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EDITOR OF REDSTATE

Weekend Open Thread

Have at it folks. I figured I’d put this up top instead of keeping the economic story up.

COMMENTS

  • emptybucket

    will this comment be considered good or bad? When I want to read the Human Events website…I go there. When I read RedState I come here. Would like that HE column to disappear from RedState and something relating to RS to fill that space. The community that so many of us spoke of before and after August 25th is GONE. It is hard to believe Erick that this is the RedState you wanted. One thing that has been stressed over and over is how hard the bright white background is on many eyes. Could the designers at least pay attention to that one stressful change before even more followers give up. And no, it isn’t because we can’t handle change…why should we tolerate change that isn’t what RedState was and should continue to be! Regarding that bright white, I last about 15 minutes before have to leave site. Come on, color html isn’t that hard to experiment with.

  • Viet71

    The soviet banner is inspirational.

    It suggests if we all bend our will to the government, we will all be rewarded.

    It does not say, kill music, painting, and literature. It does not say, kill the human spirit.

    It says what Obama says.

  • Freiheit

    Bah! I just did something with Gravatar/Disqus and all my posting history went BOOM. [[Ignore this TEST.]]

  • Freiheit

    So, I was trying to get the Gravatar over to Disqus, and thus onto RedState. I clicked around gravatar.com to no avail. I tried Disquis.com next. I created a profile — RSFreiheit — and then found a place where I could “merge accounts”. I did so and now all my previous posts have been replaced with RSFreiheit’s handle and my tasteful Gravatar. However, RS apparently doesn’t like that because I can only still post under ‘Freitheit’ sans Gravatar.

  • Viet71

    Comrade, in the spirit of the diary’s picture, suck it up. Please be selfless. We are one RED STATE NATION.

  • streiff

    We mods had a 1 hr conference call with developers last week and Disqus featured heavily in there. Disqus has gone a long way towards addressing our concerns and the moderators control screen is just the best. We still aren’t loving the disregard for privacy they’ve shown but with the things that will be happening with RedState in the next year we need the scalable comments capability.

  • rkinroanoke

    Have to say I agree with emptybucket. I was fairly new to posting on RS shortly before the change. But i really enjoyed the comment strings and the back and forth among commenters. That seems to have totally disappeared. Now it seems like any other newspaper or magazine site.
    Can’t believe that this is what Erick and the other RS managers were trying to achieve. As a conservative I believe in achievement, not in intention or effort.
    I have been spending much more time at Ace lately.
    Whatever the plan that Erick mentioned at launch as being the way he really wanted to go, he probably should have done that.

  • streiff

    yes. They are working on that. It should be fixed soon. If you give me the link I’ll pass it on to the developers.

  • streiff

    It is a situation where we made the decision to port all comments and diaries, 8 years worth, into the new version. Plus there are some exciting opportunities in store for RS in the next year that required us to be able to quickly enlarge our comment base.

  • DerKrieger

    So, what’s the plan if Obama wins? How do we avoid becoming slaves? Will GOP governors aggressively fight the Federal government and breathe new, and desperately needed, life into federalism?
    Will a serious secession, or divorce really, movement rise up to split red from blue?
    I just can’t believe that one half of the country would simply throw in the towel and become part of the collective so am really curious about, what next?
    In a Democrat country you are one of two types of slave, the host on whom the federal government feeds for taxes or a parasite dependent on the taxes confiscated from the working half of the country. In neither case are you free.

  • westcoastpatriette

    On a positive note, one of the things i really liked (for a few days) about the redesign was when you went to a member’s diary and the box on the right of the diary contained all of the diaries written by that author. That was an awesome new feature and now it is gone. I realize that things will be in flux for a while and so I am hesitant to be too critical until all the bugs have been worked out but I hope that feature will be restored.

    The other thing that I think is hindering the cohesiveness that we used to feel is the lack of the ability to publicly reco a diary. For those of us who write a lot, it is really fun and interesting to see who likes your stuff. And I also enjoyed the competitive aspect — based on how many recos you received — of seeing your diary rise to the top or stay at the bottom (or completely flop and never arrive at all) on the reco’d list.

