Didn’t VB post about a new upcoming site of some sort? It had zero in the name. I wonder what that is all about. Do you know? I know our penguin would know.

Did you really drive half way to work on a day off? I hope you don’t live far away.

And anyone with brains should also be able to follow that thread and see what the source of the pogrom is.

given that two of them were part of a group of us that had a problem with the shut up and get in line mentality when McCain was running rough shod over the party talking about nominating Joe Leiberman to run as his VP.

There have been some hard feelings after some of the mess that came out of that and some egos were involved…both on the moderators as well as the rank and file side.

As for gaming the reco list and the conspiracy theories that go along with it…I can speak to where that came from. During the transition to 3.0 and ultimately 4.0, there was a period when the reco list was stuck….nothing could get on it and the same diaries sat on it for months it seemed. There was a group that formed at the time called the SOUR list to move the Reco list along…this posed a problem in that we ended up with posts having 20 or more recos sitting atop the list and the list never changed anyway.

I know for a fact the SOUR list no longer exists…there is no conspiracy or nefarious plot to keep people off the reco list. those that get on the list get there because they are great writers who form a following…

BTW…The list still doesn’t move fast enough…I and many more besides me have asked that the site administrators unstick it by putting a time limit on how long a post can stay on the reco list…to no avail…Instead of entertaining paranoid conspiracy theories about people gaming the reco list…maybe putting a little effort into fixing it would help…but what do I know?

As to new diarists not being able to get recognized, I and many others have asked for a link to past diaries that have fallen off the front page into oblivion….again to no avail…we have well researched and written diaries falling off the end of the list never to be seen again…this is a problem and it goes directly to why these conspiracy theories exist…new people can’t get attention because of the flash in the pan time frame they exists for anyone to find them…and then they’re gone…FOREVER!!!

Then there is the issue of setting the tone and standards of behavior through example…ig the FPers want to get rid of the name calling and vitriol on the site…then they daXXed well should stop name calling and dumping vitriol all over the site and contributors

Let’s not leave out the thin skinned with blam sticks…Ever since I started here there were some moderators who would lurk in the shadows…or roam the threads anonymously taking random pot shots at contributors in very insulting ways daring the little mice to rare up on their hind legs so they could be swooped down upon and consumed for offending the delicate sensibilities of said cloaked moderator….

I stepped on I don’t know how many toes during my first months here. I was banned more than once and I know for a fact that certain Mods wanted me to stay gone and still do…who knows…maybe this post will be their chance to prove it.

Pettiness is an ugly thing when exhibited by those who have the power of life and death over those they wish to be petty toward.

THEN you have the lackeys who latch onto those of us existing under a cloud….trolling for us from thread to thread baiting us to step over the line at which point they jump to the contact link and call in said mods with ill intent to pounce.

Add to this the sensitive crowd who are quick to throw out insults and invective only to go whining to moderatordom when they have their silliness called and they get their feelings hurt.and go off on a woe is me farewell tour about how they’re just the best intentioned people here who want to help any way they can but they just can’t take the big meanies who refuse to roll over and take their crap.

I hear about how it’s no fun to post anymore because of the big bad meanies who are ganging up on “pick your victim”…well I can tell everyone here from personal experience…it’s no fun trying to have a debate while looking over your shoulder wondering if today is indeed the day you will get the blam stick for good because of any or all of the above.

It’s no fun having to slink away into a corner because someone with a blam stick has decided they have a personal dislike for you because you’ve made them look foolish in an argument one time to many so they follow you from thread to thread challenging you and waiting for you to stand your ground so you can be sent packing…or who come riding to the rescue of said lackeys and snivelers who can dish it out but just can’t seem to take it…

This is insanity…VASSAR?….Really?

I can’t think of any time I have ever seen him involved in a single dustup in a thread?

Is he being banned because of something her said? Someone he trashed that he shouldn’t have? Or is it because he writes well…is entertaining…and people can’t wait to see his next piece and recommend him too much?

Really???

Is it really going to be site policy…that if you write too well…and get recommended too much…that you’ll be banned for some conspiracy or other paranoiac fantasy?

In other words…don’t write too well…dumb down your posts or you too will be blammed for excessive time on the reco list

(shaking head)

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

Snark in response to a heartfelt comment expressing regret over the current events is not helpful. It might appear as baiting or flame fanning. I truly hope you didn’t mean to come off as such. That would be truly disappointing to someone like me who has come so far with RS, valuing it above any other Conservative media out there, web or otherwise.

Respectfully,

Chesterton

ever thought of that?

