Republicans in sheep's clothing...

[Javaman]

I have noticed something in the forums lately, and stop me if you think I'm crazy in thinking this, but I have noticed these new types of posts from people calling themselves recovering republicans. It's very interesting and they seem to work in tandem.
The first post runs along the lines as to why they changed but then drifts into it's very hard to convert because of all the negativity on here. They blather on and on for a while then usually end answering their own question or making a statement that defeats their first, something like, "I don't know why I bothered coming here, I was hoping to be accepted and all I got was this hate filled rude replies".
Then the second poster, also of the recovering republican ilk, states something along the lines of, "just hang around for a while, people here are a little paranoid, etc, blathers on for a bit, then also ends with some sort of hate filled angst about how everyone is rude here. All of these people are of low post numbers.
Now don't get me wrong, there are people here pissed off, I'm one of them. I'm rightly pissed at watching my rights drip away, and my personal privacy becoming a wholesale commodity, however, what I find interesting about these supposed recovering repukes is: they apparently don't like it when people disagree with something they say.
This is what makes DU a great place, difference of opinion and the concept of debate.
Perhaps they are used to people marching lockstep to the repuke platform, who knows, but I just find it so suspicious these various tag team posts that reaffirm their bizarre postulations regarding how rude we are. Seems like something is afoot to stir the pot.

[orwell]

1. Endgame

I hope, in the post apocalyptic world, we will accept the possibility that the differences that we perceive are nothing more than illusions, binding us to a life of fear and lonliness.

Why can't we celebrate each other's unique song? What kind of horrors would this world hold if we were all forced to walk in lockstep? We may soon find out...

[Democracy White]

2. Could be moles?

I have lurked on Conservative Underground quite a bit and I have read posts where they brag about attaining access to DU and posting on here trying to illicit flame wars and such, also they make fun of DUers and even have a forum called "The Best/Worst of DU" where they pick on a post(s) or poster(s). It's really immature and seems to be the only thing that they do there is tear into other people and their opinions.
I am pretty sure the freepers come from other blogs and sites as well but this is what I have observed from CU. These could be freepers posing as "recovered Republicans" only to try and to get a rise out of us and cause infighting about how we don't "tolerate others' opinions" etc.

The Adminstrators should screen new members and ban those who are trying to do this kind of crap.

Dee

[FreedomAngel82]

7. I don't think they should do that

Why? It's rude and can turn people off. Not everybody who joins DU likes personal information being out there about them. I think it's wrong to judge people prematurely. If someone joins to cause trouble that's the problem with the admins and they can handle it. Oh and if you ban someone what if you also ban someone who could be a potential member? All of my family and I use the same computer so thus we have the same IP number.

[sendero]

3. Anywhere there is truth or free thought...

... it must be countered by the right. The right hates the truth like vampires hate garlic. So it must be managed. You'll be seeing blogs pop up like weed all spouting the same canned talking points.

The internet(s) are the last place where you can get information that hasn't been spun until it's dizzy. They can't stand it, they have to contol the message everywhere or their tenuous grip on power will fail.

Tee hee.

[I Have A Dream]

4. Hi, Javaman - I'm a new poster - let me tell you of my experience here.

First of all, let me make it very clear that I'm a progressive. If you look back over all of my posts, you'll see that my posts are not at all controversial.

Here goes: I've fallen in love with this place. It is truly a safe haven. However, someone asked a question yesterday. The person may or may not have been legit. Most people answered it by just questioning whether he was legit. However, there was one person who said the most obscene things that I ever saw in print outside of an XXX-rated book. The post was very soon deleted (which made me feel much better because someone obviously reported it -- not me). However, the post did happen.

I absolutely understand the frustration that you all must feel when people who are posers try to create problems. I'm sure that I'll be feeling it also as I continue to post. However, I wasn't proud to have the person who posted that vitriolic flame on my side.

It is possible that the poster really was trying to figure out where he stood. However, he probably should have waited until he had more posts so that people had more faith in his legitimacy.

Anyway, I just hope that I don't inadvertently do the same thing. I can't imagine getting a post similar to what he got. If I did, I'd probably be so shamed that I'd not be able to come back. (Sorry to say that I'm very thin-skinned.)

[JRob]

6. Don't be thin skinned "sticks and stones..." They are out there and...

even on the left there are some who are so emotional about a topic that they loose all reason and flame their own.

I've been pissed on a few times and my response is alway the same or at least similar... and I paraphrase: "It's OK if we disagree, but please don't attack me personally because of it."

Most times that bring the exchange to a more civil tone, sometimes it just fans the flames.

This is the best place I've found online and I personally welcome RWers because one of two things comes from it 1) they see something good and come to see the truth that we all have the same things at stake or 2) they illustrate just how ridiculous their positions are for all to see including other RWers on the site.

[Javaman]

10. Welcome to DU!

Glad to have you aboard!

[JRob]

5. I once subscribed to a RW forum and posted, what I thought...

to be a pretty middle of the road topic and got hammered (300+ replies)to which I could not respond because the moderator shut down my account almost immediately...

Negativity! Let me tell you these replies were beyond negative and included death threats, photos of snipers and nuclear explosions, even the famous Viet Nam era pistol to the head photo as well as some of the most graphic insults and even stuff like "someone should exterminate your entire family".

I think I actually have the string saved somewhere....

So my response to "our negativity" is take a look at yourselves or how about "oh fuck off!" the RW is built on negativity.

[insane_cratic_gal]

8. they could be legit too

My hubby is moderate Dem, I’m progressive.

Our political discussions are nothing short of verbal knife throwing, there is very little we agree upon. Once the topic of news media, or Judicial activists comes up it's best to vacate the area.

For him coming over to the dark side, from rep to moderate dem he still holds to a lot of conservative social views.

Of course he's had 5 years to come around, and admitted that under Clinton they saw their biggest pay raise( he's military).

Du is an exchange of ideas, some conservative, progressive, moderate left to extreme left. Some might very well be waking up to realize the republican party that was blue collar America is bullshit, has nothing but white collared Americans in mind.

I've been attacked before and assailed by both conservatives and progressives, here on this site! I'm inclined to speculate about the motive of one or two of our posters.

But, for the most part.. I just skip over those posts that are obvious in their intent, the a can of gasoline in one hand and a match in another, usually gives it away.

[Javaman]

9. There sould be a RW recovery forum LOL

Thanks for your point of view. :)