    I want to wait until the redesign is finished before I say much more.

  • emptybucket

    hey there steiff, maybe you can explain that further. I have been unable to find an area where all the comments are scrolling along. I have found no area where back and forth is taking place between RS posters. Help, according to your comment it is there, and I believe you but just can’t figure it out. Apparently others haven’t found it either.

  • streiff

    I don’t understand the question. As you can see my response to you is nested in a thread just exactly the same way as it was before. On the left side of the page, both in front page and diary view, the comments scroll and the new diaries scroll.

  • carolina

    My favorite feature at Redstate was the ability to scan down ALL of the comments – on ALL of the articles/diaries. If you find the good comment area, please advertise it!

  • streiff

    carolina, that is still there. To the right of the front page article and the right of the diaries (for instance here http://www.redstate.com/2012/09/08/dave-weigel-conservative-journalism-trolling/) there is a box titled RedState Community. You can see as many comments and diaries here as you could under the old format.

  • streiff

    Just checked and you’re right. Forwarded this to the tech folks.

  • carolina

    I clicked on a different diary, and went back to comments – which had updated. Thanks streiff. I think I’m getting the hang of this new Redstate.

  • streiff

    it is taking time for all of us

  • Christine

    EmptyBucket – there’s a drop down at the top of the comments that says “discussion”. click that and change the default to “oldest” – that will put the order of comments back the way you’re used to on RS.

  • streiff

    exactly. Look in the top left of the comments area right above the first comment. Click “discussion” and select “oldest.”

  • Christine

    @redstate-a637a347eb889d776074037e3ae43fb5:disqus Not sure this is kosher to post. Link instead perhaps.

  • bs61

    Me too!

  • jamesm

    Ever link to a comment eh? No? I didn’t think so.

  • streiff

    like this?http://www.redstate.com/2012/09/08/weekend-open-thread/#comment-644731647

  • bs61

    I actually like the white – but maybe I need to put on my bifocals! :)

  • jamesm

    no…from a news article that is not from Redstate.

  • rkinroanoke

    Thanks, streiff. Just got back from dinner and found the discussion tab and changed my order from best to oldest.
    I guess what is probably happening that makes it look to me like less interaction is that everyone is not up to speed yet.
    The look is more like a magazine so I guess that is the look for which you were going.
    We will continue to have patience with you guys. Obama, not so much. But you guys, yea.

  • streiff

    just copy the URL and paste in the comment. It isn’t hard.

  • jamesm

    The url would link to the story and not the specific comment. The comment didn’t have it’s own url. Wasn’t in disqus format. I am sure there is a better way.

  • DerKrieger

    But unless TX decides to ignore federal diktats you will only be marginally freer.

  • SoFiMil

    Thanks, Streiff. My motto continues to be conservative in the primary, Republican in the general.

  • SoFiMil

    Looking for the positive…Glad I don’t have to attempy follow vertical lines on monster threads. —–: )

  • Kyle-MI

    So Larry Flynt is offering $1M for Romney’s tax returns. Wouldn’t it be funny if Romney where the one to take him up on that offer?

  • SoFiMil

    Neo-RedState 5! for the good laugh, Viet71.

  • michael_j_lambert

    How much money is he willing to pay for one year’s worth of tax returns? Because if Romney pulled it off right, he might be able to get enough money out of Flynt to make releasing the returns worthwhile.

  • DONTREADONME

    Leave it to Geraldo to irritate with the whole white party GOP talking point. Just because you have more blacks and hispanics doesn’t automatically make you right. That said, I also want to inform everyone that in VA Obaama zombies knocked at my door and OfA called my wife today. To date I have seen nothing from Romney.

  • rkinroanoke

    I am in VA as well. I have gotten several calls from Romney associations and many from Obama folks. I was at a George Allen meet and greet before the primary and two local TV stations were there. Both said they had millions in ad money lined up by both guys. Most of the ads until now have been O ads. I hope Romney was just waiting until after primary.
    I have seen people saying that VA is not really a toss up, that it will go blue again. I don’t feel it. Mitt and Paul should be here as we are in play.