Your not the worse offender by far…

I’ve considered you a friend all along here…ever since you first came to my attention…but maybe you should step back and think about that’s being said here…

if moderators want us to tone down the snarks…then they should stop snarking and being so arrogant and condescending to the riff raff

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

I honestly don’t have any background on what happened with VB, just admired his writing, so I’m probably speaking out of turn. I have a habit of that.

I did, however, read the whole thread from a couple of days ago between TC and LIO.

I don’t know about gaming algorithms either. But I know what the search companies do when people do that. They re-work the algorithm.

My point about “mainstream” has nothing to do with selling out for dollars. Many people are as rewarded by pats on the head as they are by financial gains. It just seems like everybody takes themselves a little too seriously. Some people have a flair for the dramatic Crown, geez. People are different.

And an owner can ban whomever he wants. We have property rights in this country, and I love ‘em. I question the leadership value of banning in a draconian fashion. Couldn’t everybody have a sit-down at the next RS Gathering?

I guess I just hate the permanence.

there was a better way to resolve this than what took place….oh, yeah, baby, do I ever agree with that one!!!!!!

$peciallist wants you to contact him:
special@pacbell.net

I don’t know about conspiracy theories…I know there was a mailing list at one time that came about because of a problem on 3.0….as far as I know…the list is no longer active because the problem that caused it’s formation was partially fixed…

is it frustrating to come here every day and see the same names on the reco list every day…sure it is…it bothers me even when it’s my name up there because it takes a week for it to climb to the top of the list and fall off…we’ve begged to have that fixed but nothing happens…good writers with followings get on the list…and then they hang there for a week…new folks can’t get recognized it’s true…but then again…Vasser got noticed somehow because I remember when he first showed up…and it didn’t take him long to become one of my must reads….

but I get it’s frustrating for newbies…especially since…when they post something…it’s on the list for a day and gone forever after…I’ve quit posting because I’ve had stuff fall off before someone could notice it.

I’ve learned to time when I post something for when the traffic isn’t so heavy and my post stays up longer…but again…it won’t stay there more than a day and…GONE

will there be a fix for this? I’m told WP doesn’t allow for a fix to this…which makes WP inadequate for the site’s continued survival to my mind…but will management go through another upgrade to fix it at great expense, time and aggravation? I hope so…but I wouldn’t blame them if they didn’t…

all that said…it seems to me…that banning someone because they’re consistently in the Rco list is silly at best…and destructive at worse without solid and incontrovertible proof that there was a plot with sinister intent to hog the reco list and freeze everyone else out

and it frustrates me to know end that Vassar, EPU, Specialist, Mike Devine, and several others were summarily shown the door. Some have returned…some have not…and we have yet to see who’s got the goods on whom or any evidence that said conspiracy to control the Reco list exists.

Finally…in defense of Erick…though I think the action was ill considered…I can’t imagine who the unbelievable aXXhole was who had the unmitigated gall to sue him over how he treats them on HIS site…I’d LOVE to have a crack at him or her if I could figure out who it was…but if this is in legal territory…I know we’ll never know the name…and if any of those I mention were one of those who brought the suit…I withdraw anything nice I aver said to or about any of them

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

kicking the carcass, and jabbing at one that cannot defend themselves in this forum. a new high in lows. it gets sadder with each passing day.

There was an underlying thread and deep conviction running through them all to be active, to get going and get something done. Vassar never failed to mention Cold Warrior’s Precinct Committeeman project, and many other worthwhile concerns in the Conservative movement. He also wrote many a post helping to get candidates elected. Several of which were successful in 2010. He recently did an interview with Herman Cain, a declared presidential candidate for 2012.

The lovely thing about Mr. Bushmills style of writing, is that it connected with traditional conservatives. He spoke of the Common Man and is a Constitutional Conservative. His whole purpose in being here was to help us be more productive and goal-oriented about why he was here.

The reason he is no longer here, is not because of the usual surface things seen. He was everything that LisaDe said above. But several FP people did not like him, because he saw them as elitist. It was his opinion, and he tried to get us to understand the difference. Once he told us and me, that sometimes people will not like you, just for who you are. That is certainly a fact of life that I’ve learned.

Folksy and bromides and little else?

Activism can be little more than rah rah. I fear conservative activism, if left unchecked, will not differ from liberal activism within a few years if we do not go deeper than activism.

Vassar’s writings brought true convervatism back to its core – he reminded everyone of why we want to preserve not just our republic but our communities and our families and our lives through decency and honor and integrity. He did it through history lessons – true happenings that likely will never be taught in schools to our children or our grandchildren in history books. And not just happenings in our country – the human condition everywhere.

My hope is that you will step out of the fray and go back and re-read Vassar’s writings.. I think you will come away strengthened and hopefully renewed to fight onward. Then, I think, you will see the true value of his writings.

only to someone who obviously did not TRULY read them enough to see the threads of action rolling through his diaries…re-read them, obviously you missed something that a majority of the other posters did not.

