Like any community (online or otherwise), RedState is its own “enclave”. I have been registered here just over 9 months, and still sometimes feel like I’m “on the fringe”, sometimes not getting the little inside jokes between some who have been here much longer. But please don’t be scared off by this. There are MANY here who are warm, welcoming, thoughtful, people who add much to conservative political dialogue.

As a big Palin fan myself, I’ve had the same thoughts as you recently. I think some conservatives (and virtually all liberals!) don’t recognize or have forgotten how many people were attracted to Sarah Palin that were not previously politically active. Some of those are still on a “Palin high” and slow to criticize her or point out her faults. I hope that this name-calling both ways stops soon. Sarah has much to offer conservatism, presidential politics aside, and so do many of the newbie conservatives that she (and Obama!) have brought out of the woodwork. We should be welcoming and encouraging to them, as RedState only gains as we become larger.

or even a triple entendre. To the Palin haters, she’s Voldermort. To the Palin supporters, the sight of her name invokes the fighting reflex in expectation of an attack. And to many, including myself, a conservative Palin fan, but one that thinks it’s waaaaay too early to be talking Presidential candidates, the reaction is merely “Here we go again.”

Keep your eye on the ball. ZeroCare™, TradeCap™, and SoSo.

To explain the reason for the moniker SWSNBN (She Who Shall Not Be Named): it is not so much a critique of her, but rather, shorthand for expressing the unfortunate truth of the reactions that she invokes in both her more irrational supporters (of which you do not appear to be a part, thank goodness ) and her irrational haters. In essence, the reason that she “shall not be named” is to avoid the inevitable confrontation that results between those two groups.

The moniker is actually based on Ron Paul’s: HWSNBN (He Who Shall Not Be Named), which was created for similar reasons (though the Ron Paul supporters were much more obnoxious than either Palin lovers or haters)..

You’ll find plenty of RedState supporters for Palin who can, and do, rationally defend their support for her, but there are those who only know how to use personal attacks and conjecture in support of their candidate. Mostly, they are just immature, and they grow to become more rational over time. But some of them are fools, and eventually the either leave of their own volition, or are removed by moderators.

In essence, you’re in troll hunting season, so just relax and make informed postings, and you should be good to go. Oh, and welcome to Redstate.

Palin was the recipient of major projection by many people who are looking for a leader that represents conservative thinking. I think she was burdened with too much too fast and the popularity probably even surprised her.

Obama did the same thing, he created a big hope/change screen that people could project their utopian wants and desires. He could represent everything, because he stood for nearly nothing.

Palin was savagely attacked by the left wing media, Obama the “rock star” was not even vetted. That was the difference.

I think she is an important figure in reviving the conservative movement but it is too early for anything beyond that.

I am fairly new myself. A friend told me about RS last summer and I just read until joining in January. I had never been active or overly interested in politics until these past few years. The election of 2008 pushed me over. I will say that Redstate has eased the pain and anguish of the election and subsequent results of same. It has been a tremendous help to discover one was not alone.

I understand what you are saying about Sarah. As I have grown on this site I understand more about the differences of opinion than I did before. In fact, I asked “what was wrong with everyone, why were we allowing partisanship to hurt us and our cause?” Folks pointed out that there was plenty of this during the primaries, when the “Fredheads were crazy for their guy, Rommey folk crazy for theirs, etc. In other words healthy debate and discussion. SWMNBN is said with affection by those of us who recognize that some folks are tired about hearing about Sarah.

We are disappointed, but I think the angst stems from a much larger painful wound. Our side suffered trauma in the past election, more than any time in recent memory for most of us. The wounds are still raw and we are struggling to heal. I believe you will see that we will knit, and grow stronger to fight the adversity that is before us and to progress in our conservative goals. This community has more in common than any differences could divide. Again, welcome!

and all their posts should be titled “TNWR” as in “That Not Worth Reading.”

Like it or not Palin is the closest thing Republicans have to a Star. Unless someone else, not currently on the stage, emerges, the 2012 primary is going to look like “Snow White and the how-ever-many-bother-to-show-up Dwarfs.”

This reality just fries the butts off of some of the “serious polticos” here who think people like Mitt, the Huckster, Jindal, Pawlenty or poor Eric “I got chewed up today on Redstate” Cantor, are going to magically transform themselves over the next 3 years into something that people would pay 50 cents to see unless they get a dog act.

As you get familiar with the frequent posters, you’ll find it easier to brush off the SWMNBN schtick. You’ve got your head in the right place, and we certainly can use more troops to help us keep our eyes on the ball for the threat of socialization of health care and the climate change tax boondoggle.

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Activists Taking Action: Unified Patriots

Indeed, the Palin topic is a dicey one here. Like everywhere, she evokes passions both positive and negative. I’m in the ‘I respect her skills and her magnetism, and in some respects her conservatism, and let’s wait and see how all this plays out’ camp.

We can always use a new voice and a new source of information. In that regard, can you tell us how your colleagues feel about the prospect of the health care “reform” plans? I’m particularly interested in what hospitals as well are thinking about this subject, especially as it pertains to major cuts in Medicare.

See there, we’ve got lots of stuff to talk about without having to address the topic of Gov. Palin. For the record, I was stunned with delight when she was introduced to us last fall and impressed as all get out with her speech at the RNC. At this point, I’m of the “let’s wait and see what happens” group. I think that the election of Obama has broken the business as usual model in politics, so I would never bet against someone with Sarah Palin’s star power. Yet I would also not want to fall for a forceful personality that didn’t have the principles to back it up.

