Why are so many stealth republicans posting on DU?

[yurbud]

Poll question: Why are so many stealth republicans posting on DU?

[Kathy in Cambridge]

1. Next question: why are they even allowed to post?

most are glaringly obvious...

[Old Mouse]

2. another forum begging to be locked

[Bark Bark Bark]

7. Here's An Idea For A Better Poll

What constitutes being a "stealth Republican?"

--disagreeing with me;
--making me think instead of just reinforcing my prejudices;
--suggesting that "conservative" and/or "Republican" are not INHERENTLY evil, even if many in either group are;
--disagreeing with me;
--eating meat;
--disagreeing with me;
--hesitating to bash Kerry/Dean/Hillary/Bill/Obama/whomever in lockstep with everyone else
--disagreeing with me

[theshadow]

16. Bravo! n/t

[Touchdown]

38. Gotcha! You had a good one, but you said "Eating Meat"...

Dead giveaway to stereotypical folklore that RW talkies love to spread about us. I ate Chorizo in the morning, Steak at lunch, and a hamburger for dinner (DOUBLE) and I'm as liberal as they come.

[Bark Bark Bark]

41. Start a topic about low-carb...

...or stick your behind into a pirhana tank and get the same results.

This isn't, by any stretch, a condemnation of vegetarians. Not all vegetarians/vegans are hypermilitant, not by a long shot. The ones who ARE, however, have no objection about rending mammal flesh from the pelvis of those who dare to recommend something like Atkins, and devouring it. I know, because they've snapped at my carnivorous ass on more than one occasion.

And they're exactly the sort of person who like to label fellow posters as "stealth Republicans." I know, because they've bitten my...well, you get the idea.

Just as surely as everyone on the face of the planet would eventually be "to the Left" of Ann Coulter, were she to ever realize her monstrous dream of executing "Lefties," there are DUers who equate anyone who's even a smidgen to the right of themselves with Coulter, Weiner, Cheney, Limbaugh, and O'Reilly. Hence the witch hunt.

If one's ideals stand on their own, one doesn't need to chase down and banish those who civilly disagree. Getting rid of trolls? Rock on. Calling anyone to your right as "stealth Republican" and trying to get rid of them? That's THEIR sort of tactic.

[Dark]

42. None of the above: Believing Iraq is going great, as is our Economy.

And, of course, unwavering support for GWB.

[Starlight]

32. I agree that they're obvious. Anyone posting rude, belligerent

attacks when they just joined and only have a couple posts is *very* suspect IMO. Normal newbies just don't do that.

[eyepaddle]

So many good choices..

I thought I'd spread it around a little bit.

[BeatleBoot]

3. Where are the little sissies?

Point me to their posts.

Time to give 'em a dose of some red ass....

[HysteryDiagnosis]

11. I thought I was a stealth republican for awhile.... but then I woke up...

soooo, you'll have to look somewhere else.... heh heh heh....

[yurbud]

18. today's stealth

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=3015149&mesg_id=3015232&page=

[BeatleBoot]

23. Excellent comeback yurbud!

Don't let 'em get away with that crud - ever!!!

:thumbsup:

[zbdent]

4. They finally figured out how to plug the keyboard into

the PC, and they are heady with their accomplishment.

Next week, Potty Training!

[JAbuchan08]

5. I vote that its more interesting than free Republic

having spent a lot of time there agreeing with George W. Bush and his mandate to do anything that he pleases... oops, dang it, I outed myself!

[sandnsea]

6. What about the stealth "liberals"?

Who are here to do nothing more than spread shit to keep the Democratic Party disrupted? All moles don't have the same agenda.

[jdots]

36. holey Moley

motive clue ?

[sandnsea]

37. Motive?

I just think people get so wrapped up in the right wing nutjobs, that they forget how stealth people like Rove really are. I find it quite interesting that there are people here who do little more than complain and post disruptive threads. The end result is constant bickering and a lack of focus on the real issues people ought to be rallying around. Maybe you weren't around in the primaries. Quite a few people disappeared after having done nothing but post flame bait for months.

[jdots]

40. I am sorry i wasn't questioning your motives

I agree and have seen alot of leading questions.A feeling of hope has left and been replaced with defence tactics as this game of power and greed turns people against each other who up until now have never felt so attacked by thier own government.
I am fairly recent here and to the net which is like communication minus body language and eye contact.Upon joining any net site you are sort of forced to show credentials that in real face to face life are not needed,we only know each by our words which is fine if you are good with words.I am not good with words but I would take a bullet for most people here.