  • rkinroanoke

    streiff – can the default be changed. I seem to have to change it back to oldest every time i refresh. Keeps going back to best.

  • DONTREADONME

    Thats my fear is it isn’t a toss-up. It’s still hard for me to believe that VA is lost to the blue locusts that transplanted here.

  • Kyle-MI

    Shades of Gary Hart?

    Joe Biden challenges press to ‘fact check me’

  • Next93

    To me, the more important question is what we’ll do if Obama loses. The damage that’s been done to constitutional limits on federal power won’t be healed simply by electing a different administration, regardless of the letter following the President’s name.

    At the very least, we need to strip Washington of its newly-discovered power to “tax” individual citizens for politically incorrect actions or inactions. After that, we need to establish significant limits on the executive branch power to selectively enforce the law, and on the creation of back-channel legislation through agency regulation.

    These HAVE to be systemic changes, carved in stone, so that the next time get a President who places his agenda above the rights of the governed, he will find his hands well and truly tied.

    If I’m going to do my best to get Romney elected, I need to know that he’s going to do his best to make sure that we’re never going to return to the kind of presidency we’ve seen unfold over the past 3 years.

  • Bill S

    You can get a URL for a specific Disqus comment by clicking Share, then the little chain link icon. When you do that, the comment URL appears in the address box at the top of the browser.

  • Bill S

    We asked the tech guys for that option on our call yesterday. We’ll see if that is possible. I hope so.

  • tlhoward

    I offer this link. Check out the Sept. 8 entry entitled, Democrats
    on “European and Mediterranean Americans.” At the bottom of the entry is the listing of each identity group that caucused at the Dem Nat. Convention. Clicking on each leads to other links.
    This is how the Dems have cut up America. It’s a path to votes for them, but more importantly, it’s how they see the country. Obviously, seeing the country this way means the country can never be unified.
    If I were Romney/Ryan, I’d see to it this “communities’ page” made it into the most powerful political ad in the world.
    http://isteve.blogspot.com/

  • Melody Warbington

    @redstate-39a6a1cb74520a37864b27772ba8712b:disqus One more request. Is there any way we can make the Comments stationary instead of reverting to Diary when you refresh or open a new tab?

  • sandollar

    *Really* like this banner & Redstate’s new look! Great idea(s), Erick.

  • ohiohistorian

    What you need to do is to focus on the House and Senate. Until “We the People” elect other than idiots and craven cowards to the Congress, we are getting what we deserve.
    Congress is supposed to be the check against a rogue President, but you saw that Boehner’s balls are in Hillary’s lockbox (or at least not on his body), and he allowed this to happen. He should have shut down Harry, and told him that there was NOTHING being done until the Senate hammered out a budget. NO LEGISLATION, NO FUNDING, NOTHING. He was too scared of the “shutting down the Government” meme, which actually worked pretty good under Clinton if you look at the House.

    There have been a couple of lawsuits, which are stupid (you shut off his funding and he will pay attention), but only Holder has been gone after with any force. The House and Senate will be the guardians (along with we the people). I have heard calls for Constitutional amendments, conventions, etc, but our Constitution will do the job as it is (except for repeal of the 17th amendment) if it is enforced.

  • lineholder

    Do you really think it is inspirational? I don’t. When I look at this banner, what I see is the power of the collective (illustrated by power of government, different agencies and branches, and different special interests groups) ready to trample the individual (as in individual rights and liberties). I see tractors in the background, ready to plow up the ground, to prepare it for whatever the collective chooses to sow.

    Obama’s rhetoric may have changed, but his goal hasn’t moved an inch. He still intends to try to follow through with the “fundamental transformation of America” into a socialistic society. He’s also playing a dangerous game of Russian roulette with the American economy in the process, with high odds of our economy imploding much more quickly if he is re-elected.

