1 And this is why comment registration blogs can suck.

2 When you've lost Free Republic............

3 Also, Barry is a stuttering clusterf*ck of a miserable failure.

4 It kind of takes the FREE out of free republic doesn't it?

5 I have constantly said that it is a private company's right to make decisions regarding their policy of behavior on their own forums. I will, however, maybe enact legislation that repeals this notion of discrimination against god-fearing Americans who wish to vote for me. If everyone likes that idea, I mean.

6 Barack Obama is a stuttering clusterf*ck of a miserable failure.

7 Yeah.  I would leave the troll control to the commentors.

8 What exactly are they going to talk about now?

9 You're right, toby, Obama is a stuttering clusterf*ck of a miserable failure. 

10 FR is a crap site. I forgot about them until this story broke. No biggie for Romney.

11 I liked our troll busters, though they seem to be mostly inactive now.

12 This is the first time hearing of this site. Romney sucks

13 Maybe they should change it to selected republic.

14 Not shocking....he's hated Romney for a looooong time.

They banned a bunch of Guiliani supporters in the past too.

15

This all sounds 'bout right to me!

They must be a union blog.

16 /sock off

17 Free Republican ---> LOL.

18 Free Republic

19

This does say more about FR than it does about Mitt bots.

20 Wow! Not my favorite site, but really like the balls involved in this.
I don't even think for many of us it's the moderate to liberal views (I'd vote for Chris Christie in a second, yet his views aren't that different from Mitts) it's that he , like Bill Clinton, has no core values.
Some Obama hack was on the Sunday shows saying Mitt had no core values, and I couldn't disagree with him at all!

21 The merits of this decision (or lack thereof) and the individual candidates (also or lack thereof) aside, I really am worried about the intensity of dislike for our presumptive nominee.  This does not bode well. 

If this is the sh1t sandwich we're supposed to swallow, someone had better start adding some pretty tasty side dishes to motivate the base. 

22 I'm all for the "free exchange of ideas," personally, but if the Freepers want to get rid of the Romneyites, I guess that's their business.

Not entirely sure why this is news, exactly though.  If there were a conservative forum I thought would start going all CJ on people who disagree, Free Republic would be it.

Well, Maybe Hot Air, but probably Free Republic first.

23 Here at the HQ, diversity is our strength.

24 I got banned from free republic for saying the word "shit", and a passing reference to the fact that if the muslims decided to start blowing up schools here we would play cowboys and muslims and they would probably be extict here my lunch time tomorrow. With republicans like that who the fuck needs democrats.

25 I was banned years ago when I negatively commented on George W's amnesty crap.

26 LOUSY FREEPER TROLL!

27 So, Ace, were your rants about the Secret Conservative Committee made with the knowledge that this was happening, or was that only a fortuitous coincidence? 

Nothing says confidence in your cause like trying to prevent other people from speaking. 

28 [F]ree Republic is a ...pro-constitution, pro-liberty site.

Shut up.. That's why.

29 1 And this is why comment registration blogs can suck.

Exactly, because all it tends to do is stifle conversation and debate.  Blogs tend to stagnant when they have to go through this because of a few bad apples or for the pursuit of ideological purity.  If this is what the Free Republic really wants, more power to them, but IMHO they'll be worse off in the long run.

30 Time to add the Freepers to my bookmarks!

31

...however.

I can understand the self-preservation reaction inherent in the conservative movement to not allow the elites to pick our candidate for us again.  This is an existential fight we are in.  Sometimes you have to destroy capitalism in order to save it or some shit.  Any means necessary, and all that. 

Honestly, I'm torn.

32 I never like the interface at FR.  It's worse than pixy 0.002beta.

33 Free Republic's very name is a lie.  They are miserable lumps of crap who can go fuck themselves.

34

While I don't care about their banning or commenting policy, I hope those guys can hold their nose and vote for Romney like the rest of us when he's the inevitable nominee.

And while I'm on the subject, why don't some of those idiot also-rans drop out so we can solidify the not-Romney vote so he doesn't have to be our nominee?  I'm looking at you, Santorum, Bachmann, and Huntsman.  (I'd add Ron Paul, but I know there's no way that crazy old man will drop out.)

35 I liked our troll busters, though they seem to be mostly inactive now.

That's because the trolls are mostly inactive now.

I really am worried about the intensity of dislike for our presumptive nominee.  This does not bode well. 

That's why I'm not sure he'll actually be the nominee.  Enough people dislike him, there is a chance they'll solidify behind one candidate before January.

36 Good, its bash Romney day today. Free Republic is right. he is all that shit.

37

Thanks Ace.

 

38 In other news l33t hackerz Anonymous says they will now destroy... Fox News. http://tinyurl.com/66vc54v

39 Can we ban Romney from the nomination?

40 What's wrong with just making arguments against Romney? Bah. This makes me appreciate ace's laissez faire policies even more.

41 KOS bans entire groups and I never hear about that in the news.

Wonder why?

Looks like a  set up by Romney people to get some sympathetic press.

Just saying, er who gives a shit?

42 Tweet of the day!

43 That's because the trolls are mostly inactive now.

raykon is a nightly pest.

44

Hey, you know what I just realized?

Free Republic has linked to a couple of my articles here on Ace with a little commentary and a comments thread.

Hmmm...

45 ree Republic...

Heh.

46 His record is that of an abortionist, gay rights pushing, gun grabbing, global warming advocating, big government, mandate loving, constitution trampling, flip-flopping liberal progressive with no core values.
 
Sounds like Curious applied for a job there.

47 Golly... MAYBE it would help if Romney weren't such a stuttering clusterfuck of a miserable flip-flopper.

It's not a freaking urban legend. What have you been smoking? Obama would CRUSH Romney and FR is being principled. Hell, even Ace has pushed that 8-mouthed Romney on the side bar for weeks.

Pull your head(s) out.

48 Free dosen't really mean what you think it means.

49 It is such an honor to see such great Americans come to my defense. In my view, this is the right thing to do. I must admit that I am pleased that I could work together with you Aceholes and get my agenda through to the rest of the American people.

50 What does ace think of this?

51 16
I posted once at Free Republic, and was banned because I'm a lesbian.

Posted by: Shepard Smith, FNC Anchoress at November 01, 2011 11:53 AM (Lt/Za)

No you were banned because you went to Ole Miss.  Being a fag had nothing to do with it.

52 He lost in 2008, why the fuk is Romney back?
#losing2012, because that's what Republicans do best.

53 This is just Free Republics reverse psychology ploy to help the conspiracy get Romney the nomination.

54 I hope Mitt and his consultant/trolls wore their Kevlar cups because that's a 50 yard field goal-like kick to the nuts.

And it's GOOD!
 _{(2 arms raised directly overhead)}

55 Posted by: Billy Bob, the guy who drinks in SC at November 01, 2011 11:57 AM (vSiVD)

Yeah, this is going to garner a lot of sympathy.  Right.  No one here seems to have said: "You D*mn Freepers!  You have to let Romneyites back on your site!"  Mostly we seem to be saying, "Meh, Romney Sucks."  At least in regards to FR actually banning people.

It does reflect poorly on them, but it would no matter who they banned- banning people from the site who have views that disagree with yours is a sign of weakness.

56
41
44

Exactly

57 42 In other news l33t hackerz Anonymous says they will now destroy... Fox News. http://tinyurl.com/66vc54v

Posted by: Chairman LMAO at November 01, 2011 11:57 AM (9eDbm)

I guess they had second thoughts about taking on the Zetas, and decided to go for a target that won't respond with violence.

58 My endorsement of principled free speech should not be taken as an endorsement of Cornbrero.

59 This is just another episode feeding my fear that more voters than expected will stay home if Romney is the nominee. Right or wrong, it is a genuine consideration.

60 @40
He is giving a "major policy speech" today in front of "conservative activists" (one wonders who the heck they are) so cue the orgasms from the usual suspects. 

I'd like to see some evidence that someone, anyone, in the Romney camp or in the wing of the party that is pushing Romney based on his supposed electability, had some sort of plan for uniting us behind him.  "Suck it up!" is not a strategy, nor is closing down any attempts to anticipate/expose the lines of attacks that will be used against him in the general (should he be the nominee). 

I'm so disenfranchised right now that I will vote against anyone who endorses Romney early, so their arguments about down-ticket races being no problem rings hollow to me.

61 I got shiite all over me.

62 I much prefer a site where the owner actually dives down into the comments and rips his own commenters to shreds instead of banning them.

63 I guess they had second thoughts about taking on the Zetas, and decided to go for a target that won't respond with violence.

Soon.

64 So he lost what...6, 7 votes?

65 Oh no, Romney has lost the tinfoil hat vote.
Whatever shall we do.

66 I wish someone would destroy anonymous

67

I was booted off Free Republic 3 or 4 years ago. To be fair, I was trolling and teasing the daylights out of a pack of neo-confederates who kept going on about the 'War of Northern Aggression' and so on. I mean, I consider myself a conservative guy but FR was one of the few online forums I've posted to where wasn't considered conservative enough. No reason was given for my expulsion. One day I tried to logon and couldn't.

It's Robinson's site so he can do what he likes, although I predict he'll rapidly go the way of Charles Johnson and LGF and descend into fringe irrelevance. If Free Republic has done anything right, it provided a place where FReeper Buckhead could write 'Hey, that looks like a Microsoft Word font' when Dan Rather came out with his blockbuster 'Fake but accurate' Bush expose.

68 hugh hewitt hit hardest

69   46 Tweet of the day!

Posted by: laceyunderalls at November 01, 2011 11:58 AM (pLTLS)

Wow..I guess the lascivious boss coalition got the memo.

70 @59

Good points.  What I meant was MSM will be calling FR racist, etc so the net results will help Mitt.

71

I don't mind the regulars who support Romney, but I can't help but feel there are several "new" people who show up just for the Romney threads.

 

Not advocating banning at all, but I do think some of them might actually work for Romney's campaign in one form or another

72 Obama is a stuttering clusterf*ck of a miserable failure.

73 Taking !Romney fever to the next level. Hey I don't like the guy, and I certainly don't want to see him get the nom. I think that squelching his supporters doesn't help. In fact I think his supporters here so far more to solidify opposition than they do to gain any support for Romney. The CONFORM talk from our side is getting a little irritating.

74 "Suck it up!" is not a strategy, nor is closing down any attempts to anticipate/expose the lines of attacks that will be used against him in the general (should he be the nominee). 

I'm so disenfranchised right now that I will vote against anyone who endorses Romney early, so their arguments about down-ticket races being no problem rings hollow to me.

Careful.  Go too far down that road, and the Romnyites will start saying you're working for Obama.

That said: I agree with you.

75 Why the hell do we want another big government Republican for President? Electing the same type person and expecting a different result is the wish of mental patients.

76 Hell, even Ace has pushed that 8-mouthed Romney on the side bar for weeks.

Ace actually exercises very little oversight over what appears in the sidebar.  Not that I think he disagrees with it, but don't attribute to him what really belongs to cobloggers.

77 Yawn

78 I would prefer someone other than Romney as the nominee, however, he is 100 times superior to what we have now.

79 O/T...If I hear one more stupid radio spot for Issue 2 (Ohio), I think I'll kill mys...ACK!!!

80 Hey, it's Jim's site. Further, Mittens is getting plenty of help from the MFM and GOP Establishment which spew plenty for the flip flopper. Jim also bans certain "news" sources.  I don't have a problem with it. 

