Posted on 08/18/2002 5:18:22 PM PDT by Auntie Mame
Dear Freepers:
I just returned from the First Annual Free Republic Network Convention in Las Vegas.
The Free Republic Network Cruise last October was the most fun I've ever had in my whole life. The Free Republic Network Conference I just attended was the most informative and inspiring two days I've ever had in my whole life.
The Free Republic Network is stretching its muscle, not by talk, but by action. The Free Republic forum is liberty's college. The Free Republic Network is liberty's workplace.
If you attended, please use this thread to post your observations, comments and highlights of the conference. I will give mine below. But before I do, I'd like to take this time to thank Bob Johnson and the FRN board for putting on this conference. It's hard for me to find the words to adequately describe how great this experience was--and how much I learned.
Of course. They made you do it. Certainly not your fault.
Frankly, sounds like the conference was a success. I'm happy for the Network and trust it's a harbinger of future sucessess.
Yes, I think we can all see that.
I realize full well you think I'm somehow always out gunning against the Network but I think that may be more the product of overactive imaginations exacerbated by too much time in private forums where paranoia and emotion run a little wild.
Why in the world would anyone think that you didn't like the Network? Ah, it must be due to paranoia and unhealthy isolation.
Remind me to send this thread to Matt. I think he could use your posts in his seminar on spin techniques.
As I told Sauropod earlier today, it's a conference I'd have like to have attended even if I've found the actions of some FRN leadership of late hard to understand. (Might have even given me the opportunity to mend some fences with the likes of OPH who makes it his business to dog me mercilessly on any and all issues of late.)
Victim tactics too. Beautiful.
My apologies for failing to stroke everyone when the one comment caught my eye yesterday, cruising through the thread.
A less honest apology would be hard to find.
Okay, I'm done with you for today.
Here's another tidbit in my notes:
"Being right, in the sense of being philosophically correct, is not sufficient to win."
Another one:
"Political success is determined over time by the number and effectiveness of the activities on the given sides."
I'm still pumped up from the seminar!
Thanks. The fact is that we could use your help.
You'd have much more impact on what we do from the inside than sitting there posting comments.
How about it?
Golly, but you know such big words. I don't recall advocating prevarication (a 5-dollar synonym for "lying") as a tactic, and don't recall anyone else in this thread advocating it either. If you can quote any of my posts in this thread where I advocate lying, please be good enough to do so.
And sad.
Outside of the Judie Browns and Phyllis Schlafleys, however, we don't have a lot of women in leadership or highly visible roles who are pro-life and who can take on the she-wolves of the pro-abort movement.
In fact, the First Lady's of the past 3 (perhaps 5) administrations have been solidly pro-abort.
While I undertand the Packaging and Appeal factors, the fact is that until we grant men a say and encourage men to speak out, Abortion will continue to be perceived as a "Women's Issue" on which the men defer to the women.
What we need more than anything is men talking to men who -- on an individual basis, man to woman, father to child -- will actually step in and save lives by taking responsibility for those lives.
True. More's the pity that two of the posters to this thread couldn't have learned one of the more important lessons taught on Saturday:
Political technology is philosophically neutral. You owe it to your philosophy to study how to win.
Bingo. And, as long as the media stays on the pro-abort side, it benefits the 'Craps to lock out the males from the debate.
Men will never be "granted" a say.
Perhaps it's the way -- regardless my hopes that eventually things would get past the petty and personal and live up to the expectations many had three or four years ago -- I have not been shy in voicing my absolute disappointment in many of their actions and decisions to date.
(Which actions include recent forays onto other forums using tactics that would get one banned here on Free Republic. Made me feel like a total sucker having just congratulated them for what I thought were thoughtful and effective "outreach" efforts.)
I truly don't like being attacked in here, but I guess I have big shoulders and can take it.
I just don't understand why some of the good folks who were at the FRiva would do this. I understand why the people who weren't at the FRiva would do it because they weren't there to enjoy and learn.
I would not in a heart's beat let Auntie Mame down, though.
Golden point.
I'd be afraid to, myself. There's a core of purest neutronium under that red outfit; AM is not one to be trifled with ;)
Two things politicians respond to:
1)Pleasure
2)Pain
I found that quite interesting.
Where Does The Power Come From
On an aside, when I meet up with the good folks from LI in Phoenix, I'm going to let them know the have dangling prepositions. LOL!
Out of 100 percent of people in a district, 64 percent are eligible to vote; 40 percent are registered to vote; and 24 percent actually show up to vote.
People who vote every four years tend to always vote only every four years.
People who always vote are the ones you want to send literature at the very end of the campaign.
I guess the dark mutterings I was hearing here and in other forums about the AFers disrupting the conference were just that; dark mutterings. Guess we proved who walks the walk and who merely talks the talk, eh?
The only remotely sour note I encountered the entire weekend was Lady Luck's inexplicable headlong flight from my right shoulder every time I even approached a baccarat table. And, I don't believe I can intelligently blame AFers for that.
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