    The private sector is called “the private sector” because private entities take the economic risk of business operations. In American society, it has been small business owners and entrepreneurs who provided a means of recovery from the last recession prior to 2008. Chances are that they could have found a way to lead us out of the recession we are currently facing…if we could get the heavy boot of government off their throats and provide them with the kind of environment that encourages success.

    May God help this country if Obama wins re-election, because all we’re going to get is more of the same heavy-booted tactics we’ve seen during the past three years. If we think things are bad now, let government continue with the heavy-booted tactics for another year or so, and we can all watch as risk takers in the private sector, especially those at the small business level, decide that it isn’t worth the risk to them any more.

  • audax

    Don’t worry! You have winter. Texas has summer. Oct thru early May is rather pleasant. For summer, you are never far from air conditioning!

  • jiminga

    Workers, er…unemployed, of the world…UNITE!

  • rodguy911

    Excellent post.You are right.This election will be the most important of our time.
    Will the country vote for free phones, food stamps,obamcare,rulers that buy our own debt, loot car companies in favor of unions, more solyndra, more and more socialism leading to communism or will the inspiration of Clint Eastwood/Dirty Harry rule the day.
    It all begins or ends in November. Lets hope the founders of our Republic will not be rolling over in their graves after Nov. 6.

  • Christine

    and a pleasant morning to you too. Still not sure that commenter would appreciate you copying his/her work. Some kind of link, even to the story itself, along with a clip of the comment would have been better.

  • WmCraig

    WPat, I noticed by accident that if I follow up on one of your comments that the page that comes up shows all of them. I agree that not being able to recommend in the same way doesn’t seem possible. That up and down thing has me a bit concerned. I have a couple of questions. Do you know you have to “followers”. If that is what I think it is, that could be beneficial. We should check that out.
    For those of us that ended up either on the front page, or in the top ten through the recommended diaries that was a desirable reward. Part competitive part ideological. You have to have a good idea, and be able to present it well.

    But perhaps there are somethings to like. I still find it hard to do what I want with disqus but part of it is trying to make it do what I could do before. Maybe as we learn the new features somethings will be beneficial. Just getting recommended was not the same thing as seeing people who you know and respect recommend you. Or debate you.

    Like you I am waiting. I have some concerns, and suspect that the change will move the comments and members diaries to a fringe area turning us into a captured polling group rather than contributor. But the follow button might mean it will be easier for people who want to exchange ideas to do so with people that the choose to engage. And of course that should make it easier for the editors to follow those of us who stay on point and occasionally have something worth repeating.

    Lets hope it works out.

  • WmCraig

    Is the “Diaries” tab between the front page writers and coffee and markets new? I don’t remember seeing it there last week. And I am pretty sure I remember it being a request.

    Perhaps I am wrong, maybe it was always there but I think this is an example of the editors, managers and techs who run this site adopting suggestions to keep us engaged.

    If that is what I think it is, it is the first time since the original website that we have our own front page. Originally, if you were a member, and you took time to post it ended up on the front page. The last revision changed that. But the Diaries section means that once again, if you post a diary you get “to the fold’ exposure to make your case, for a little while anyway.

    I like it, thanks Erik!

  • streiff

    yes, diaries, comments, and the top rated diaries are all in the RedState Community feature.

  • westcoastpatriette

    That’s funny, WmCraig, that you would think that having followers could be beneficial. A few days ago, we were having discussions about not liking having anonymous followers because they may be stalkers with ulterior motives. In your view, how could followers be beneficial?

  • streiff

    I think this should be like Twitter of Facebook. I should have the ability to limit who is able to follow me. Having people follow me in Disqus who I don’t know, and sometimes don’t like, is creepy.

  • westcoastpatriette

    Agree, streiff. Creepy is the appropriate description.

  • jamesm

    Do you have anything substantive to say about the comment? Several facts were outlined by the comment. You have posted three times and said nothing towards the substance. I will take that you are in 100% agreement with the substance.