81 Ace actually exercises very little oversight over what appears in the sidebar.

He only poaches from it when HotAir runs dry.

82 I don't care for Romney but this is just bullshit.The type of thing that the left does.

83 I want to know if they banned OdipO supporters yet.

84 DJIA = -312 at 11642.97

85 Good points.  What I meant was MSM will be calling FR racist, etc so the net results will help Mitt.

Na.  The MSM doesn't mind any kind of implosion coming from the Right.  And they know (or should) that Free Republic doesn't actually carry all that much weight, in-and-of itself.

Mostly I think this is "meh" regarding the campaign and "well lookit" for the site itself.

86 I am a long time reader and I am fully in support of Romney.  He is just what this country needs.  I'm so fortunate to be a part of Ace of Spades, especially Ace's compassionate outreach to the hobo community.

87 Id rather have a threesome with Ricki Lake and Rosie Odonell than vote for Mitt Romney....but I will vote for Mitt if he wins the nomination over Obama cause Obama sucks cock.

88 And when JackStraw comes along here and tries to push his "But! Perry is corrupt!" crap again: (from yesterday's thread)

http://tinyurl.com/6ast27d

It doesn't matter what you think of the author of that piece. It's factually accurate. You think this wouldn't come out if Perry is the nominee? Really?

Perry is not the great True Conservative hope. His record shows him to be anything but.

Posted by: JackStraw at October 31, 2011 08:19 PM (TMB3S)

JackStraw--that article is full of shit. Top to bottom. Let me tell you, I've been to Andrews, have you? I doubt the author was either.

Let's take this: " I'm barreling down a stretch of State Highway 176 in the deadest, hottest part of the Texas desert, a few miles shy of the New Mexico border and about an hour west of the rusted oil wells and Friday night lights of Odessa-Permian." 1) Andrews is northwest of Midland/Odessa; 2) Andrews is, as the crow files, 31+ miles from the NM border; 3) The area around El Paso is drier and hotter and deader; there's mesquite and grass around Andrews, nothing but dirt and rocks around El Paso--you'd know that if you'd been.

Then: "given how dangerously close it lies to the Ogalalla aquifer" 1) Andrews is, if at all, on the very-most Southern tip; 2) The recharge zone for the Ogalalla is not in Texas, very little surface water from TX makes it to the Ogalalla as there is a thick layer of caliche between it an the aquifer; 3)All those oil fields out there around Andrews, you think they are above or below the Ogalalla?

And: "But it's hard not to look beyond the dump to nearby Eunice, New Mexico, visible just a few miles away, and wonder about the wisdom of taking a private company's word that there is no contaminated water running underground to the nearby town." 1) Eunice is about 5.5 miles from the TX/NM border; 2) Anyone who thinks there is a possibility of the nuclear waste contemplated to be stored there "leaking" is a total fucking liar, and I'm being nice about that--It is, all of it, low level waste, contaminated clothes, tools, equipment, etc. that have to be discarded and/or treated after exposure to ANY radiation. It's not glowing goo and it's not in old, used oil drums; 3) They've been storing waste there since 1999--kinda fucking blows up the whole "crony capitalist Perry" meme, doesn't it? 4) You know what else is 5 miles east of Eunice, right on the NM/TX border, between Eunice and this "dangerous" waste site? A uranium enrichment and processing plant, called UNERCO, USA. Odd the author left that out of his "factually accurate" smear job story, right? 5) You know what else? International Isotopes wants to build a uranium processing plant in the area too. Huh, having the only low-level waste storage, processing and treatment plant in the region doesn't seem so stupid now, does it? Why'd the author leave all that out, isn't that a bit relevant?

I could go on, there is a shit load more half-truths, smears, distortions and outright lies in the story. But when the source is all Democrats and their operatives, people Perry cut off from the gravy train and Debra "9/11 was an inside job" Medina, I think I've spent enough time. But you keep fapping that chicken if you want to.

89 God what a screed they laid on the Mitt! Almost feel sympathetic to him, sorta, kinda. They're probably part of the bunch that would stay home and let O'fuckstick have 4 more years. I stopped camping out there a couple of years ago because I thought the crazy was getting a little strong there.

90 I'm NOT a Romney supporter but A) censorship is wrong B) it is shit like this that will get obama re-elected

91 76 Obama is a stuttering clusterf*ck of a miserable failure.

Posted by: steevy at November 01, 2011 12:03 PM (fyOgS)

You should also know that Pelosi is a batshit crazy old bitch.

 

 

92 CONFORM
CONFORM
CONFORM

93 Keep hating on Romney if he is the nominee and get 4 more years of Obama.Seriously,that's what we want??

94 >>Posted by: AllenG (Dedicated Tenther) says 'No' to RINO Romney at November 01, 2011 12:04 PM

Jason Chaffetz has lost my vote (and Orrin Hatch will not get it).  At least he could have had the decency to hold off on his endorsement until things got further along as Mike Lee seems to have done thus far.  I've been vocally critical of Lee - and I fully expect him to endorse Romney - but I credit him with at least trying to seem like his endorsement isn't a lock.  Some of these conservatives need to try to hold Romney's feet to the fire so he'll move a little to the right, otherwise we're screwed.

95 Romney is my safety school.  I can live with him, but I really don't want to.

96 See, this is the thing about Ace. He is not a conservative, he's a small l libertarian. I agree and approve, not that he needs any approval from me. But if you read that second para above, it's the liberal progressives that are ruled off. The conservative progressives may stay. Hell, that's what they all are, Neo-Puritans. All proggs want to run my life. They can blow me first.

97 somewhere chuckie johnson is smiling.

98 Did I say really?  I meant really, really, don't want to.

99 86 I don't care for Romney but this is just bullshit.The type of thing that the left does.

Yes, and it'll be detrimental for them in the long run.  Besides, do they think they'll prevent Romney from being the nominee by shutting off all conversation about him?  That's a bit childish and a bit myopic. 

For the record, Romney isn't my favored nominee (for all the reasons listed before), but for better or worse, he's in the top tier of Republican candidates. 

100 I was posting at FR pre-2008, still visit occasionally now.  For me, it was a good site for political info on my state, Washington. 

It got to be pretty unbearable, and for a lot of the Romney supporters, no matter what reason you gave for not supporting Romney, it was "You don't like him because he's a Mormon!1!11!"  To be fair, of course there were those posters who posted negative articles about the Mormon religion, which I thought was way out of bounds.   

Oh, and trolls usually didn't last very long, and there was great fun to be had on the "zot" threads back then.   

The guy who runs FR can do as he wishes, it's his site.  

101 That's just gay as all hell no matter what politician is involved or what side it happens on. I never go there myself so it's no skin off my nose, but what a bunch of pussies. Lame-ass lame.

102 Keep hating on Romney if he is the nominee and get 4 more years of Obama.Seriously,that's what we want?? Posted by: steevy at November 01, 2011 12:08 PM (fyOgS) I hear ya and I am with ya. Also what these Romney haters should remember is that no matter who goes up and who goes down Romney stays stuck at 25%. It's not like he is gaining support from Republicans.

103 95 Yes,yes she is,also she is a hideous freak of plastic surgery and Botox.Oh,and corrupt as can be.Oh,and extremely stupid,we're talking sub 100 IQ for sure.

104 It's Robinson's site so he can do what he likes, although I predict he'll rapidly go the way of Charles Johnson and LGF and descend into fringe irrelevance.


That ain't gonna happen.  FR has been around since '97 or so and has been and is frequented by many serious conservatives, e.g., Mark Levin, the late Barbara Olsen, the late Tony Snow and many anonymous movers and shakers. 

105 "Ace actually exercises very little oversight over what appears in the sidebar.  Not that I think he disagrees with it, but don't attribute to him what really belongs to cobloggers."

Bullshit. It's his site and his moniker in the Masthead. You're a coward and apologist. If Romney=Loser makes you mad, get over it. Once there was this guy named McCain...

106 >>>Wow! Not my favorite site, but really like the balls involved in this.

Why?  What's ballsy about banning people who support the likely GOP nominee for President?  Do you think that's going to somehow change the outcome?  Magical Thinking Alert!

You know, Free Republic isn't the only place that's doing this; RedState has been banning pro-Romney people recently as well, because they (and specifically Erick Erickson, by far my least favorite "media conservative") are so deep into the tank for Rick Perry. 

Me?  I got banned from RedState five or six years ago when the Ben Domenech plagiarism scandal broke.  My crime was pointing out that Ben Domenech was, in fact, a plagiarist, and that the mere fact that the site's proprietors were friends of his didn't absolve him of that unforgivable sin.

107 The KookStar banned me years ago for mocking Michael Savage and calling W "the worst president ever", something that many Kookers had been saying for months.

They also accused me of spreading 9/11Troofer stuff, something I never did.

They're a very clubby, exclusive bunch of Savage jock sniffers. F*ck 'em all.

108

Mitt Romney is at least 12% better than what we have now.  FOR NOW.

But he will also define what it means to be a conservative for the next 4-8 years.

Remember how AWESOME it was to defend W to all your liberal associates?

Want that again?

 

It'll be like having Lindsey Graham as the president.  Sure, there's an R there, but...

 

I'm not sure whether I can even vote for him.  If I do, I'll have to bring a puke bucket with me.

109 God what a screed they laid on the Mitt! Almost feel sympathetic to him, sorta, kinda.

They did, but I don't.  He deserved every word.  That doesn't mean banning people who wish to defend him is a good idea.  But they'll deal with whatever consequences of that choice are.

A) censorship is wrong

Only Gov't censorship is wrong.  Otherwise it's simply free association.  If I'm running a website and I want it to have a given message (in this case: Romney Sucks), I have every right to say "Anyone who says something against this message is banned."

Doesn't make it a good idea, but that's a different matter entirely.

110 We have to beat Obama.Have too.The Republic is gone already but things can get much worse,WILL get much worse with 4 more years of this traitor.

111 ""Id rather have a threesome with Ricki Lake and Rosie Odonell than vote for Mitt Romney....""



Ouch, I don't like romney either, but you gotta have a grudge against your dick to do that. lol

112 I want someone who lines up with me on issues, but..... I will take Romney over Obama, Huntsman over Obama, Paul over Obama, Vlad Dracul over Obama.......

113 >>>Not advocating banning at all, but I do think some of them might actually work for Romney's campaign in one form or another

Really?  And the people who support Herman Cain or Rick Perry -- no question that they're sincere, right?  Only Romney supporters could possibly be paid plants.

I honestly can't believe you're allowed to post on the front page.

114 I got banned

You got banned someplace JeffB. A likable congenial gentleman like yourself? Wow didn't see that coming.

115 Oh, if Mittens is the nominee, I will vote for him. This has to be a broken glass election for the GOP regardless of who is on the ticket.  This great country cannot take 4 more years of the ...

Stuttering Clusterf*ck of a Miserable Failure.

116 You're a coward and apologist.

Go gett'em, tiny internet warrior that lives in my flat screen!

Fight the Power!

117 Fuck Mittens. He's the equivalent of a lumpy fart. Remember when Erick Erickson banned the birthers from Red State?

118 I'm not sure whether I can even vote for him. If I do, I'll have to bring a puke bucket with me. Posted by: Truman North at November 01, 2011 12:11 PM (I2LwF) A) he does NOT have the Nomination or is gaining any support B) attack him all you want but do nothing to jeopordize the General Election.

