Cowboyway Opus

4/28/2016 | Cowboyway

[cowboyway]

The year was 2012. Zero was running for reelection and the Repubs desperately needed a better candidate than they fielded in 2008 if they were going to regain the White House.

As usual, Freepers were posting articles and comments about the upcoming election, the candidates running for the Republican nomination, how to defeat Zero, etc. During the primary season of 2012 Free Republics owner enthusiastically campaigned against one of the candidates, Mitt Romney. If the only information that you had about Romney was what FR's owner posted you would have had to conclude that Romney was pure evil concentrated. However, when Romney was nominated to run against Zero, FR's owner reversed course and got behind the nominee.

I became disappointed in what I perceived as extreme hypocrisy from the head of the premier conservative forum on the internet and quietly left the site for several years.

With the 2016 campaign season being free of Zero and shaping up to be one of the more interesting campaigns of our maturing republic I found my password and logged back in hoping to engage in interesting, civil and conservative dialog. Everything looked the same but there was a different feel to the place. A lot of anger, a lot of fear and a lot of hatred of conservatives for conservatives.

I do not particularly like Mr. Trump and expressed my opinion on the subject. Of course that resulted in being attacked with reckless abandon by the Trump faithful. When I retaliated I quickly earned a couple of timeouts and limited posting privileges, in other words, second class membership, while those who attacked me continued posting their vicious slanders against anybody and everybody that wasn't on board the Trump Train. The double standard couldn't be more obvious.

Then, on 4/23/16, the owner of the site pledged total support to Mr. Trump believing that Trump is the only path to victory over the presumed democommie candidate, Hillary Clinton, regardless of the fact that Trump is not a conservative. Freepers who openly refused to pledge their support for Mr. Trump were quickly purged with Trump's exuberant peanut gallery fearlessly and gleefully shouting insults and catcalls for all non-Trump supporters to 'ride the lightning'.

Welcome to Trump Republic.

Opus over.

Cowboyway out.

[sargon]

Trump University was not a point in his favor.

Neither was it a mark against him.

Vote Trump

[sargon]

I didn't say that I knew that Trump was a slimy snake oil salesman.

The implication was clear. It sure appears to be what you think...

Vote Trump

[Bob434]

that’s all well and good gg but as i mentioned, i went through many of the posts where people were banned and they weren’t ‘insulting trump supporters 24/7’ nor were they nevertrump from all i coudl tell- go through jim’s comments section sometime and see for yourself

[Bob434]

I’m neverhillary too- whatever it takes- I was even a Romney supporter even though i couldn’t stand the fella- I held my nose and vote for him because i understood we couldn’t afford to lose- but we did- the funny thing is though, a lot of these trump supporters who keep calling for cruz supporters to be banned would never vote for cruz if he somehow pulled off the upset- which i don’t think he will- but just sayin- of course they say they would support him- but you look at their nasty foul comments about Cruz 24/7- when htey claim they would support him were he to be nominee it’s very suspect- I suspect they woudl be just like those republicans who refused to vote for romney

[Bob434]

[[This site is Moderated. If it weren’t, any number of trolls (Leftist or otherwise) would have wrecked the place already.]]

Like i told GG- go through Jim’s comment page and notice that those people were not trolls- some were even long time supporters of this site i beleive-

[[I, personally, happen to concur with his desire that his web site not be used as a conduit for Enemy/GOPe propaganda.]]

And anything that isn’t ‘support trump 100% is ‘enemy GOPe propaganda?

you know, Gatewaypundit site used to be a great site, breitbart used to be a great site- UNTIL they took hardline positions that worked to divide GOP=- not unite thjem

If you all think this kind of selective republican culling is conducive to a healthy diverse party- then whatever- I see it as tearing apart the party- as a whole- There are many good peopel that sincerely felt Ted would be the best candidate, and who honestly didn’t trust that Donald was as conservative as He is claiming- and they aren’t holding these beliefs in soem conspiratorial effort to disrupt the republican party- these are simply heart felt feelings and beliefs- and many of them would, if trump gets the nomination, support him if their candidate doesn’t make it- As much as i dislike Kasich- I would Never ever ban someoen for supporting him or even posting about him constantly- That’s simply not what this party should be about

We should be able to amicably agree to disagree on issues- but many here can’t seem to bring themselves to do that- and then turn around and blame those with different viewpoints of trying to destroy the party?

