enemy that the episode was brought to its conclusion. The problem ended when the crew literally laughed the aliens right off the ship.

So, too, the USS FreeRepublic travels through cyberspace having taken on board a mysterious passenger which feeds on discord and acrimony. Few of its crew recognize its presence, resulting in a “ship” imperiled by forces [apparently] beyond its control. The one solution, civility and good humor, being in short supply, brings into question the future of the once-mighty vessel.

[Caipirabob]

[tirednvirginia]

In the beginning -
Almost every poster here who is supporting Trump also supported Cruz as their number 2 candidate
Almost every Cruz supporter hated Trump from the beginning and has never had a number 2 candidate.

The haters eventually turned everyone into haters. Its as simple as that.

[FreedomForce]

I think Trump himself has set the tone this election cycle.

[trebb]

Agreed - I have been snide but usually to folks who opt to slam/slander/swat at other candidates for gratuitous reasons.

Ironic how the two best bets we have in the game have so polarized us that each side is willing to go scorched earth on one candidate and ignore the human weaknesses of the other because of their personal preferences. We demean and defeat ourselves while the evil side laughs and eats the popcorn we thought we were going to enjoy.....

[Elsie]

Nasty?

Finally we have some candidates with some SPUNK in them; and the crowd goes wild!!!

I say, “It’s about TIME!”

[Elsie]

You betcha!

[Elsie]

Every Presidential primary gets sort of rough on FR.

Check out Social media if you want to see reasoned thinking and argumentation...

[vetvetdoug]

Its good. All sides get flamed and the arguments get examined well. The dialog is no worse than when I signed up.

[Elsie]

https://www.google.com/search?q=group+of+young+adults&rls=com.microsoft:en-US:IE-Address&rlz=1I7ADRA_enUS475&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiV9aSJ4_TKAhWFKiYKHcOpAJ0Q_AUIBygB&biw=1366&bih=576

Don’t worry...

...we’ll be voting the, right OOOPS!, correct way...

[Big Red Badger]

Yup,
I’m over 60,

old and grumpy ,

I ‘ve got some serious problems with You People!

/s

[Elsie]

Your post reminds me early Fortran programming... “if then go to 2” (nicely done).

“if (condition is met) then goto 2"

[Elsie]

Eating your own is not a winning plan.

It is if they've died already!

[Elsie]

It is if they've died already!

I'll bet there were a lot more than just the DONNER party that winter...

[TangoLimaSierra]

Being nice is how we got here.

Being nice to the enemy, yes. Does not mean not being nice to fellow conservatives.

Double negative not withstanding.

[Elsie]

Seeing your fellow conservatives and friends being duped by a charlatan can be infuriating.

I hear ya!!!

[Elsie]

[Elsie]

It just like playing around with drunks and loaded guns, smart people just don’t do it.

In person; anyway...

[Elsie]

This season is no different from the rest..

Before Jim's great service he's provided; we just used to holler at the TV.

Now it can holler back; so to speak.

[PGalt]

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.

There will be a choice between known, recurring, pre-meditated EVIL on the ballot and someone else.

(I've been here 16 years and never encountered any FReepers who ticked me off)

HOORAY Free Republic

1st amendment BUMP!