119 This helps reinforce my action today.  I received a fundraising "survey" from the RNC.  I wrote out a short note saying I refuse to support an organization that foists big gov't RINOs on me.  Then I mailed it back in their postage-paid envelope.  Always a bonus. 

120 @119 This.

121 OK, so no discussing the eventual nominee of the Republican party and the next president of the United States.  I guess they don't need web traffic or donations after all.  I don't generally comment on that site anyway, I mainly use it as an aggregator but that is absurd. 

They might as well ban discussion of all of the Republican candidates because they have all held less than Conservative views at one time or another, save for Bachman who has no chance.  Perry supporters should be banned for his stance in illegal immigration. Romney is to the right of Perry on that.  Newt was hanging it out with Pelosi and Sharpton.  Cain is pro-life but is OK with mothers having illegal abortions. I could go on....

122 Psssst.

_{^{michele bachmann isn't Romney.}}

Don't tell anyone.

123 After 4 yearsof Obama I suspect that even Mittens will seem like a conservative warrior.

124 It's Robinson's site so he can do what he likes, although I predict he'll rapidly go the way of Charles Johnson and LGF and descend into fringe irrelevance. No, JimRob is too prinicpled for that. Say what you like about the man, but he has maintained the site as exactly true to the same ideas as he had on the first day. Anyway, these purges are a common thing over there. Last election cycle it was Guliani supporters.

125 And speaking of Mittens

You know who this helps? HH takes issue with George Will's editorial bashing his man.

126 Doesn't make it a good idea, but that's a different matter entirely. Posted by: AllenG (Dedicated Tenther) says 'No' to RINO Romney at November 01, 2011 12:11 PM (8y9MW) I think censorship on blogs like this is wrong unless the behavior/words are violent, overtly obscene ( G-D knows what that is?), or so annoying they impeded the flow of ideas on the blog. Illegal no- wrong yes.

127 How is the RNC "foisting" Romney on us?People will either vote for him or not.People,American citizens(one would hope).

128 They should ban the mentally unstable Caniac's as well.

129 Wow.. all 12 of those idiots that post there will be free! from all Romney talk!

Now, combine that with the 2 dozen posters at RedState who haven't been banned (ha! banned twice, thank you) and you are really talking about most of the GOP voters in America! Whew! Romney's in trouble!

130 Eh..I got banned from freeporn dot com, they sighted overuse or some sort of nonsense. Go figure.

131 Perry supporters should be banned for his stance in illegal immigration. Romney is to the right of Perry on that. Newt was hanging it out with Pelosi and Sharpton. Cain is pro-life but is OK with mothers having illegal abortions. I could go on.... Posted by: Ken Royall at November 01, 2011 12:13 PM Hey, doesn't this look like one of those paid Romney supporters someone was mentioning earlier?

132  Bend Over, Romney 2012!

133 The Free Republic crowd and the Ace crowd are very different, to state the obvious. I started out wanting Sarah very much, and am almost to the point of accepting that I will have to vote for garbage yet once more. And I will, because that is the prudent thing to do. But the FR banning is significant insofar as it reflects the perspective of millions of folks who never heard of Free Republic. The guy who writes Astute Blogger is astute, but his condescension towards those who refuse to vote for Romney is also significant. It reflects another dangerous perspective, one that does not take into account the years of disrespect and name-calling endured by conservatives. Romney has given the finger to conservatives pretty much, and he reflects this Bush-like noblesse oblige non-conservative pov which can barely conceal its disdain for conservatives, a disdain based on cultural bias. The division is real and ominous. I believe it is worse than the McCain election because conservatives realize no time has ever been better for the conservative message. Romney and his supporters need to do something fast about this. Maybe he should even admit he is not a conservative, I don't know. But condescension and arrogance is not the answer.

134 >>B) it is shit like this that will get obama re-elected

I kind of disagree with you. 

Look, almost without exception the more posts I read from Romney supporters, the further away from him I'm driven. 

I was bothered by his positions and became more bothered by them as I researched them and found all the flip-flops people complained about last time (when I voted for him, incidentally), but I used to think he was an honorable guy.  I never believed the rumors and accusations about his campaign from last time.  Well, I believe them now.  I think he could be a really scary president.  There are several things about his character and mindset that concern me now, but I cannot voice them without having shit rained down on me. 

I wish we had a format where there was one thread per candidate per day, even for the so-called fringe candidates, so we could avoid the spewing and just actually learn something about each of them.  Hell, even Ron Paul and Rick Santorum have ideas I should probably be exposed to, but it never happens in the current environment.

So, although I am not condoning what FR did (nor am I condemning it, btw, because I just don't know if the Romney people were essentially trolling the site with smears and untruths about the other candidates), I can see how it might actually allow the people who read the site to actually learn about the non-Romneys in a stress-free environment, which might lead to them coalescing around a candidate. 

135 Posted by: nevergiveup at November 01, 2011 12:15 PM (i6RpT)

Well, then you're just getting into sophistry about what "wrong" means.  In the sense that "I've been wronged?" no, I don't accept that.  In the sense that, "This isn't helpful?" yeah, I can accept that one.

136 Frankly, I like people who agree with me, and dislike hearing from those who don't.

137 Sock off.

138 I left Freak Republic during the Schiavo fiasco--there were posters making death threats against Michael Schiavo, death threats against the judge, demands to try President Bush and Governor Bush for treason, demands for the military to overthrow the government . . . Jim Robinson let the crazies run amok for some reason. A lot of them loudly supported Alan Keyes. Draw your own conclusions.

139 We have to beat Obama.Have too.The Republic is gone already but things can get much worse,WILL get much worse with 4 more years of this traitor.

Agree, steevy.  I detest Mittens.  If the elites RINOs get their way, Romney will be it.  As much as I can't stand the thought of him as president, he's wildly better than Barky.  A more conservative Congress would temper the pain of pulling that lever, as would a decent VP.  Bambi with more SCOTUS nominations and executive orders flying out of his skinny a$$....no, no candidate we have running is worse than that.  None.

140
Counterproductive, in that one pro-Romney post can generate a dozen conservative anti-Romney responses hammering the Mitt.

If you're running a hate factory, don't cut off the supply of raw materials.

141 IIRC, don't have any links, but one of the reasons you can't post articles from certain news sites at FR may be that the news site will bring a lawsuit. It could also be true that JR doesn't want certain sites.  Lucianne-dot-com does the same thing, but usually for sites not considered news sites by the staff there.    

142 >>>You got banned someplace JeffB. A likable congenial gentleman like yourself? Wow didn't see that coming.

I figured something like this was coming, but trust me when I say that I was a completely different person over there than there, due to their site rules (no cursing, no ranting, etc.)  It wasn't any sort of browbeating that got me banned -- and if you doubt this is possible just ask other people about their experiences with "streiff" as a moderator -- it was my pointing out that plagiarism, especially the serial plagiarism that Domenech was engaged in, was a serious journalistic crime and that his association with RedState would hurt them in the long run. 

All of which proved to be true afterwards -- Domenech is still persona non grata everywhere in the world of serious political and conservative commentary, and RedState is pretty much an island of isolated low-traffic kookery. 

143 How is the RNC "foisting" Romney on us?People will either vote for him or not.People,American citizens(one would hope).

The RNC has a lot of cash at their disposal, and pretty much 100% say as to where it goes. Promises of campaign money here or there gets prominent republicans to endorse or push Romney. Saying the RNC cannot unduly influence this process is naive.

144

This is becoming way too easy.  Your wingnuts are so f'n irrational we don't even have to try all that hard.  

FYI, after your wingnuts saved the Senate for us by nominating that cluster of clusterfucks -- Angle, Buck, DioGuardi, O'Donnell -- we figured even they would learn their lesson.  But no, actually, as you can see, we overestimated them.  They're dumber and more irrational even than some of our cement heads.  It's amazing.  Someone pinch me.

We've already preempted Perry's candidacy.  Throw a vaccine and some public funds for dark-skinned Catholics at the conservative "base" and voila, instant political death.  By the time we get through with Romney he'll have no chance against Barack next year.  Keep in mind that we'll have a billion dollars to spend on attack ads and that doesn't even include the value of biased media coverage.  We figure we can dupe at least 4-5 million of your wingnuts into staying home and not voting.  Hell, who knows, your Palinista robots are so stupid they might even saddle you with Cain, which of course would be our ultimate wet dream, no pun intended, rubes.

Anyway, stay classy, conservatives.  Keep putting your principles over politics.  Keep purifying your party.  That's the ticket.  Send your messages.  Prove your points. 

We'll send you a postcard from Barack's farewell address, in Jan. 2017.  Heh.

145 ROMNEY 2020: BECAUSE I'LL KEEP RUNNING UNTIL I'M ELECTED OR DEAD!

146 "Newt was hanging it out with Pelosi and Sharpton."

Conversation:
Al: "Resist we much."
Nancy: "Not until after we vote on it"
Newt: "I'm very lonely."

147 Free Republic was never the same after the Great Rift. A lot of good people left and a lot of cranks stayed.

148 147 Influence it,absolutely.Not "foist" though.

149 I am a registered Repub so I can vote in primary and local elections but have been moving away and fully consider myself an indy now, because the Repub establishment and elites protect the status quo and refuse to go bact to small "r" republican values.

The only good thing I can think of for a Romney nomination is maybe it will finally put an end to that power base.

150 Finally!

151 148 Go fuck yourself with a particularly knobby pineapple dipshit.

152 The Romney supporters are looking for the right insults to get the rest of us to vote for their guy. Not much luck so far.

153 I'm voting for whoever is on the ticket, because even the worst republican running right now don't have the deep rooted hatred for America that the SCFOAMF has, or the bitch wife that actually makes HIM look like a patriot.

154 I'm voting for Pedro.

155

I'm reminded of the old quote about how Nixon could have won when no one I knew voted for him.  Or was it Reagan?  Doesn't matter.  Point is that our own individual sampling can be a little off due to the biased circles with which we associate.

Having said that and pretty much ignoring it, I do not know one person who supports Romney.  In the end, I would expect almost all of the conservative people I know to support him over BO (but not happily), but it is a concern that he has such limited support.  Even the "independents" I know, some from the Northeast, don't really like him and prefer Cain.  And if it was Romney v. BO, they would go with BO.  If his "electibility" is one of his biggest assets, then he is in real trouble. 

It's not just his flip-flopping, pandering, religion, etc.  He is just not a likable person.  Lowry pegged him when he said Mitt is the guy in the front of the classroom who raises his hand to every question.  No wonder, Romney's support seems to be limited to the conservative punditry and intelligentsia.  They were those guys as well.  But most people find those guys pretty annoying.

I don't see Romney winning the nomination.  But if he does, he will have a big problem on his hand.  You can't just keep asking the conservative base to look the other way and support these guys.  At some point, enough will stay home.

156 Nothing that can be done about it, of course, but even more than what the RNC may or may not be doing to prop up Romney, Fox News' clear tilt is influencing folks.  My dad (80) is a regular viewer and I can tell he's swallowing all of the lines about the other candidates.  Very frustrating.  My only hope is that he also listens to Rush Limbaugh.