[UdoKier]

8. All of the above.

nt

[sweetheart]

9. They think the last election gives them the mandate...

to come around and tell us off. Its a new generation of vichy shorts
that believe they can come in to what they consider to be "asylum DU"
and share their sanity with us insane 1000's of fact-based realists.

I admire the hubris of the new crowd. This is not the old crew of snide
one liner buttholes who came on DU to be rude... no no... This crew has
been trained in the propaganda schools and will attempt to raise the
profile of republican propaganda and its concerns. They'll use
straussian rhetoric to suggest that anyone who dissents with their
views is a freeper, closed minded and not engaged with the terrorist
threat.... all sorts of excellent rhetoric... as they think of us as
"thinking" assholes... who are rational but with low cognitive
capability. Unfortunately for them, they sell only fear, and are
easily identified by their paranoia approaches... just watch for
fear and "terrorists might do". If direct "i'm afraid" does not work,
they'll try to rationalize it using a wave of logic to explain now
we should be afraid based on what the terrorists might do.

All of it is conjecture without evidence or substance... the vapour
sell on which bush the single-celled president has based a propaganda
empire in stupid-state USA.... just it don't work with folks who have
more than 4 brain cells functioning.... and this is difficult for
them to get, as they've got less than 4... making cognition difficult.

:-) In the end, if its stupid, its probably republican. :-)

[Finding Rawls]

10. If someone here HAS something better to do

and is still posting here, then that would worry me.

[sweetheart]

14. "Better" is a value judggement

Many of us have "other" things to do, and write here for reasons that
perhaps even ourselves cannot explain. "better" is all to simplistic.

[hollowdweller]

12. I'm 45 and have been a Democrat all my life. On every other board I'm on I

am continuously called a commie or an ultra liberal. It's refreshing to have found the DU for me #1 to procure a lot of good ammo to return to these other forums and bait the peckerwoods, and #2 It's refreshing to be here and often be attacked from the left side! It really shows how far right the country has gone that on almost all other boards far right is the normal.

[FogerRox]

13. Well ya got got Ur run oh da Mill repubs then Ur hard core repubs

Then ya got Ur hardcore Fascist Mother duckers

[Just Me]

15. *LOL* Love this but I am surprised it's not being "deleted".

When I posted a question about whether they MIGHT be paid posters here at DU,...I was shut down with a "hit the alert" justification.

I'll watch to see how long this post lasts,...and hope it does last longer than my innocent post.

[wishlist]

17. Wouldn't surprise me if RW political operatives are posting as part of job

RW political operatives are always hard at work devising sneaky tactics that could even include DU postings promoting certain RW ideologies or using disinformation. Heck, if several 'independent' columnist/journalists have already been exposed as being on the Bush Admin payroll, who knows how many internet postings are being done by people in the employ of the Rove & Co. network.

Since the election I have read several very suspicious detailed posts/threads reeking of RW ideology and no Dem leanings whatsoever, just the standard caveat of being a Dem. Makes you wonder why these new poster 'Dems' were not here before the election and if they could be professional Repubs attempting to push through Bush's 2nd term agenda by influencing public opinion, using internet posting as one venue.

But it seems like I heard a rumor of a chain email going around encouraging RWingers to post here, so if true that would explain a proliferatiion of Repub postings.

[Starlight]

30. I'd pretty much guarantee that you're correct. n/t

[oasis]

19. The dumbasses finally realized that they dropped the ball because

their Chimperor is far more delusional than they imagined. They peep over here to confirm their fears.

[Massacure]

20. No such thing as a stealth republican - everybody has different views.

This website was meant to get rid of Bush. Disrupters get banned. That is a good thing. But it really bothers me when so many people try to paint others as disrupters when they disagree with their views. I have a lot more in common with democrats than republicans. That doesn't mean I agree with gun control. I'm sure there are others here that are like me and have a maverick issue. Get over it.

Edited for spelling.

[DearAbby]

21. They have two working brain cells...one is lost

and the other is looking for it here....hahahahaha

[yurbud]

35. disagreement is good, disingenuous isn't

I can kind of tell when someone has a legitimate difference of opinion and when they are flogging something that few people would care so much about.

Case in point: the GOP is going after California's secretary of state and trying to start a drumbeat to get him to resign for improprieties that are frankly the kind of crap most politicians pull.

People are posting in the California forum and downplaying the effect his resignation would have on fair election in CA. Anyone who follows the GOP election shenanigans of the last couple of years knows that would be a greater gift to the far right than Ohio and Florida. Hell, they would probably even be able to pass that amendment to let Arnold be president.

We can disagree about gun control, gay marriage, abortion, or whatever, but when someone acts like our voting rights aren't endangered by the far right, they're a wolf in sheep's clothing.