What a weak comment especially when someone is gone and cannot defend themselves. I suggest you email your comment to VB and report back the response. It’s the right thing to do.

I seem to recall Erick saying that he’d rather have a Dem in the DE Senate than Castle.

And anyway, the whole “electability” thing is rubbish anyway as often as not. For every O’Donnell it seemed there was also a Rubio, when it was Crist who was the only “electable” one according to the “experts”.

Do you have anything factual to say now?

I think you pretty much hit it.
I guess we’ll see if we are wrong or not going forward.

We didn’t push My Man Mitt in 2008.

We backed Pat Toomey a couple of times.

Nikki Haley? Mike Lee?

How about the shoot out in NY between Scozzafava and Hoffman where we went against the electable choice?

Deleware? We went against Castle even though we knew O’Donnell was a lost cause from the beginning.

Sorry, but this kind of comment is simply a self beclowning. I understand how people’s feelings have been hurt over this but if you’re going to criticize us do it over what we did not what you imagine we have done.

See the posting rules, which say:

The purpose of RedState.com is:

* to promote conservative ideals within the vehicle of the Republican Party,
* to clean house in the Republican party,
* to help elect conservative Republicans,
* and to encourage and educate conservative Republican activists committed to the above.

as to the niche discussions. For quite a while now, there have been endless discussions that seem to go in circles, never result in an answer or consensus, as though some things have never been settled.

Take the GZM for example. When that was a hot topic, there were some that argued in favor of allowing the Mosque to be built, because the person who owned the property had the right to do what they choose with their property. Property right trump all. Also, it was the right of the Imam Rauf to practice the religion of his choice because in the US we have separation of church ans state, and everyone can practice the religion of his choice, even though Islam is not only a religion, it is also a political system which promotes and adheres to Sharia Law. That very well may be factually correct, but, with the War on Terror, instituted after 9/11, and with abundant history past and present, from those that hate America, and consider us the big satan, it would be giving free reign, right on our own soil, to those that have been connected with radical Islamic goals. Rauf has been tied to terriorists groups. Listen to the rhetoric coming out of the middle east as to the hatred many have for Americans, and America. Obama has done nothing to change their minds.

Consider the social issues. There have been thousands of words typed here in the threads from those that have not accepted that “traditional social” values have been developed over the ages, and the strong traditional values are what helped to make this country great and strong. Take gay marriage for example, there are those that want factual scientific evidence that gay marriage is destructive to the society. You can consider gay adoption in the same light. Some want scientific proof that having two moms or two dads is destructive to a childs development. There unfortunately are some that do still believe that you can be just a little pregnant, and that up until a certain period, it’s nothing more than a ball of cells, and that it is up to the mother if she should be “punished” with a baby or not, after all she is the owner of her body. That’s just two of the major areas of social conservative discussion that has been long taking place here, as though there has never been traditional values, because they can’t be proven scientifically. Even the existence of God has been a part of the discussions because no one has scientific, or eyewitness proof that God really does exist. There is argument on bible interpretation, especially with respect to “render unto Ceasar.”They are circular discussions, which in my mind only serve the purpose to try to convince others that long held social conservative traditional values are still debatable and not settled.

There are those that call themselves conservatives that believe we are acting like an empire, and participating in nation building because of our hubris and conceit. Some put our fiscal problems on the top of the list, as though Ron Paul may just have something there with how much money we would save if we closed down all of our foreign bases, brought all of the troops home, cut back on the defense budget, and make love not war. It’s America’s fault because we have poked our noses in other countries business. Hey, let them alone and they will all magically love us Americans. Look at how much money we can save.

There are conservatives that have posted right here that we really do need to get with it and support wind mills and solar panels. And, I don’t want some ugly nuclear power plant in my backyard, which by necessity would have to be in someone’s backyard to exist.

There are many/some who say they are strong fiscal conservatives, but, don’t agree with the other two long held traditional conservative planks. They say they will vote for the Republican candidates because the Republicans were always historically closer to their fiscal policies, and hey, you need my vote to win elections. If the Democrats ever figured out fiscal responsibility, those mentioned would run to the Democrat party in a heart beat, where the other two planks are much closer to their belief systems.

I think that this is why so many times you see people here asking, just what is conservatism? EE posted a diary months ago where he described the difference between conservative the noun, and conservative the adjective. There is also Conservative and conservative. As an activist site, wouldn’t we be well off to counter the circular arguments with some good lessons and education to instill conservatism in the heart, soul and bones of our activists, so they never have to ask what it is again, and can apply it to all issues across the board?