One of those as POTUS is more than enough. Actually, too much.

A liberal in New Haven hanging out in cafes and talking Derrida. I too come from a Democrat family, although not liberal. born in raised in Mass and persuing both my undergrad and law school here, I have a good idea where you are coming from.

I also love the influence Palin has on people like you. I argue this over and over again. Palin is great because she is a solid conservative who opens the doors for new demographics. Up here, there is that prevailing sense of otherness. People just don’t feel like the GOP is there for them. I hate identity politics, but I must admit it has take root and I do welcome fresh faces who can reach women, the youth and those influenced by pop culture.

We are not just a bunch of angry old white male reactionaries just trying to hang onto our withering power.

Welcome, equitare! Yeah. the Palin stuff can swing pretty far both ways. I’m a fan, becoming one after her speech. I found myself wishing she was at the top of the ticket. But lately, I’ve adopted a wait and see attitude. I do like that she was and still is capable of winning people over to our side, people like you. Nevertheless one thing we don’t need is a personality with no substance, or rather a GOP version of the current White House resident. I don’t think Sarah is like that, but as I said, wait and see.

Since you are new to conservatism, as well as Red State, I would like to recommend a book to you. It’s Liberty and Tyranny by Mark Levin. It addresses conservatism and the belief that our founders’ vision like few, if any, other books can. It also exposes the deceptions of the statist in their quest for control and the diminishing of the things that made our country great

Don’t get discouraged, equitare! You’ve come to the right place. You’ll find most of the diarists here write well-researched articles with links to back up their points. It’s a great place for new conservatives to learn and for older ones to flesh out their arguments against liberlism.

I like your diary

There are few things more appealing in this world than a conservative female personna. I look forward to reading your contributions.

Pay no mind to the insecuriratti. They are conditioned to assocaite the mention of “Palin” with their past episodes of political if not physical incontinence. That is why they seek to ban her name.

this site is the premiere RIGHTWING site This site 9 of our 10 times makes you think through what you are going to post because there are so many intelligent and highly educated people posting here and no one want to appear stupid and this site discourages foul language (even when you are po’d) and in such really makes you pull intelligent thought from your brain instead of hate out of your butt. Though when you are angry no matter what you will end up typing to fast and furious to think and look stupid more often than not

The best benefit of Redstate is that Congresspeople actually come by to let us know what is going on from their perspective which alot of the time is not our perspective and WE let them know and as was proven yesterday some actually check out the responses and come back and engage (this is a rarity) I have not found that at any other site.

With regards to Sarah Palin she means more to me personally as exemplifying true feminism which for me having come up during the battle of the feminist movement has shown me that the WAR WAS WON but the liberals and N.O.W. decided to change the rules to benefit Democrats and she stood all of that hypocrisy on it’s head and I thank her for that. Is she going to be one of our candidates in 2012? I don’t know but I do know that by getting out and supporting Conservative candidates and keeping her name in the news she will continue to show the hypocrites (old bitter bitties) in the women’s movement to be irrelevant!

Palin Bots are OK by me…I am one and I wear the moniker proudly

The “Big Tent” analogy isn’t the correct one…the correct one is a MAGNET…we need to be a MAGNET that draws these independents in who are sick and tired of what’s going on in Washington—Fred Thompson

Our backgrounds in college are quite different. I was not smart or wealthy enough to attend an Ivy league university, But I went to a good state college.

I was an economy major so, although I also took all the left wing sociology and psychobable courses, I was also getting a big helping of Von Mises, Hayek, and Freidman.

I used to see the lefty haters lounging around the student union, chain smoking, and being nasty about everything and anything. Quoting French and German philosophers they didn’t understand and making fun of anyone with values or convictions.

I made up my mind that I would try to be the opposite of those people in every way.

On page 16! Read it yourself.

“…outlaw(s) individual private coverage. Under the Orwellian header of “Protecting The Choice To Keep Current Coverage,” the “Limitation On New Enrollment” section of the bill clearly states:

“Except as provided in this paragraph, the individual health insurance issuer offering such coverage does not enroll any individual in such coverage if the first effective date of coverage is on or after the first day” of the year the legislation becomes law.

So we can all keep our coverage, just as promised — with, of course, exceptions: Those who currently have private individual coverage won’t be able to change it. Nor will those who leave a company to work for themselves be free to buy individual plans from private carriers.”

Read and share the whole article…

http://www.investors.com/NewsAndAnalysis/Article.aspx?id=482329

I loved this:

“As a young woman there I wore my black turtleneck and drank espresso with my friends, burdened as we were by the heaviness of our existential angst. What a joke.”

Indeed. FWIW, I think what I like about this site is the way it makes me firm up why I believe what I believe. There isn’t a lot of tolerance for intellectual laziness or demogoguery, and you will find some incredibly thought-provoking diaries. I particularly like the recent ones having to do with religion. Lots of people here have expertise in one subject or another, and are quite willing to share that with the group.

I admire you for your decision. Conservatism is not the easy road, but you do not sound like one who prefers that. I also must tell you that a lot of health-care providers I know are having an awakening as well, so you are in good company.

Welcome.