  • abqnm87106

    I’m reading that Mitt just said on Meet the Press that he won’t be repealing all of Obama Care and that there are parts of it he likes. So much for his promise that he will repeal Obama Care on day 1 of his presidency. Wonder how long it will take for him to backtrack on the mandate?

  • abqnm87106

    Here’s a link to discussion about the interview:

    http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032608/vp/48960475#48960475

    I’m looking for one on the interview.

  • streiff

    is that what he said, because the transcript says he said he wanted to retain the pre-existing conditions execption and the slacker rule letting people stay on their parent’s policy until 26 or so.

  • abqnm87106

    I just heard a bit of it were he said that there were parts of the law he liked – from what I can see NBC still hasn’t put the interview up yet just the pundit response to it -.

  • way1

    Is anyone else worried about the lack of available signage and so on from your local GOP headquarters? I live in Raleigh, NC and we cannot get yard signs. The excuses are getting lamer and lamer. I am not quite sure what to think but these little things do matter. I am surprised that the management appears so inept. We ordered one online two weeks ago and it has yet to arrive.

  • Christine

    I’m not obligated to read, nor express my agreement/disagreement with your comment. Probably wouldn’t anyway, since I have no idea where it came from, who wrote it or why.

    I was simply trying to let you know that IMHO, such practices are frowned upon here. If you’ll notice, a mod commented as well and basically said he let “this time slide”.

    I’m a 6-7 year veteran of this site who was simply concerned. If you are not, then by all means have a pleasant day and I won’t offer any more warnings. The mods can do so at their pleasure.

  • Stan

    Wow… to he honest, I’m floored when you say “We still aren’t loving the disregard for privacy they’ve shown but…”. They disregard privacy, BUT? I run Ghostery in Firefox.. what they have to say about Disqus is below. And now, I’ll go back to blocking them…

    Privacy Policy:

    http://docs.disqus.com/help/30/

    Data Collected:
    Anonymous
    (Browser Information, Date/Time, Demographic Data,
    Hardware/Software Type, Interaction Data , Page Views , Serving Domains)

    Pseudonymous
    (IP Address (EU PII), Clickstream Data)

    PII
    (PII Collected via 3rd Parties)

    Data Sharing:
    Anonymous data is shared with 3rd parties.

    Data Retention:
    Undisclosed

  • jamesm

    I forgive you. But Obama is a 3 1/2 year veteran

  • annas

    I too am worried about organization. I phoned Dallas Republican Headquarters yesterday. I had heard we were tanking in the polls. I wanted to get someone’s opinion. I said to the lady who answered the phone that it seemed we are losing. She said to me “what do you want ME to do about it?” how’s that for helpful response?

  • Melody Warbington

    way1, campaign items are starting to be delivered. I ordered Romney/Ryan bumper stickers and pins a few weeks ago. Just got them this week. Also, our local GOP got a limited load of yard signs in this week. I think part of the delay was in just now getting to spend $, part was focusing on the convention and part was deciding where best to send orders. Here in Alabama, we anticipated delays in getting campaign material, and we’re not likely to get near as much as a swing state. The money and materials are better used elsewhere. Plus, there were more orders than anticipated when Ryan was named. They’re just playing a little catch up.

    GOTV is organized and working if you want to help the campaign. Go to http://www.mittromney.com/forms/get-out-vote-shift-sign

  • Melody Warbington

    annas, if you want to help instead of worrying, go http://www.mittromney.com/forms/get-out-vote-shift-sign and sign up for GOTV. Won’t cost anything but a little time. As for organization, see my comment to way1 below.