[[Well then you’re still not paying attention, at least in the vast majority of cases.]]

You can look for yourself- I’m not making this up-

I stand by my previous post about this issue-

[sargon]

Bob, you're factually incorrect. Perhaps some of the posts you would have seen were deleted. I know that happened in at least some of the cases.

Bottom line is, if Jim zots you, it was very very likely that it was deserved.

So please stop trying to push false narratives.

Are you being a "concern troll"?

Vote Trump

[cherry]

it was quite something the vitriol sent Romney's way here on FR....in our desperate attempt to rid our nation of the monster muzzie, we had people trivialize the importance of electing Romney...he wasn't pure...he wasn't Christian...he never was in the military and blah blah blah...

hate to tell all you anti Romney folks out there who are now supporting Trump...if you think Romney was a rino, Trump is a rat thru and thru...he is more liberal than most liberals...on social issues, particularly...

nevertheless, I will vote for him against the witch....

because that is what responsible adults who love their country do...they make the hard decisions to fend off even worse times...

[sargon]

Dude, there it ain't no "culling".

It's simply maintenance.

Whatever your claims may be, the only posters who every get zotted are those who slap Jim Robinson or his community in the face.

You can try to claim otherwise, but that's not the case.

I reject the premise that there are "innocent" members who have been zotted.

If you want to try to cite specific examples to the contrary, I'm sure that various members of the community will be happy to review them with you on a case by case basis, for all the purpose that would serve.

Jim Robinson is the sole arbiter of who gets zotted, so I'm sure that your input will be duly noted.

I just wish to express my appreciation to the owner of FR, Jim Robinson, for the skill and wisdom with which he moderates this patriotic resource.

Vote Trump

[Fury]

Neither was it a mark against him.

Really? The university has his name on it.

It's probably in his best interest to settle this matter before it goes to trial.

[Veracious Poet]

Good people realize this time it's different -- No time for fools, savages or narcissists.

FWFS

[hawaiianninja]

I knew you’d write that! ;)

[Fresh Wind]

I do not particularly like Mr. Trump and expressed my opinion on the subject. Of course that resulted in being attacked with reckless abandon by the Trump faithful. When I retaliated I quickly earned a couple of timeouts and limited posting privileges, in other words, second class membership, while those who attacked me continued posting their vicious slanders against anybody and everybody that wasn't on board the Trump Train. The double standard couldn't be more obvious.

Oh yeah, everybody else is the bad guy, and you are as pure as the driven snow. I've seen that lame excuse from hypocrites like you too many times to believe it.

Anyone who wallows in the gutter slime like you do, and posts so many vile personal insults like you do, richly deserves his hard-earned zot.

[Bullish]

This is not a site for sissies cowboy.

[metesky]

No balls for the fight? We don’t want ya.

[metesky]

Not being said also is that this site was adamantly anti-Bush in the run-up to 2000.
And then we weren't.

One has to recognize the writing on the wall.
Nice letter.

[Guenevere]

‘You’ll be back’

Nope, he gone.

[who knows what evil?]

We’ll see you ladies around...

[anton]

Well, goodbye then.

[PapaBear3625]

regardless of the fact that Trump is not a conservative

Trump is "conservative enough" and more likely to win against Hillary.

Meanwhile, the "most conservative" candidate has shown himself unable to win a majority among even Republicans.

[papertyger]

As conservatives, people ‘should be able to agree to disagree’; without going to the extreme of banning or calling for the banning of those whom they don’t’ agree with-

That is absolutely correct, and by in large has been honored. Unfortunately, you guys just can't help but add things like this:

... but evidently that’s become a foreign concept here judging by what we’ve been witnessing these last few months

Now I'll grant you that kind of snipe is largely "passive-aggressive," but many in the Cruz camp have dropped the "passive" part when their arguments fail to persuade.

Now I've been here a long time, so I feel quite comfortable analyzing trends, and the trend I've seen among Cruz supporters is to call for civility while fighting with everything they have to "win."

That is NOT how to practice civil disagreement!

Furthermore, only the delusional imagine they are being "agreeable" when the will not RESPECT "disagreement," nor will they concede. That is gainsaying their own hypocrisy, and fully deserving a ride on the lightening.