157 VOTE ROMNEY 'cause he sucks just a liiiiiiitle less than Obama.

158 I followed that link and noted it went to Politico and Ben Smith. So I had to verify at Free Republic itself. It took a while to track it down but I found an article posted talking about him and Red State banning Romneybots. He had this to say:

NOTE: FR's "editor" (namely, me) is not shy about stating FR's conservative principles, purposes and goals or about stating why liberal progressive RINOS are not acceptable on FR and so adds the following links for reference

He gives some links to why Romney is a RINO. We don't need those, we already know his record. He is well within his power to ban Romney supporters. It is his site and he built it to espouse conservatism which Romney is not.

159 158 So, who wants to eat chiminichangas next year?

160 I have deal with Romney:  I'll vote for him if he wins the general, but every time he flips or flops or strays away from commitment, I get to berate and browbeat his shape-shifting dumbass like a fucking bongo.

161 But the FR banning is significant insofar as it reflects the perspective of millions of folks who never heard of Free Republic.

Posted by: Tonawanda
...............
FR reflects - nothing... especially millions of voters.

Those retards can't even understand HTML over there.. the place looks like CompuServe from 1985 for cripes sake.

162 Where do I sign up?

163 we figured even they would learn their lesson.

We figured after tossing several elections the Republican party would learn they needed to run something other than squishes. We aren't the only stubborn blockheads willing to pitch a fit. Until the Republican party realizes the base needs to approve at least tacitly of their candidates this will repeat and repeat, cause I'm not willing to throw support for another neo-con squish only to watch him cause more harm than good.

164 I have mentioned Freepers many times in the past, and I probably will again today...

165 164:   er, primary.

166 Romney 2012, Now With the Reservoir Tip!

167 Heh!  I was banned from that site back in '99 for skepticism about the "leadership" and finances.

Cordially...

168 I've been banned from all the best places - LGF, Kos, FDL ...

169

Next they'll start posting pictures of their bicycle rides and airbrushing out any positive references to Romney in 2008.

 

170 We've already preempted Perry's candidacy

Don't get to full of yourself Perry preempted his own candidacy.

171

Rude host, I mean

Nude post, I mean

Pot roast...ah fuck it!

 

172 Barack Obama is a stuttering clusterf*ck of a miserable failure.

173 Those retards can't even understand HTML over there.. the place looks like CompuServe from 1985 for cripes sake.

Posted by: Chi-Town Jerry

and you like the Mosaic '98 flavor here?

174 ROMNEY 2016: BECAUSE THE THIRD TIME IS THE CHARM

175 and you like the Mosaic '98 flavor here?
Posted by: Jean
........
I was trying to be kind.. I was gonna say this joint is one step up from FR.. which isn't saying much.

176 Yawn

177 The problem with the freepers is the same problem with the repub elites, they continue to bite the hands that feed it.

178 Why don't they bring their blog into the late 90's?

179
I really am worried about the intensity of dislike for our presumptive nominee

Romney is Obama's brother by a different mother. Romney does at least have some experience in the business sector, and that is a difference.

But their policies? more a like than not a like.

Why vote for Democrat Lite when you can have the Real Thing, Baby??

180 Enough people dislike him, there is a chance they'll solidify behind one candidate before January.

Posted by: AllenG (Dedicated Tenther) says 'No' to RINO Romney at November 01, 2011 11:56 AM (8y9MW)

I really hope that you are correct, but there is one small issue with your prediction: Who is the magical candidate?

181 Mitt sux, btw.

182 I think many of the Romney Trolls are paid.

183 I knew there was a reason I liked FR.

184 @186
Well, we know at least one of the guys endorsing him was.  lol.

185 @112: "Mitt Romney is at least 12% better than what we have now. FOR NOW.But he will also define what it means to be a conservative for the next 4-8 years. Remember how AWESOME it was to defend W to all your liberal associates? Want that again?" Personally, I will vote for whoever the Republicans put up against the SCOAMF, even Romney, whom we might recall is not as bad as McCain was. But we're back to the problem that we had with the debt ceiling: Is opposing Romney the hill to die on, and if not, how much more fucked do we have to be? I mean, if we're not prepared to adopt the type of Leftist deception and character assassination tactics allowed to the Democrats, then we really ought to acknowledge that compromise can only mean our eventual loss. I know people are concerned about whether the non-Romney candidates are electable, but the flip side is the question of what of substance we gain with Romney. Surely it's not nothing, but still...is this the best we can do? Also, in the long term a Romney administration move likely the country further left, since it will tactically redefine the center. Look at what happened with Big Gov Dubya--He's the face of True Republican Conservatism as far as the general public is concerned (i.e., R/D dichotomy). I'm at a major state university and every single day I see the Leftists working the quad, handing out leaflets, pushing the propaganda. Education (ahem, "education") is a liberal vote factory, and within the next few years we won't have another chance to actually get someone in who might actually do what we want and not "compromise". Is Romney that guy? And if not, then why should we nominate him?

186 not.a.romney.fan.
 Yet it is a political site and Romney however much people are not impressed with His credentials Is a republican candidate. I dunno I think it's smells more like a left maneuver to shut down people that might argue His case.
it's one of the things I like about being Republican.

187 I got banned from LGF just for going there.

188 >>>I have deal with Romney:  I'll vote for him if he wins the general, but every time he flips or flops or strays away from commitment, I get to berate and browbeat his shape-shifting dumbass like a fucking bongo.

You think you're going to be the only one?  Hell, I'll be banging out a syncopated counter-rhythm alongside you if that happens.

189 I need to get Dial Up to go over there.

190 Censoring people who disagree with you is a leftist tactic. I understand that this is a forum and they have a right to do as they please but it is not a good example of conservative thinking. Are we so incapable of deciding our own primary candidates this election that we need to root-out those trying to sway us to vote their way? People should make their own decisions based on their own research.

191 "142 Jim Robinson let the crazies run amok for some reason. A lot of them loudly supported Alan Keyes. Draw your own conclusions.

Posted by: Cobalt Shiva at November 01, 2011 12:17 PM"

Yep, and good old Eternal Vigilance with his bus. Those were fun days mocking the FReepers.

192 >>>I think many of the Romney Trolls are paid.

Which ones, pray tell?  We need to know who you plan on putting in the death camps.

193 Get off my lawn!

194 Freepers may be a little zealous but can anyone really tell me how Mittens would be any different from the SCOAMF, I mean other than slowing down our rate of approach on this train headed for a cliff I see no substantive difference. AGW - Rom/Scoamf Healthcare - Rom/Scoamf Carbon Credit Tax Rom/Scoamf Abortion - Rom Scoamf Islam position - Rom/Scoamf There is very little difference between the two on the issues above, I just don't see how Romney would improve things. He will just slow down our fall.

195 The Utah Jihadis are everywhere, just like those L.Ron Hubbard ass clowns.

196 Romney trolls aren't paid, they're fucking deluded.

197 >>>I think many of the Romney Trolls are paid.

No, really, name names.  Because honestly I can only think of literally FIVE people who post here that support or defend Romney: me, JackStraw, UndeadStates, reggie1971, and Winning.  That's it.  All of this furious, hateful "Romneybot troll infestation" that people are clutching their pearls over comes from five people.  And I'm not all that familiar with the last two guys, but me, UndeadStates, and JackStraw have been commenting here more or less since the beginning.  If they're getting paid, then damn...I'd like in on some of that crazy blog money myself.  Because lawyer's hours are a BITCH, let me tell you, even when I get to post from work like I am now.

198 Paid?  Paid?  Hey!  Where the f*ck is my check???11!

199 @189: I might also mention that this is part of the reason I can overlook all of Newt's past foibles. Yeah, he did a ton of shit in his time, but at least he gets the message out in a far more compelling way than anyone else out there. I know people won't vote for him, so you don't have to explain why for the millionth time. But at this stage of the game with the PR/messaging clusterfuck of a field that we have, shouldn't clear, compelling speech at least be grudgingly acknowledged?

200 Every blog has every right to set their own environment, including the nature of the commenters that they allow. Each blog is not a public square - it is more analagous to a person's living room. Commenters are allowed purely at the discretion of the blog owner. Having said that, I personally prefer the free-wheeling, open blog comment sites. Or the ones that ban only the obvious trolls, who try to hijack threads via several deliberate hijack tactics that we all know about by now.

201 Don't soil your temple garments fuckhead.

202 I really hope that you are correct, but there is one small issue with your prediction: Who is the magical candidate? Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo (NJconservative) at November 01, 2011 12:34 PM (3vSLn) ? Could actually be someone not running as of yet. Who knows, but with Romney not able to break out over 25%, I am not so sure why everyone is so afraid of him.

203

Posted by: Jeff B. at November 01, 2011 12:41 PM (bbxN5)

So, Jeff, is some poor sap paying you $500/hr to support Mitt right now?

204

“I really am worried about the intensity of dislike for our presumptive nominee”

 

Perry has that problem too.  From an American Thinker article: (can't get the link to work)

 

The point is that the most likable candidate usually wins the election, and in the last four debates -- and especially the last one in Nevada -- Rick Perry has not been an attractive figure.  He looks mean-spirited and angry.  Instead of talking about his own accomplishments and offering a positive vision, he constantly attacks his rivals, often in a ham-handed, cheap fashion.

Frank Luntz, the well-known pollster, says his focus group reacted very negatively to Perry's performance in Nevada.  "It was horrific," exclaims Luntz; people want to see a candidate with a "positive attitude," not a back-alley brawler.  He says this accounts for why Gingrich has enjoyed a bump in the polls.  During these debates, Gingrich appears mature and intelligent, refusing to engage in childish bickering.  People like a candidate that takes the high road.

205 "182Why don't they bring their blog into the late 90's?

Posted by: FlaviusJulius at November 01, 2011 12:33 PM"

================================================

Well JimRob keeps trying to raise enough money with those quarterly thons.  I know it has been taking longer and longer to come up with that $300,000 annual budget.  LOL

206 >>>The Utah Jihadis are everywhere, just like those L.Ron Hubbard ass clowns.

Can you explain to me why you hate Mormons?  I mean, I don't get that at all.  Thinking they're not really Christian, yeah that I can get.  But why the outright hatred for them?  WTF is wrong with you?  Mormons are, generalizing about the community as a whole, some of the finest, most conservative, most family values-oriented Americans out there. 

207 >>>So, Jeff, is some poor sap paying you $500/hr to support Mitt right now?

Not unless I bill the sorry sonofabitch for it.  (Which I won't, I'm taking lunch.)

208

If Romney is the nominee, I guess I will support him, but only because we need to repeal Obamacare and so that the Bush tax rates do not expire.  If BO wins, Obamcare stays and taxes go up - for everyone.  Can we count on Romney to do anything about those?  I don't know, but I guess that is the chance we are going to have to take.  And even if he campaigns on those issues, will he risk a lot of political capital to marshall the efforts necessary to get Obamacare repealed and to extend the Bush tax rates?  I don't know.  Maybe we would be better with a completely divided Congress that could do nothing.  Sure Obamacare stays on teh books.  I just don't know.  It will be tough to support him.

209 Another point to be made in banning people he considers to be trolls is my experience over at Hugh Hewitt's place. I hung out and posted there for a long time but towards the end of 2007 as the election heated up we had more and more trolls come in. The people fed the trolls and they multiplied like Gremlins in the rain.

Soon every post had 400+ comments with nothing but trolls and responses. It got to where there was no debate any longer. It was 400 comments of you suck et al. That was why I left Townhall. I hope it never gets that way here.