  • http://www.examiner.com/x-1597-Charlotte-Law--Politics-Examiner Mike gamecock DeVine

    way’, ultimately, GC is not worried, because despite McCarthy’s column saying that we have lost 1/3 of America to the Left’s academia/Press machine over the last 30+ years, the economy is SO bad, that I would be shocked if Obama is re-elected even if we get zero signs printed; BUT we do need to work at every level…more later…

  • tngal

    So…what about this pic of Biden gettin’ very friendly with a biker chick in a diner? Actually looks like he’s 2 seconds away from groping. But that’s not the interesting part. Its the expression of the two male bikers flanking them. Can’t tell if they want to slug him, or join in for a little kink. (And no, I still don’t know how to embed pics)
    http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0912/80962.html?hp=r1

  • funwithknives

    To Melody and way1: After incredible amounts of dithering , continual resets of timelines, and out and out extortion By Michigan Victory Centers, My Sis-In-Law was told on the Seventh that no lawn signs are forthcoming until September 17th for my area. {Wayne/Oakland counties}
    Curiously, this was one day after R/R was noted to have purportedly pulled out of major expenditures/media buys in all but 8 swing states, and Michigan is not ‘swingy’ enough, apparently.
    You can go on R/R ‘s site and *buy one* for $15 dollars.But seeing ‘way1′s’ post, now I’m glad I saved the dough.
    We’re seeing all this splash about money coming in. I myself, know of innumerable printing companies slobbering for the work.
    Yet to even hint at logistics and ‘pipeline troubles’ when Mitt has been ‘planning’ for 4 fricken years just is not adding up.
    On the other hand, Obie/Biden signs are scarce as well. The Rainbow Flagged couple down the street had the only one I’ve seen and it was twice vandalized to shreds. Could-a been a 2008 leftover, but I did not get close enought to see if it was dated.
    Plastics Shortages? No enthusiasm?

  • funwithknives

    Sad it is ,that I can only agree with you.I usta be able to hit my history and see in a flash if anyone cared ,even a teensy bit. Now,… not so much, and much more laborious.
    No more of :gekster, conservative curmudgeon, last GOP in Illinois, acat, countless others, and the easily available sidebar links/websites on the right hand side in every pull-up.
    {Moe, Maley,Boo-Boo Kitty and such}
    No more of ‘Posters’ Faves’ connected with/underlining their responses.
    This site was fun, and an adventure,and even educational, but it is Fun No Longer.
    Now,… it’s a task,… a job.
    …and Yes, I am whining , and I will not eat my peas.
    As I’ve gotten to this diary two days late , I wonder if anyone will even see it?
    Was this The Answer to an ‘asked question’ ?
    I’m done.

  • larueladue

    streiff, just a sort-of-related note: I saw your diary on the failure of disqus as a comment tool, and was going to concur, but the comments never loaded and I was unable to add to it. (How appropriate: don’t load comments from a diary on the failure of the disqus comment system.) I consider disqus an abject failure and a major impediment to constructive commenting on every site that I see it on. From what I have seen, once disqus takes over the comments on a site, the commentary rapidly devolves into drivel and irrelevance, and any previous sense of community is lost. If you have any pull at RedState, please push for jettisoning disqus!

  • streiff

    obviously you aren’t alone in those feelings.

  • Martin Knight

    No … what would be funny is if a Romney millionaire backer were to offer $2 million for a copy of Obama’s college transcripts.

    Any hint of outrage on the part of the Presstitutes would be shoved back in their faces.

  • WmCraig

    WPat, I was being sarcastic, and I guess not very clear. I pointed that out to you because to be honest it made me uncomfortable. But the question still remains. If hundreds or thousands of discus users start slamming the comments, how do we keep track of people we have engaged previously, and respect.

    The followers thing still gives me the creeps, I am not following anyone but it needs to be explored and understood. If it is a way for us to maintain contact with those we respect that have not gone front page we need to know. If it is the creepy thing it appears it might be, there is no point to it. The editors should defend. Maybe we need to test it out and determine what it does.

    So, to clarify.
    Do you know you have followers and have you checked it out for your own protection?
    Since the site monitors are reading this, can they provide assurance that it won’t be abused.
    Does any of the recognized community know the limits and risks of these functions.

    I

  • westcoastpatriette

    Yes, WmCraig, I know I have followers and there is no way to identify who they are — friends or foes or creepy strangers. That’s the problem. Not sure where they came from or how RS plans on dealing with them. We’ll see how things develop. I liked RS for the members only aspect and now I feel we are even more vulnerable to unwanted invaders than before thanks to disqus.