Posted on 11/11/2011 8:03:06 AM PST by pwatson
IMHO...
What I’ve found is that flames can be largely avoided...
a) If one is going to express something negative on a candidate, understand that supporters will be riled. The emotional “blowback” can be minimized if the negative is a fact backed up by a link to a news article of something said, etc., i.e., something incontrovertible. And then if the first time one mentions the negative it’s not told with smugness or sarcasm but reads like a bland report, readers get the idea that you’re just citing fact and not trying to “rub it in”.
b) If a negative one that wants to post is subjective, i.e., speaking style, electibility, etc., then once again it’s accepted a lot more easily if it’s plain factual exposition of one’s analysis and it’s based on some kind of examples cited. Those who disagree will at least have something to debate with the poster and generally others will give some credit for putting some hard analysis out there. This makes FR a great forum because it is a source widely-read by conservatives (and wacky left-wingers who think WE’RE wacky). Of course candidates’ strategists delve into what they see all over the internet as a resource for ideas and gauging sentiment.
c) If the posting is supposed to be supportive of a candidate, try to avoid the “blind follower” type of comments, i.e., those with nothing substantiating them that are based basically only on emotion. FReepers seem to pick up on that ( I think a majority of the population can) quickly and one may experience flak for such postings.
d) Bear in mind that in some parts of the country biting sarcasm is as normal as ordering a cup of coffee, in others the tiniest bit of sarcasm gets the point across and anything more might not go over so well. I sense that this has evened out a lot in the past couple decades, but using the /sarc label actually does help.
e) Even in a debate/argument take a few minutes to try to reset the conversation every post to one of courteous discussion. Apologies go a long way towards readers understanding the respect in a post. Quality jokes help as well, as people will not think of the poster as an angry person in their basement (so much).
f) There’s nothing like a heated debate, ahhh, it’s great. Every post, though, try to keep it as though it’s a heated family debate.
g) The Bible is the ultimate guide to public discourse.
h) Sometimes it’s best to not respond to something senseless or mean. Let the conversation end there, and just remain as a shrine to the poster’s sensibilities at that moment. Remember that many other people will cruise through and read the thread and they will see all. Also, people’s opinions and attitudes can change over time. The Freeper who debates you vociferously today may have a caring and thoughtful discussion with you sometime down the road on a different or even the same topic.
thier = their
(don't mind me, I'm just nibbling...)
LLS
The GOP will not beat Obama with any of those three.
Pay attention much?
Since Viet Nam our foreign polices has been an absolute destructive disgrace and disaster. This is not to mention it's all but destroyed our economy, putting the tax paying private sector on their knees, as they are forced to prop up, bankroll and pay off many countries to the tune of multiple trillions.
In fact, even our foreign policy with out closest neighbor Mexico, has all but left America dead on the floor.
The results of these out of control disastrous foreign policies have looted the American treasure as the tax payers are repeatedly economically gang raped.
While many are totally absorbed in Israeli issues, Afcrapistan and places like Outer Mongolia, they never even noticed their own homeland flat broke, on life support and dying.
Many people here deal with this rule by declaring their opponents to be RINOs (a term which, in general, means "You disagree with me").
It might seem strange, but I think the elargement of the voting franchise sowed the seeds for the destruction of the republic.
It became a democracy then, and as the ancient Greeks taught us - eventually the plebs will decide to feed of the public trough, until their is no republic left to feed out of.
These thoughts might be heresay on FReerepublic, so in due order I might post an essay vanity on it XD
Have a good weekend, FRiend.
Excellent post!
Don't Hijack other candidate's threads and there won't be any animosity.
I hate it when people misspell "losing."
From The Oatmeal
Lose\losing = the opposite of win\winning
Loose = your mom.
Apparently you do not know the story of how this started.
When Perry began his run, Fr was inundated with slurs and outright lies about Perry. Many of us that support Perry Posted actual Documents and Actual Perry statements. The ones that began to be called liars and other nasty names were the Perry supporters (apparently with full approval by FR hierarchy). That approval lowered the level of discourse into the sewer.
funny, most of the worst offenders are posting to your thread like they are the reasonable ones. Defamation is a two way street Cainiacs. Just so you know.
But on FreeRepublic it is now site policy. Planning my garden.
Responses to this will prove my case Watson. :-)
So what makes you think you’ve got what it takes? Hmmmmmm?
Well, I can afford a nice restaurant. Is there something else you had in mind besides dinner? ... You know, as Lazamataz’s ‘attorney of record’ I can find some reserve of ‘hit it’ (that is hitting on, as in making a pass for pick up), of course in a more refined geist.
A lot of us Freepers demonstrate a complete disconnect with reality. Ask us who’s more conservative than we are, we’ll say, no one. So far, so good, we are basically correct.
Then we will go on to claim we represent the mainstream of American political thought.
Delusional. We can’t have it both ways. Discard the liberals in America (we aren’t getting them to join us) and we are left with moderates, a large fraction of country club Republicans, and conservatives (us). Conservatives are outvoted in the Republican party, let alone in America. And we can’t seem to understand that. Thus all the teeth-gnashing, third party and “I’m not voting” threats, etc. People may self-identify as conservatives in polls, but most don’t vote that way.
That’s why we are going broke as a country, nominated McCain last time, why we will get Romney or his basic equivalent this time. We don’t have the votes.
If conservative thought had much sway in America, Obama would still be a state legislator and we wouldn’t be $14 trillion in debt. Abortion would be illegal in most cases, affirmative action wouldn’t exist, and so on.
Disclosure: I left the Republican party in 2007 because I didn’t want to be a member of a moderate party. My circle of influence (mostly Republican and/or conservative) considers me to be hard-right.
Who am I voting for? Probably whoever the Pubs put up. It doesn’t matter much, events control now, not governments or politicians. We have passed the tipping point. There are no saviours, and no free ticket out of a 10-year depression in my opinion.
The silver lining is that a lot of fortunes are made during depressions. My powder is dry.
"I don't hate Romney...I just feel better when he's not around."
credit: Barfly/Charles Bukowski/Mickey Rourke
FMCDH(BITS)
Resident Satirist? Did I miss a FR election? Last I heard, that pervert was running for Admin Moderator!
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