210

Just to throw some gasoline on the fire, anyone who says they are Republicans who either do not vote for Mitt Romney if he is the nominee or vote third party if Romney is the GOP nominee, those people are Obama Supporters.

Vote your candidate in the primary, vote GOP in the general. Or else you love Barak Obama.

Simple.

211 Romney won't repeal Obamacare, he'll make it better-er.

212

>>>Just to throw some gasoline on the fire, anyone who says they are Republicans who either do not vote for Mitt Romney if he is the nominee or vote third party if Romney is the GOP nominee, those people are Obama Supporters.

>>>Vote your candidate in the primary, vote GOP in the general. Or else you love Barak Obama.

>>>Simple.

A hundred times yes.  It's not as if the Democratic opponent here is Scoop Jackson, after all.  It's Barack friggin' Obama.

213 >>>anyone who says they are Republicans who either do not vote for Mitt Romney if he is the nominee or vote third party if Romney is the GOP nominee, those people are Obama Supporters. Even if we see no difference between Mittens and SCOAMF? Because currently I see very little difference as I posted above.

214 167 We figured after tossing several elections the Republican party would learn they needed to run something other than squishes. We aren't the only stubborn blockheads willing to pitch a fit. Until the Republican party realizes the base needs to approve at least tacitly of their candidates this will repeat and repeat, cause I'm not willing to throw support for another neo-con squish only to watch him cause more harm than good.

We're in a fast-tracked world of hurt due to these 'punishing sessions'. I also think your efforts are having the opposite effect of what you intended. Further, Romney does not have to be the nominee. If people give-up and say his nomination is inevitable and we might as well vote for him, then he will be, but it does not have to work that way. 

215 >>Perry has that problem too.

Well, his candidacy is dead, isn't it?  I assume the only reason Romney is running attack sites and ads against him is because Perry is so dangerous that he needs to be ousted from the governorship of Texas.

My interest is in seeing how we are going to get rid of Obama when the presumptive nominee has not broadened his base of support despite running non-stop for three years and when the intensity of dislike for the guy within the conservative wing of the party (whose votes are needed to produce a more conservative Congress that we are told will keep Romney from governing too far left) seems so high.

So answer that question. 

216 121 Fuck Mittens. He's the equivalent of a lumpy fart. Remember when Erick Erickson banned the birthers from Red State? Posted by: Dack Thrombosis at November 01, 2011 12:13 PM (AF1jB) Yes, and I remember when C4P did the same thing. And I dropped both sites from my reading list. I stopped reading FR in 2009. It's Archie Bunker conservatism, 24/7. They have extreme purity standards, and if you fail to meet those standards you'll experience the true joy of dealing with a neanederthal mob. No thanks...

217 Romney = Obamalite with competence. I just can't bring myself to vote for any progressive, democrat OR REPUBLICAN

218 Obviously Free Republic can't handle the intellectual stimulation. Seriously. I say that as a Perry freak. If the blogosphere wants to become more and more fragmented so be it. The Freepers banned Romney supporters.... that almost makes me like Romney....! Wow...didn't think that was possible!

219 Heres what I'll do if Mitt is the Goddam nominee, I'll hold my fucking nose and vote for him. Then I'll pray for my country. Then I'll curse the GOP and vow to never give them a cent again. Fuckers have stabbed conservatives up the ass with a hot poker for the last fucking time.

220

"Perry supporters should be banned for his stance in illegal immigration. "

So you are against troops on the border, more Border Patrol agents, and using Predator Drones to help seal the border.

You are pro illegal alien.

221 David Axelrod@148:
"We'll send you a postcard from Barack's farewell address, in Jan. 2017.  Heh."

See if you can get that stuttering clusterf*ck of a miserable failure to go two seconds without blaming Bush for his incompetence by then, would you?

222 I like Romney. He is our only candidate that seems electable. Cain and Perry are amateur hour at this point. I have no problem with a conservative candidate if they are a good candidate. But none of them are. Bad hill to die on in my opinion.

223 Can we count on Romney to do anything about those?  I don't know, but I guess that is the chance we are going to have to take.  And even if he campaigns on those issues, will he risk a lot of political capital to marshall the efforts necessary to get Obamacare repealed and to extend the Bush tax rates?
Posted by: SH
............
Those are my two big concerns as well.  And I say, yes, Romney will take care of both of those on day one.  I have no doubt.

Will he fundamentally reform entitlements?  I doubt it.. but even the most conservative GOP president would have a hard time doing that.

Will he balance the budget?  Well, I think he'll do a lot better than the SCOAMF.  But once again, that's a tall order for anyone we put into that office.  I do think he would be a good president to take us out of the crappy economy we're stuck in.  He will push for exports.. he will be tough with the Chinese. and, he will create a business environment where businesses will thrive.

224 I think the Freepers have slowly but surely capped themselves in the ass- repeatedly.

225 Little Green Freepers?

226 Nobody linked the danged story. They spoke ill of Red State? Red state is the shiznit.

227 It's not as if the Democratic opponent here is Scoop Jackson, after all. It's Barack friggin' Obama. Posted by: Jeff B. at November 01, 2011 12:47 PM (bbxN5) Old Scoop would be a Republican today

228 ^{I like Romney. He is our only candidate that seems electable. Cain and Perry are amateur hour at this point.}

Clinton was amateur hour through the campaign and then some.  Obama is the epitome of amateur hour.  A vote for Romney in the primary is a vote for SCFOAMF in the general election.

Well done Freepers.

229 Hey, sort of related.  I signed up for Gingrich's email feed and just got a link to his side-by-side comparison of his plan with Romney's tax plan.  Here's the link (it's in a table format so I can't even attempt to cut and paste). 

I tell you now, I will give Newt half an hour with my girls if he goes after Romney. 

230

Y-not,

IÂ’m not a Romney supporter, but heÂ’s more likeable than Perry which means heÂ’s more electable.

231 219 My interest is in seeing how we are going to get rid of Obama when the presumptive nominee has not broadened his base of support despite running non-stop for three years and when the intensity of dislike for the guy within the conservative wing of the party (whose votes are needed to produce a more conservative Congress that we are told will keep Romney from governing too far left) seems so high.


At this point, I don't see his path to the nomination.

232

Romney creeps me out, like a snake oil salesman.  But in our house, if you don't vote then you lose your bitching privleges until the next election.  So I'll vote for him.

A lot of links are going to Free Rebublic for me.  Probably because I am trying to avoid all the Perry bashing sites.  The amount of people there that say they will stay home if the choice is Romney, it's scarey.  Too many people out there think that their personal integrity is greater than the country.  Really ticks me off that they forget the goal is ABO.

233 Oh, and by the way, voting for a republican because he/she is a republican is no different from being a democrat then. That is what Romney will present to the conservative base of the party. No thank you, I no longer accept the position of party drone. No conservative no vote. I really would rather see the country die sooner than later when given this choice. I don't give a damn about purity, I just want a conservative of some amount. Romney is all progressive just the of the lite variety.

234 *Shit* small explosion at baggage claim area-O'Hare airport.

235 The GOP has already fucked me over one time too many. Either they shit me something better than Mitt or I clean the garage on Election Day. Don't give a shit who likes it.

236 IÂ’m not a Romney supporter, but heÂ’s more likeable than Perry which means heÂ’s more electable

I assume you're being sincere, but that's simply not a compelling argument.  It's too subjective and the only 'evidence' one could even attempt to cite are the polls and they are all effed up.  (Hell, Ras had Wisconsin going to Obama vs Cain or Romney, but going for Perry.) 

I do not buy the electability argument.  Romney has not been vetted by the national media for the general election.  That's a completely different animal than what happened in '08. 

And, honestly, I don't like Romney.  He reminds me of John Kerry. 

237 "Just to throw some gasoline on the fire, anyone who says they are Republicans who either do not vote for Mitt Romney if he is the nominee or vote third party if Romney is the GOP nominee, those people are Obama Supporters."

Oh. Well, I guess it's a good thing that I no longer consider myself a Republican.

Tip to Mitt supporters: your current sales pitch, as outlined above, sucks.

238 Even though I would love a Cain/Newt ticket for a number of personal reasons, there are two broad ways of thinking about this election: 1) Last Chance for Conservatism -I'm tempted to think along these lines for a number of reasons, and I've expressed some of there here before. But when I think about it in terms of the big issues, it seems like shooting ourselves in the foot to make this into an all or nothing narrative. In fact, that's kind of buying into the Leftist notion of the inevitable march of history towards progressivism. 2) Reverse course on a couple big issues -As much as I dislike Romney, I do find it hard to believe that he would go back on his word on Obamacare, having campaigned against it as clearly as he has. I also think he'd do well with getting the economy running again. Beyond that, well, I'm not thrilled, but I suppose I have to accept that this is a center-right country, and not a right-right country.

239

There you go, Fore with Fire.

If we get obama, because you won't vote for the alternative, then you lose all bitching privleges until the next round.

240 Is Perot running?

241 At this point, I don't see his path to the nomination
---
Are you at all involved in Perry's campaign?  (Are you even still supporting him?)  Do you know if they have a plan to turn around the negative press? 

I don't think Cain is viable, although his support right now seems strong.  And I think it would be a disaster for us to run the guy who said he wouldn't hire Muslims and has a history of sexual harassment claims against him, not to mention his other problems. 

So that leaves Newt or someone coming from outside.  Honestly, I don't know who that would be.  I think the only person I could support under a "draft" scenario is Paul Ryan. 

242

I know i'm late but...petty and dumb

read my previous posts, I have many beefs w/ Romney and his bots but this is ridicilous

I was banned from Free republic for talking about the great chance the bailouts would pass back in 08 before I found this blog. Free Republic continues to suck. can't take another viewpoint? too bad. Unless the Romney supporters are trolling and doing REAL ban-worthy stuff, I dont see why they'd do this or why any clown should.

243

196 >>>I think many of the Romney Trolls are paid.

Well the Romney campaign is certainly taking their time getting a check out to me.

244 The amount of people there that say they will stay home if the choice is Romney, it's scarey.

And I keep saying this and people keep calling me crazy. When you nominate someone that 90 to 95 percent of the conservative base hate you can expect a percentage of them to sit it out. We had best pray that we do not have a repeat of 2008 where he wins with a plurality because of split votes.

That will not matter in States like NY or SC but in NC and VA it may make a difference.

245 >>Tip to Mitt supporters: your current sales pitch, as outlined above, sucks.

^This. 

246

Obviously Free Republic can't handle the intellectual stimulation.

Seriously.

I say that as a Perry freak.

+1

247

Y-not,

 

As Ace has tried to drill into everyoneÂ’s head, the polls arenÂ’t lying. 

 

You believe that everyone will like and vote for Perry once they get to know him, just as I and others believed that people would vote for Palin once they learned the truth about everything, but apparently it doesnÂ’t work that way.

 

Face the fact that Perry isnÂ’t smart enough to know how to appeal to voters on a national stage by being positive instead of making clumsy attacks on other candidates.

248 I didn't think anybody still read FreeRepublic.  I haven't in years.  At any rate, I'm surprised the Romney supporters don't just go over the Huffington Post.  I'm sure they'd be more welcome.

249 I echo whomever said "wow!" Because that is just BS all over the place and I am a commenting registrant. OY.

250 "If we get obama, because you won't vote for the alternative, then you lose all bitching privleges until the next round."