[burn the bush]

22. they KNOW we are coming to take the chimp out of our white house

in disgrace

[Lexingtonian]

24. it's like Christian cult missionaries

Their "faith" is so implausible and corrupt, even to themselves, that they need to find some kind of 'persecution' in order to reinforce their denial and stay fervent Believers.

Frantic orthodoxy and preachiness is born of doubt. So saith Reinhold Niebuhr about fundie 'Christians'. It's just as true of the rest of that Socialism of Fools posing as a political party.

[Old Mouse]

25. the term "stealth republican" is not productive

many of us miss the old days when we could talk politics with people that, although through different philosophical paths, had the best interests of the country at heart.

Even Neocons, misguided as we believe them to be, think their ideals are the best method protect and preserve the nation. They act out of patriotism.

Bush and his close advisers, and those that support their exploiting, untruthful, destructive ways are NOT republicans. They are not neocons or conservatives. They are a small criminal group of traitors and war profiteers.

DU now regularly attracts republicans and even conservatives who are interested in helping stop the madness of King George. We should welcome their resolve and cooperation.

[Starlight]

31. Act out of patriotism? I disagree. I think most are acting out of greed

and/or bigotry.

[Old Mouse]

39. That is not a neoconservative

Being a neoconservative does not automatically make you a war profiteer. Being a neoconservative does not mean you endorse the concept that the ends justify the means. Neoconservatism is a philosophy whose sole purpose is safeguarding what they believe to be the American way of life. Neoconservatism may be, in my opinion, misguided, archaic, xenophobic and ill informed, but it's intent is to safeguard the American public. Don't mistake the people for the philosophy.

The people pushing the Bush agenda claim to be neocons, but in fact they are not. Their fiscal policies and the imminent financial collapse of this nation go against the heart of neoconservative politics.

This group of criminals holding the White House and the top seats of congress have hijacked the Republican party. They, their media propagandists and their freeper zombie army are NOT conservatives, evangelicals, or fundamentalist or any other kind of Christians. These are unprincipled, apolitical, immoral opportunists.

When we try to impeach these maniacs, we are going to need the HELP of neoconservatives, evangelicals, and other republicans.

[muse]

26. Because they live to be irritating little shits.

This is what they really, really want to do all the time - be irritating, immature and disruptive - but, in real life they have to behave themselves to some extent. On here, they can unleash their true personalities and act like a toddler.

[imenja]

27. Other: to try to make us look bad

Like the one who just posted the thread about "whining soldiers."

[WillieWoohah]

28. Does supporting the Iraq war make you a Republican?

Is Christopher Hitchens a GOPer? You can be both Trotskyite and a neocon.

[Kazak]

29. Missed one...

I think they get on here and try to give us a bad name by posing as liberals and making wildly outrageous claims. Luckily, these types are never hard to spot.

[yurbud]

33. saw one of those inciting violence once

but I think the moderator caught it.

[Tsiyu]

34. My daughter was talking to a kid at college

who watches Fox regularly. She suggested that crap would corrupt his mind, but he said it's actually fun to watch them all now attacking each other. I mean, they control everything so they look like complete pussies if they claim the left has any sway. They have to attack each other now.

A few come here because they know we're better, but many are finally realizing that more of us DIDN'T drink the Koolaid, and they damned well better figure out what we're up to.

Morans. I suspect more than a few will convert to Dems out of pure shame as they hang around here long enough.

[necso]

43. Trolldom is quite diverse.

Troll tactics (and objectives) are many and range from the patently obvious to the rather sophisticated.

At the moment, I think that the best trollery is aimed at breaking up the (rather good) solidarity (and the reasonably practical outlook) of the 2004 campaign and at having us fall upon our own (as we are so inclined to do) -- or meander off into ethereal territory (which is often all too easy for us). (There are also a number of strong subcurrents to the current trollery -- but to venture there might be considered excessive.)

However, I must say that I dislike your use of the word "Republican". -- It is too limiting. Trolldom includes many neocons, but it also includes any number of other types, who are looking to profit at the Democrats' loss or who are simply engaging in some peculiar form of entertainment (this is the internet after all). And I suppose that in some cases trollery may be the result of good intentioned but excessive zeal, as opposed to conscious evil intent. Motives, however, do not much concern me; net effects are what I am interested in.

And while I expect that this or any thread on the subject will be eventually locked, the practise of including links to other threads (as examples, anyway) makes this a near certainty. However, you have to get in your licks when you can... Besides, the subject bears some discussion for the sake of newer members. (Ignoring those trolls that you can't get tombstoned is the best policy -- together with judging a post by its content, not by its author.)

But make no mistake, DU is on the radar. And as long as it is, our "visitors" are not going to stop coming here.