DU Tactics at FreeRepublic

FreeRepublic | 4/3/07 | Reaganesque

[Reaganesque]

It is always disappointing to be reminded that there are people in the world who do not like you so much that they are willing to debase themselves and others in order to get their way. We, as conservatives face this from the Left on a day to day basis. But when such action comes from another supposed Conservative, that is truly disappointing.

The posters at DU think nothing of swearing and posting the most filthy, perverted and twisted things about their political rivals. We here at FR are, for the most part, better than that. At least we try to be. Unfortunately, there's always someone who proves that both sides have their ugly side.

I have posted a number of pro-Mitt Romney threads recently as have many others. I discovered this afternoon that several of them have been the victims of childish and down right purile dirty tricks. Now, political dirty tricks are nothing new and nor are they uncommon on either side of the aisle. But some simply cross the line of decency. Such is the case with whomever played their little game of messing with the Keywords on these Pro-Romney threads. Here are four examples:

Romney Tops Republicans in Fundraising
KEYWORDS: ANTICHRIST; CULT; FUNDRAISING; MITTRAPESCHILDREN; ROMNEY; Click to Add Keyword

Why I Think You Should Vote For My Dad
KEYWORDS: 2008; ELECTIONPRESIDENT; ELECTIONS; MITTBEATSHISKIDS; MITTISTHEANTICHRIST; ROMNEY; Click to Add Keyword

Parsing the Polls: Answering the Mormon Question

KEYWORDS: CULT; JOEYSMITHDELUSION; Click to Add Keyword

Romney-Thompson Ticket?

KEYWORDS: ELECTION; FRED; FREDTHOMPSON; MITTISTHEANTICHRIST; ROMNEY; THOMPSON; VP; Click to Add Keyword

People, campaigning can be a hard and painful thing. You have to have a thick skin to run for office and heaven knows, all candidates take their blows, some more than others. But there is such a thing as decency. And this little prank doesn't just cross that line, it obliterates it.

Disagree with the thread? Fine. Present your arguments. You don't like the candidate? Great. Tell me why and make an attempt at intelligent conversation. That's the way this place is supposed to work. But, resorting to such sophomoric, vulgar and quite frankly bigoted childishness is beneath contempt. If you can't manage a reasonable level of maturity, then there's a whole bunch of like minds over at DU you can have fun with.

[skateman]

As you say, we agree to disagree. At any point FR at it’s far worst, is still light years above du.

[betsyross1776]

I am glad free republic finally wised up and realized what we have been going through for a while now. The ruby bots attacked me and I fought back like I was in a chat room .fast and hard. To do this to the man who saved our national pride with the Olympics after 911 makes me sick.Mitt is a wonderful man with a great marriage and Fred is well loved also. I will not even say what i think about people who bully Conservatives and use that kind of language. Thank you for waking up , I was about to think free republic was not the blog that exposed Dan Rather, and worked so hard for Conservative values. I guess i was wrong , we are alive and well in here.

[maui_hawaii]

I have never been on DU.

Well, I did, once, but I didn't inhale.

Really.

[jmc813]

Such abuse will be reported from now on.

Just a suggestion, you might want to start on the Ron Paul threads. He tends to attract particularly immature keywords.

[The Spirit Of Allegiance]

We have no government OR FORUM armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Avarice, ambition, revenge or gallantry would break the strongest cords of our Constitution as a whale goes through a net. Our Constitution is designed only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate for any other.
John Adams (1735 - 1826)

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[Phsstpok]

I believe the moderators can tell who adds keywords

The subject of your post is serious, but it did bring a smile to my face and started me chuckling.  It calls for a rimshot

ba dump bump 

[OldPossum]

Unfortunately, we have a cadre of Freepers who think it is "cool" to post outtakes of cartoons to serious threads. Several like to post Homer Simpson cartoons.

This strikes me as childish at best.

[ChildOfThe60s]

I think your thread to be overkill, just complain to the mods, have the offending posts and or keywords removed and be done.

I don't agree. Things like this have a way of escalating gradually as people become desensitized to them. Like profanity in everyday speech. As its shock value and effectiveness diminish the impulse is to resort to it even more.

I think a thread like this is needed to reemphasize common courtesy and thoughtful dialog.

[IslandJeff]

Shalom Pesach, American. I only lurk the Rudy threads. Eleventh Commandment and all that. Whoever gets the nom gets my vote. Negative energy is, like, so uncool and stuff.

[JamesP81]

Personally I find the “RapesKids” label about 100 times more offensive than a “WarProfiteering” label, although both are slanders.

Yeah. In general, unless you have something solid to back it up, accusing people of felonies is not cool. In my time here on FR, I've hit the abuse button once, and only once. It was when someone accused me of being a drug dealer. I think it was one of those threads where the issue of drug legalization was brought up.

[Reaganesque]

If I see it, I will. We all need to do so.

[streetpreacher]

Any chance the Mods will spill screen names to you?

Not a chance.

[khnyny]

Someone must be really threatened by Romney.

IMHO, the American people have had almost 20 years of Bush’s and Clinton’s. That’s waaay too long, lol. Someone should tell the “smartest woman in the world” - timing is everything. Unless, of course, she’s just in it for the money (always a possibility with the Clintoons).

[gidget7]

Frankly I am surprised that the vile behavior shown here, which I have no doubt is an “infiltrator or two” and not someone who is a true FReeper, was not reported as abuse, and that the Moderators didn’t pick up on it.

Hey I am no fan of Romney, but that doesn’t mean he deserves that kind of despicable insults. He doesn’t, and you are right, very childish, and very DU like.

[Porterville]

some of those are pretty funny though... but your right some are beyond the pale.. pail... peel?

[Reaganesque]

You know, I really don’t want to get into that. I’m a Romney supporter but this junk just has to stop. This isn’t about political advantage, this is about right and wrong.

[Killborn]

Thanks for bringing this to light. This is way out of line and whoever does this needs a good stomping.

These scumbags may have the right and freedom ot do this in America, but not here, Jim Rob’s cyberhouse.

[WFTR]

I almost never notice the keywords. You've given me a good reason to continue not noticing them. It's amazing that people would stoop to this nonsense.

Bill

[gidget7]

It’s news to me too, but then I seldom read all the keywords.