Oh, bullsh*t. If Mitt can't convince enough people to vote for him, it's his own fault. Period.

251

Because honestly I can only think of literally FIVE people who post here that support or defend Romney: me, JackStraw, UndeadStates, reggie1971, and Winning.  That's it. 

you forgot the janitor guy, that Jordan dude who's obv. a concern troll, Paris Paramus or w/e he calls himself, and oh yeah me! Im DEFINETLY not a Romney supporter but i've backed him up at times.

252

At any rate, I'm surprised the Romney supporters don't just go over the Huffington Post.  I'm sure they'd be more welcome.

your confusing them w/ Hunstman supporters

253 There you go, Fore with Fire. If we get obama, because you won't vote for the alternative, then you lose all bitching privleges until the next round. Posted by: Highlander707 at November 01, 2011 12:59 PM (ltFbS) Given the choice of a write in or two progressives why wouldn't I choose a write in? I can still bitch because both are determined to drive this country off a cliff with liberal policies. I will not vote for anymore liberal policies be they democrat or republican. Enough of the establishment shit sandwich scenario.

254 I still feel it will be more difficult for Romney to win the nomination than his campaign is willing to admit. If the last man standing strategy works for him, it will be both the fault of former candidates and the base. No one is required to vote for the man in the primary.

255 Seriously, if all you've got is "Vote For Mitt: He's the Best We Could Do" or "If You Don't Vote For Mitt We Will Demonize You," I'd say stick with the former.

But, hey, I'm a starry-eyed optimist.

256 but can anyone really tell me how Mittens would be any different from the SCOAMF

I am sure Romney actually likes the United States. That should lead to some better decisions. And Romney 'may' be more liberal than the Republican center but he is in fact well to the right of Obama.

And presumably Romney won't feel the need to apologize to the world.

And he is 99% less annoying than Obama.

257

Posted by: jwest at November 01, 2011 01:06 PM (qeYI9)

+1 Perry's done. if that debate where he finally woke up didn't start the comeback, nothing will. I'm just staying undecided and weighing my options come Jan 31st when FL votes

258

If we get obama, because you won't vote for the alternative, then you lose all bitching privleges until the next round.

exactly what I been saying

259 Posted by: jwest at November 01, 2011 01:06 PM (qeYI9)

Your reason for not supporting Perry is that he's not likable - a subjective criterion - and your evidence that that is the case are polls. 

So your assumption is that the primary feature polls measure is likability, is that it? 

When polls change, does that mean candidates have become more or less likable?  And, if so, doesn't that suggest that if a candidate has shown tremendous movement in the polls, as have Perry, Bachmann, and Cain, that they can change their likability?  If so, who says polls today reflect outcomes two months from now? 

But irrespective of any of that, your assertion about Perry's likability does not address why Romney is stuck at less than a third of GOP voters.  Nor does it tell me what his strategy is to go to the convention with a majority instead of a plurality.  Nor does it reassure me that someone who wins the nomination with a plurality will beat Obama in the general. 

260 Granted, I keep saying Anyone But Obamney -- but bans like this, however well-intentioned, have a whiff of Garofalo about them.

261 >>No one is required to vote for the man in the primary.

Which may be why we're starting to see the argument that 'voting non-Romney in the primary is a vote for Obama,' which someone here was spinning yesterday.

262 I still long for a voting system that allows you to cast a negative vote.

Then I could just cast a vote against Obama and have his final tally lowered by one. If that benefits Romney, well, it would be out of my hands. At least I wouldn't have to abase myself to vote against the stuttering clusterf*ck of a miserable failure.

263

If the last man standing strategy works for him, it will be both the fault of former candidates and the base. No one is required to vote for the man in the primary.

+1, the base should know they're splitting the anti-Romney vote and join together under 1 candidate

264

The Little General (Perot) gave us Clinton.

I think the dems love it when the Republican purists try and run a wild card.  A split vote in the Republican party is a win for the dems.

265

Which may be why we're starting to see the argument that 'voting non-Romney in the primary is a vote for Obama,'

jebus, are you serious? that's a new pathethic talking point by the romneybots

266 Almost ALL of the polls we are seeing now are worthless news polls. Yes, let's let the MFM name our candidate again.

267 Well, I'm sure that Wisconsin poll showing Perry beating Obama (but Obama beating the others) must be crap.
/s

268

Posted by: Highlander707 at November 01, 2011 01:17 PM (ltFbS)

I went into this campaign cycle thinking it was 1980 2.0, i'm starting to wonder if it's 1916 2.0

269 Just imagine how liberal Romney will sound if he goes to the general. The man can't espouse a conservative thought during a republican primary just think how far he is gonna tack to the left if he goes to the general. I am convinced he will effectively be to little difference from the SCOAMF to make a significant distinction. As such he would make no practical difference and I won't vote for him. Again a liberal is a liberal be it a D or R. Conservative first party second. When both parties are the same why bother?

270

 

Y-not,

 

Yes.  Exactly.  Polls measure likeability.

 

When a candidate moves up or down in the polls, it means they have done something that changes their likeability to the general public.  Bachman acted stupid, so she went down.  Cain came out with 9-9-9 and people began to like him.  Perry acted like a dick and the bottom fell out. 

 

In the last election, people liked Obama more than McCain.  ThatÂ’s why he got elected.

271 270 But it worked so well last time electing President McCain.

272

Posted by: Y-not at November 01, 2011 01:19 PM (5H6zj)

I actually call bull on that poll. Granted it is from #1 most accurate pollster Rasmussen but Ras shows Obama basically tied w/ Romney, beating Cain closelyt, and beating Perry pretty comfortably but not easily. yet Wisconsin would show something diff. from his national polling? I smell outlier but it was an interesting poll.

273

"Liberal progressives and other enemies of the constitution and or of Liberty itself are not welcome here. Accounts registered here by liberal progressives and other assorted trolls, malcontents and disruptors will be removed on sight or at the convenience of the site administrators."

 

I'm assuming that this piece of rat excrement Jim Robinson includes Romney supporters among "enemies of the constitution and or of libery itself".

 

Someone should make him pick his teeth off the floor for saying such a thing. 

 

274 245 Are you at all involved in Perry's campaign?  (Are you even still supporting him?)  Do you know if they have a plan to turn around the negative press? 

Yes, yes, and no. Considering Perry's recent hires, I would think they do, but I do not know that for a fact.

I don't think Cain is viable, although his support right now seems strong.  And I think it would be a disaster for us to run the guy who said he wouldn't hire Muslims and has a history of sexual harassment claims against him, not to mention his other problems. 

I agree. However, as we have seen, voters like him because he has a sunny disposition and is frank, making him the current not-Romney.

So that leaves Newt or someone coming from outside.  Honestly, I don't know who that would be.  I think the only person I could support under a "draft" scenario is Paul Ryan.

The base has not coalesced around one candidate, so it is hard to tell whether they/we will vote their/our candidate of choice or vote Romney because they/we feel they/we have no choice.

I am still hesitant about drafting Ryan. He is a quick study and more knowledgeable about foreign affairs than he lets on, but the lack of executive experience and the fact that he is such a controversial figure would likely hurt is candidacy. However, I am unsure as to what degree given this is no conventional election.

275 Well Romney is a liberal

276 Yup, imagine how awesome it's going to be to have ObamaCare more or less taken off the table once Romney wins.

Or, at best, watch them dicker over whether it should just be the state that forces you to buy health insurance or the fed rather than the more fundamental principle that the government has no business doing that, period...

ARGH!

277 265 >>No one is required to vote for the man in the primary.

Which may be why we're starting to see the argument that 'voting non-Romney in the primary is a vote for Obama,' which someone here was spinning yesterday.

An argument can be made that the above is true in the general but not in the primary. But yes, I do not understand this idea that Reince Priebus* forces your hand in voting booth. Does the Establishment largely favor Romney because he is the "last man standing"? Yes, and more support from the elites means more money and resources; however, it does not guarantee victory. In some recent elections, candidates who were outspent won because people voted for them even if they thought they would lose. If you feel your candidate as a better chance of beating Obama than Romney, then why vote Romney?

_{*I am actually unsure as to whether he prefers Romney or not.}

278 281 265 Ed.- Does the Establishment largely favor Romney because they believe he will be "last man standing"?

279

FR can do as they damn well please.If they take a principled stand who is anyone to tell them otherwise?

A statist?

Yeah, I can see someone doing that, here even. Go piss up a rope, soonest.

280 @251  "As Ace has tried to drill into everyoneÂ’s head, the polls arenÂ’t lying. "


That's right.

70% - 80% of the base is saying 'Anyone by Romney'

Mittens needs to go away now.


OR

Start printing & distributing bumper stickers saying "I know I'm a liberal, but I'm not as squishy as Obama -- Vote Romney 2012" and "Vote for me, I couldn't even knock off John McCain" and "Put on your Mittens in 2012"

 

281    I worry about how this apparent lack of support for Romney will affect the GOTV effort.  Without House and Senate control--unassailable control--it won't make a lot of difference who is elected. Such control can be either a bulwark of support, or a defense against a slide into liberal tendencies.

   In any event, it all hinges on enough people voting. At this stage, the outlook doesn't inspire much confidence in people actually turning out.

282

Redstate has banned Romney supporters as well.

Which just proves that no matter how many times the facts are laid before some people, they simply refuse to see them. 

And evidentually when all the false arguements are disproved, they withdraw from the fight so they can keep believing the lies without being called on the lies.

I don't understand the psychology of these people who refuse to see that Mitt Romney's supposed flips, and untrustworthiness, is no more than hype that can be easily disproved, I still suspect is has something to do with religion.  And I don't mean Mormonism.

I mean it has become a religion for a certain segment of the Right, that Mitt Romney will destroy conservatism.  And they will not see him as the normal human being that he is.

Like the Global Warming religionists, the truth doesn't matter, they want to believe Romney is evil, so they do.  And they don't want anyone to mess with that deep faith.  And even accepting that many people see Romney as a decent human is too far down the path of normalcy.

If they can pretend the lies are undisputed, their beliefs are safe.

I don't understand how they could have so given over their minds to such nonsense, but there it is.

 

283 This is hardly the blog to complain about that. Consider the straw polls where one particular declared candidate was deliberately left off. If the Ace-holes (sorry, "Ronulan" and "Paultard" earned that) can do it, so can the Freepers.

284 "If we get Obama, because you won't vote for the alternative, then you lose all bitching privileges until the next round."

Sounds an awful lot like

"If we get Clinton, because you won't vote for GHW Bush, then you lose all bitching privileges"

or "If we get Clinton again, because you won't vote for Dole, then you lose all bitching privileges until the next round."

or "If we get Gore, because you won't vote for the GW Bush, then you lose all bitching privleges until the next round."

or "If we get Kerry, because you won't vote for the W again, then you lose all bitching privileges until the next round."

and "If we get Obama, because you won't vote for the McCain, then you lose all bitching privileges until the next round."


How about giving us a reason to vote for the man who is responsible for creating the model for Obamacare rather than positioning yourself to look virtuous for supporting a liberal

285 I was pretty freaked when RedState banned some people a few months ago. I do love the free-wheelingness (is that a word?) of AoSHQ -- hey and that's probably why Andrew Breitbart does, too!

286 Who cares?  The Freep sucks.

287 I do not buy the electability argument.  Romney has not been vetted by the national media for the general election.  That's a completely different animal than what happened in '08. 

And, honestly, I don't like Romney.  He reminds me of John Kerry. 

Posted by: Y-not at November 01, 2011 12:58 PM (5H6zj)

Likewise.  Aside from that, the MFM will teach indie/swing voters a lot of "creepy" stuff about Mormonism, sadly.  24/7 assaults a la Palin.  Hi-lite his past liberal actions, turn of the evangelicals and voila--depressed GOP turnout.  I hate those deceitful mutha fuckin' presstitutes with all my being. 

288 It's Robinson's site so he can do what he likes, although I predict he'll rapidly go the way of Charles Johnson and LGF and descend into fringe irrelevance.

That ain't gonna happen.  FR has been around since '97 or so and has been and is frequented by many serious conservatives, e.g., Mark Levin, the late Barbara Olsen, the late Tony Snow and many anonymous movers and shakers. 

Posted by: observer at November 01, 2011 12:09 PM (ZvhRI)

As I wrote previously, FR was okay in the day but my prediction still stands. Robinson is an asshole, in my view, and unaddressed assholery tends to grow exponentially over time and drive people off. The serious conservatives you mentioned--at least the living ones--would probably be uncomfortable being associated online with some of the borderline Stormfront-types I've encountered on there. I mean, succession? Seriously?

But again, it's Robinson's site. He can do what he wants. Booting people off his site with whom he disagrees is his preogative. That said, while I've noticed Romney supporters online, I've never seen a Romney troll. It would be hard to imagine anything more unthreatening than a Romney troll. How bad could it be, and where, exactly, did good ole JimRob put his balls?

289 ROMNEY SUCKS AND SO DOES HUGH HEWITT!

290
Tonawanda @137:
Romney has given the finger to conservatives pretty much, and he reflects this Bush-like noblesse oblige non-conservative pov which can barely conceal its disdain for conservatives, a disdain based on cultural bias.
[emphasis mine]

When you scrape below the surface, it always comes down to culture.

291 @286 'I don't understand the psychology of these people who refuse to see that Mitt Romney's supposed flips, and untrustworthiness, is no more than hype that can be easily disproved"

Please cite sources.

Including disprove of Mittens' double flip last week by not supporting an Ohio proposition that he had previously supported and then when questioned about it, flipping back to saying he supported it (after giving the Dems sound bites that they are using to oppose Gov Kasic's reforms).

As a second matter please disprove his flips of earlier in October where he was a big proponent of Global Warming and then he wasn't and not seems to be again.



I'm sure that on a personal level Mr. Romney is a good and decent man.

He is just another big gov't supporter that won't even commit to leading the charge to repeal Romneycare (I mean Obamacare).

292 I don't see how this really makes any difference or helps anything but I agree with their assessment. No Romney, no Huntsman, no Gingrich. The rest, I'll take what we get to oppose Obama with.

293 Christopher Taylor ROCKS! (#296)

294 Win.

295 While I disagree with FR's ban on Mittites I can find nothing wrong with their description of Romney, he's Obama-lite.

296 #288 MarkE we've given a number of reasons why conservatives should vote for Romney but you dismiss all of them because you pretend these things don't count because it was Romney that did them. You guys form illogical circles.

297 Here's what's going on here:

Romney is the least conservative candidate in the field except for Huntsman, who is the poor man's Romney (literally, Romney is of magnitudes wealthier than Huntsman).  This only leads to about one quarter of support in a GOP primary.

Romney could have been easily beaten had a strong candidate come in against him.  That didn't happen.

At the moment, there doesn't appear to be anyone else in the field who can win the general election.  Perry has taken a major hit in the past two months and eroded his once strong potential.  I have a hard time taking Cain seriously and I think he's a walking time bomb, irregardless of the veracity of allegations recently made against him.

It is immensely frustrating to conservatives that the only viable general election candidate is the least conservative one in the field.  After all the progress made in the past few years, it seems perverse that the GOP nominee would be a non-conservative.

This state of affairs leads to many to use threats of not voting for Romney in the general as leverage to convince others to support someone else.

The number of dedicated conservative activists is rather small.  The big majority will have no issue voting for Romney in the general.

Finally, I think there is true uncertainty as to how Romney would govern.  Some assume that he is a true blue Rockefeller Republican based on his past record.  And he may turn out that way.  You could also make the case that he is actually more conservative than he lets on, but being the Governor of Massachusetts is a poor venue for displaying that.  That could also be wishful thinking.  And then you could say that he would be politically crippled without strong support from the base, so that will incentivize him to be conservative, regardless of his personal feelings.  The uncertainty truly worries conservatives, and rightly so.

298 Posted by: Mark E at November 01, 2011 02:03 PM (w5RwR)

Don't waste your time. She's one of the Tepid Air Mitt brigade, here to try out a new sales pitch: "If You Don't Vote For Mitt, You're Like In A Cult Or Something."

299 @ #300 polnikes here are reasons to not support Romney.-------------------------------------------------------His stance on Abortion, AGW, Healthcare, Islam, Entitlement Reform are not substantively different than Obama. Seems no one has learned, we tried a moderate and got handed our asses. Why vote Romney when Obamo already Does Romney but better. A lib is a lib and I do not vote for libs

300

303

When has Romney ever supported national healthcare?

What is Romney's stance on abortion?  It's the same as Obama's?  Where did you get that info from?

When has Romney stated global warming as being primarily caused by man?  He has said he thinks man makes some (perhaps infinitesimal) contribution, but that is not the same thing as saying he is a major contributor.

 

301 #303 none of what you said is true. But you keep going with it if it makes you feel better.

302 Romney is not the least conservative of the group he is a lib, wow just like their master romneybots will say anything at anytime to garner support for him. NOPE NO I WILL NOT vote Romney and if moderates but this income equality crap then Romney has no chance of winning the general, only a true conservative espousing said principles will win. For my proof of this see the 1980 election. We needed a fire breathing conservative not an establishment republican to win that election. History is repeating itself, will we learn?

303 @ 303 and 306 are you Serious? Romneycare = Obamacare, He flipped flopped on AGW so hard he nearly broke his back and he wanted carbon taxes as a solution to AGW. Have your heads been buried in the sand the last 4 years?

304 Here ya go,
http://tinyurl.com/yrzxf5
Substitute RomneyBot for Lollipop

305

@ 303 and 306 are you Serious? Romneycare = Obamacare

No, it does not equal Obamacare.  For the umpeenth time it is a STATE PROGRAM.  The Tenth Amendment comes into play where Romneycare is concerned.  It was NEVER intended to be a national program run by the Federal government.  To state that they are the same thing is 100% incorrect.

306 And to clear your ears

http://tinyurl.com/3awetu9

The Saucer News

307 Let's see, 4 more years of Obama...the Devil I know or the Romney I don't.

Obama 2012:
1) Who gives a crap, Republicans will be in the majority of both houses.
2)Obama will be scratching his ass* to find ways to pay his "bundlers".
3)Michelle and her 100 person entourage flies coach on her next trip to South Africa.
4)Next 4 years,Obama stays on golf course until Secret Service tells him to pack his shit and GTFO.
5)I don't see across America big billboards with a smiling Obama and a "Miss Me Yet" caption if Romney is elected

308 Free Republic's so looney that Sean Hannity decided they were no longer Great Americans.

No, seriously.

309

Romney has the true base of the Republican Party behind him. 25-30% of the very involved, always vote the Primary voters are solidly behind Romney. 

All the other candidates have tried to get these base voters and have failed, because they suck.

The other voters (most of you) are the wishy-washy folks who jump around based on the day's news.   Or who is driving the coolest tax gimick this week...

You don't have a candidate because then you would have to accept that candidate warts and all.  They all have warts.

Romney supporters came to terms with his warts long ago.  We are the solid dependable vote in the Primary.  All we need is for the rest of you squishy-wishy-out-of-touch with reality folks to finally come around to the only real choice. Or to continue to bounce around looking for utopia.

Come on, the rest suck.  There isn't one of the others who is any more conservative than Romney.  Perry was pushed hard by the establishment and built up with hype from Fox and talk radio... then the real guy showed up and... well the numbers speak for themselves.  Perry is an oportunist, not a conservative.  And he is icky.

Romney is as conservtive as it gets in 2012.  Conservatives can give him the win, or he can win by getting the middle.  That is the only choice left.

If you force Romney left, it is your fault not his.  You control the situation to a large extent and you have decided you want a country governed from the middle rather than the right.  That isn't Romney's fault, it is yours.  Romney is willing to do it your way, but you reject him.  So he will have go to the middle.

That is politics folks.  Reagan did it, Bush did it, Clinton did it, Bush II did it, Obama isn't doing it and he will not be re-elected.

Of course Romney will do it too.  So would any of the others.  That is how you get re-elected numskulls!!!

You want the conservative equivelent of Obama, that person doesn't seem to be here this time around.  And it would be the end of conservatism anyway.  Obama has done more to hurt liberals than help them.  The same would happen if by some miracle there actually was someone as conservative as your imaginary candidate.

Romney is what you make of him.  Give him a reason to be as right leaning as he can be.  He wants to be, but the right has deserted him, he has to go middle.  And so would any of those others in his position.

310

Mark E, Kensington

I'm a Perry supporter.  I think Romney is snookering everyone about being a conservative.  His advisors on Mass care became obama's advisors on Hellcare.  Holder IIRC was one of his advisors.  I think people can do a pretty good job judging you, by the people you associate with.  Romney really creeps me out. 

I live in Texas, I won't get a say.  By the time the primary gets here it has already been decided.  So if he's still on the ballot, it's Perry.  I think he'll do a good job.  He's been good for Texas.  In the general, ABO

311 I also got thrown off FR when I posited that musicians should be paid for their recordings. Apparently, they are pro-piracy there. Screw them.

312 Free Republic has served notice to the Romney/Rove Bots to FO and die! Good on em. Better dump that dickhead Romney, he'll lose anyway and if he's nominated, Cons will make sure the prick loses.
Time for 3rd party?

313

Free Republic used to be the best conservative site on the intertubez. I'm pretty sure that a lot of the funniest commenters here used to post at FR.

I don't visit the site very often these days, but both the quality and quantity of posts have gone downhill. Most of the commenters are bitter, shriveled-up little pills obsessed with conspiracy theories.

 

314 Anyone here who believes that Free Republic is being "brave" or "principled" is exactly the kind of dickhead who made that place the paranoid, bigoted shithole it is.

Get The Fuck Out.

315 Can someone tell me exactly WHAT is going to make a Romney presidency SO MUCH better than 4 more years of SCOAMF? Seriously, not trolling, but I can't figure out what exactly is going to be so great? We get a HUGE federal government, probably Obamacare, no fix for the deficit, new social programs, etc. Yeah, I will probably pull the lever for Romney, but the deceit among his followers on his conservatism is disgusting. What I really want from Romney is honesty, but he apparently doesn't have a fiber of it in his being. Oh, and RedState is privately owned and can do whatever they want. It isn't my business what content he wants on his site. It might be a jerk move, but it's his right to make it.

316

41

"It's Robinson's site so he can do what he likes, although I predict he'll rapidly go the way of Charles Johnson and LGF and descend into fringe irrelevance."

I never ever posted at FR, haven't even looked at it in about as long as I haven't looked at LGF. I consider both places to be echo chambers. Both of them can rot for all I care, they've become microcosims of absolutist thinking and as such I have nothing to learn from either.

That said they can both do as they damn please, without me.

317

321 Can someone tell me exactly WHAT is going to make a Romney presidency SO MUCH better than 4 more years of SCOAMF? Seriously, not trolling, but I can't figure out what exactly is going to be so great? We get a HUGE federal government, probably Obamacare, no fix for the deficit, new social programs, etc. Yeah, I will probably pull the lever for Romney, but the deceit among his followers on his conservatism is disgusting. What I really want from Romney is honesty, but he apparently doesn't have a fiber of it in his being.

 

1. The next President will select perhaps 2 or even 3 member of the United States Supreme Court.  It is almost certain that Romney's selections will be far more originalist in interpreting the Constitution that the type selections you will get from another term of BHO.  Robert Bork has endorsed Romney for President twice, and this year is one of his legal advisors.   If someone like Robert Bork has that much confidence in Romney's committment to selecting justices who will follow the Constitution, that is about as strong an endorsement as I can imagine.

2. Again (and again, and again X infinity), Romneycare was never intended to be a Federal program.  Romney has promised to push to repeal it.  I have no idea what he would gain by going back on his word.

3.  With regard to the deficit, look at his record as Gov. of Mass on that issue.

318

The thing that will make Romney better than obama?

The Tea Party  I think Romney will Want to be liked.  I think conservatives will have to stay on him like white on rice for the entire 4 years.  And it will be exhausting.  He is poll driven, just like Clinton was.  So the Tea Party will just have to be louder than the MFM  His support from the MFM will end as soon as he wins the primary.  He will Be Hellcare.  Shoved down our throats against our will, 75% of us don't want him.  He couldn't even win against McCain, what does that say about him?  And when McCain first got in the race, I laughed my ass off thinking about the gall that took and figured he was gonna get slaughtered and it was going to be beautiful.  I was sick of his crap on t.v. during the Bush years.

 

 

319 @ 315 you just said this using many more words. "Romney will be the last man standing and they best we can do." I cannot subscribe to this position this election year. I see Cain even if untested and Perry even if lackluster as better presidents, maybe not better campaigners but then again we already have a campaigner in chief with the SCOAMF do we really need another with Romney? I say NO. NO more libs period. I would become a democrat if I wanted to vote lib.

320

Can someone tell me exactly WHAT is going to make a Romney presidency SO MUCH better than 4 more years of SCOAMF?

Posted by: rightwingva at November 01, 2011 02:59 PM (pDXql)

President Obama is a not-so-closeted Marxist socialist. Anything and anyone is better than a Marxist socialist--except maybe Ron Paul and his cult-like band of true believers.

Personally, I don't get the sheer intensity of the Mitt Romney hatred I see going on. When Romney was Massachusetts governor, he governed as just about any Republican governs in a blue state: lots of compromises, lots of less-than-conservative positions. Look at Christie, who does pretty much the same thing. Reagan as Governor of California was more right-of-center in his views than outright conservative. It comes down to either ceding blue and purple states to the Democrats in perpetuity for the sake of conservative purity or fighting for every one of these states in every election. I say fight, but that's just me.

321 @315   "Romney has the true base of the Republican Party behind him. 25-30% of the very involved, always vote the Primary voters are solidly behind Romney. "

---
And (using your overstated ##s) 70% - 75% of the very involved, always vote the Primary voters are solidly behind "Anybody but Romney"

Its time for Mittens to withdraw in order to promote Party Unity

322

Oops

Paragraphs are my friend.

323 @324 -- "Romney will Want to be liked.  I think conservatives will have to stay on him like white on rice for the entire 4 years.  And it will be exhausting."

That's right -- Romney will want to be liked by the democrats and the media. 

Conservatives will be expending all of our time, effort and energy in keeping him from 'reaching across the aisle' rather than pushing back the 4 years of marxist )and preceding 8 years of 'compasionate') increases in Washington's power.

324 Romney does not have the true base of the republican party behind him.  He's got the GOP and the MFM.  He can't get more than 25% in the polls.  Right now what I see is Anybody but Romney.

325 As I see it the worst thing 2012 can bring is another 4 years of Obama, the second worst is 4 years of Mittens. Just not into those kind of false choices. Gee, do I want ice-cream covered in horseshit or dog shit, like I would pick either.

326 Mitt Romney and Obama will lead the country down the same, wrong road, but Mitt will do it a slower pace while wearing a convervative, Repbulican banner. Which will make convervatives look no better than the freaking progressives, just like Bush with spending and entitlements only worse.

327 332 Mitt Romney and Obama will lead the country down the same, wrong road, but Mitt will do it a slower pace while wearing a conservative, Republican banner. Which will make conservatives look no better than the freaking progressives, just like Bush with spending and entitlements only worse. Posted by: devilish at November 01, 2011 03:30 PM (3eTJD) -- This is what I fear the most. After spending MY time, MY money, MY energy campaigning for Sen. McCain (and I am being very polite), what do we have to show for it? Someone who spends all his waking hours kicking conservatives in the teeth. But wait, we now get McCain 2.0! With better hair! And great teeth! I agree with the above posters... the Tea Party will probably have to dog President Romney every damn day, and PROBABLY get kicked in the teeth as he tries to create a big enough tent that Pelosi can move in to setup a pool with cabana boy Reid. ugh.

328

Can someone tell me exactly WHAT is going to make a Romney presidency SO MUCH better than 4 more years of SCOAMF?

Sorry, but anyone who's insisting that there won't be any difference between  Mittens and the JEF is either politically retarded or full of shit. Will Romney populate his administration with avowed communists, socialists, and assholes with ties to the muslim brotherhood? Will Romney craft policy after policy that systematically destroys the American economy? Will Romney tap someone for DOJ who'll ignore the rights of pale Americans? Will he jack up taxes on small business owners and try to foment a class war? Will he fuck over our allies and aid our enemies? Will he raid the treasury and hand over billions to his political cronies? And, most importantly, when he nominates the next 2 supreme court justices, will he be in a position to completely ignore the wishes of conservatives? (see Miers, Harriet)

I have no love for Romney, but with our country tottering on the edge of the knife blade, you bet your ass I'll vote for him over a man who's hellbent on destroying everything that makes America what it is.

329 Other than that stuff is there anything else that he has in common with B+rry?

330 Haven't been to FR in nearly 15 years, I guess. 

Ever since Robinson screwed himself and the entire Web on linking news stories.  He was sued by LAT and WaPo, if I remember right, for reproducing their news articles on his site without link or attribution.

All they initially demanded was a link to their sites.  They weren't even insisting the articles be snipped.  But the thieving asshole decided it was his 1st Amendment right to steal content, so he went to court and lost.

That's why we are all snipping short bits now.  That was the judge's order in the FR case and even though it legally only applies to them, every lawyer in the world began advising their clients to meet the same standard - on the theory that we KNOW this way is legal and you won't be sued, so what if it is a ridiculous restriction of discussion and was tailored specifically to deal with an open scofflaw.

Screw Robinson, screw FR.  May they all drown in their own excrement.  Who gives a rat's ass what they do?

331

Do a web search on Jim Robinson.  He was outed as a Democrat two years into pretending he was a conservative establishing FR.   Over the years he has instituted regular purges coinciding with his seemingly irrational, ideological flip flops and freepathons.   And then there are the rumored off shore accounts.  I've been waiting a long time for a real investigative journalist to connect the dots and expose the guy for what he is.

The chosen FR candidate NEVER wins and never has a chance of winning.  There's a reason for that.

332

#293: "That said, while I've noticed Romney supporters online, I've never seen a Romney troll."

They tend to congregate at Race42012.

333 I have no love for Romney, but with our country tottering on the edge of the knife blade, you bet your ass I'll vote for him over a man who's hellbent on destroying everything that makes America what it is.

We're broke and headed for collapse. It's obvious that Obama is intent on flooring it and heading over that cliff, but I don't know anyone who thinks Romney's actually going to slash spending and put on the brakes.

And my guess is that he'll be made into a 21st century Hoover by our traitorous press.

Sure, I'll vote for him over the SCFOAMF, but I don't have any illusions that he's actually going to do anything to stop what's coming.

If elected, I'm assuming that he'll just take the blame for the inevitable failure.

334 I was thrown off of Free Republic nearly a year ago when I was simply arguing that Romney will probably be the best choice to beat BO.  Would like like Romney to be more conservative?  Yes.  Am I willing to allow BO to get another term and vote for someone that too conservative to win?  No.  BTW:  I had been on FR for at least 8 or so years and even participated in a number of Freeper events.   Never again, sorry to say.....

335 BTW: TiredWench is dead on.  Especially in regards to the Supreme Court appointments.....

336 Posted by: TiredWench at November 01, 2011 03:40 PM (oPceJ)

Good comment!

337 btw, I have a liberal, atheist, distant relative who thinks Romney is a far right, scary religious conservative.  That's how far the political gulf stretches in this country.   There is no way an ultra conservative candidate can win indies and enough lib crossovers to get elected.   That's reality.

338 The mistake many Republicans make is in believing that Romney is a Republican. It is only a matter opf time before he and Huntsman primary the President on the Celestial Plural Marriage platform. If by some mischance (i.e., infiltration of our party by Soros operatives and fellow travelers) he does get our nomination, I will vote for Ogabe instead. Romney is still trying to masquerade as a Republican: Ogabe is now only talking like a Democrat. No matter which of these two gets elected, we would face only the difference of "you must" vs. "you better" do the Federal government's bidding.

339 Took me time to read all the comments, but I really enjoyed the article. It proved to be Very helpful to me and I am sure to all the commenters here! ItÂ’s always nice when you can not only be informed, but also entertained!

340
That is useful information and its quite easy to come a croper if you are not vigilant.

341 This is an excellent post. It is very informative. Thank you so much. I'll be a regular viewer.

342 This web site is my breathing in, really fantastic pattern and perfect subject matter.

343 first time I heard of Freerepublic, but I agree that anyone who support Romney is obviously no conservative. Anyone who don't see it, want to be fooled

344 FR has been around since '97 or so and has been and is frequented by many serious conservatives, e.g., Mark Levin, the late Barbara Olsen, the late Tony Snow and many anonymous movers and shakers.
Michelle Malkin, too.
And the most serious conservative of them all . . .
Iowahawk!
He knows what the bleedin' time is, that one.

345 I really am worried about the intensity of dislike for our presumptive nominee. This does not bode well.

I agree. It's starting to look like a Christine O'Donnell thing where some idiots would rather "send a message" than win an election. I have yet to hear a good reason why a second Obama term, which is what will happen if voters stay home, would be preferable to a Romney presidency.

That said, losing the Freepers is good for Romney.  It's like if the Kossacks abandoned Obama for not being far left enough, something he can old up to the independents if they get nervous. Nothing says, "I'm not crazy," like the crazies turning on you.

346 As a member of FR I reported a person posting death threats to another member they disagreed with, with particular detail as to how he would use a knife on her private parts.  I flagged three of the offender's posts that contained these types of threats.  I immediately received the "Zot".  I followed the threat after being banned and saw one solitary person stand up for me and state that personal threats of this kind were against FR's own posted policies and asking why I was banned for reporting the violations.  He was immediately "Zotted" as well.  Then the thread was overwhelmed with diatribes against the two of us for being thin skinned cowards and hailing Mr. Robinson for his leadership.  I don't miss the place.