I have always enjoyed your contributions here, maybe because there were times when we actually found considerable common ground. Good luck in whichever path you’ve chosen.

Maybe play the teaser like Thomas, and make periodic guest appearances. Just for old times sake :-).

Thank you, and good luck.

Please drop by and post some moderate clap-trap once in a while :>).

Good luck in what all you do. And remember as you travel through your life, the answer to every one of life’s deep questions:

Fred!

sorry, could not help a parting love-tap!

Just FYI, I have an edit button for this one, and it seems to work.

I didn’t change anything for fear that it might actually save, but just letting you know.

-IJ

Why do I get the feeling that you’ll be back?

I hope you realize very few get to offer a GBCW post on the front page. Many have left but with little or no fanfare. You earned this right, but I won’t say the others did not.

You mentioned you are leaving for “political” reasons. It would be interesting if you could add a bit to that, as they say, add a little color. can you do that?

I have attempted to leave this site before, not with a front page diary, but just a lonely post in the netherworld. I changed my mind because I remembered it was not about me, and I don’t need ANYONE to stamp my card, I know what I am about and what I can offer. If that is not desired, then those who feel that way miss out.

anyway, good luck my friend. If you could give more of an explanation to improve our understanding that would be great, but if not, I understand. You are not beholden to any man, or even the Directors.

peace.

For all the disagreements we’ve had I’ve enjoyed our back and forths and I owe you for pulling my fat out of the fire.

I hope the current mood of conservatives is not running you off because you make your cases well and you’ve taught me to be a more thoughtful and better diarist as a result.

That being said…if you need anything…let me know…I’m there.

Peace my friend and may GOD bless you in all your endeavors.

A.C.

The “Big Tent” analogy isn’t the correct one…the correct one is a MAGNET…we need to be a MAGNET that draws these independents in who are sick and tired of what’s going on in Washington—Fred Thompson

Senate Conservatives Fund House Conservatives Fund Michael Williams for Senate

Marco 2010 Toomey US Senate SarahPAC

Take care of yourself. I’ve enjoyed your posts. You’re an excellent contributor. Please drop in from time to time to say hello. You will definitely be missed.

So the rumors of you taking the position in Obama’s Cabinet are true?

I jest.

Good bye and Good Luck.

See ya around.

Just wanted to let you know I appreciate your kind thoughts.

I’ve enjoyed your contributions. You’ll be missed.

you’ll be back…

I regret you leaving but people come and go when they feel it’s time or for other reasons. Thomas was with us only in spirit for a while there, and many others have come and gone and come back again. Even I have been known to hop on my horse and get out of Dodge for a spell, or a piece, or however I would have said it if I lived in the Old West. Which is what the blogosphere still reminds me of most of the time, at least the Old West I saw in the movies ;).

With Adam leaving, we’re quite starkly losing the one person here who cared the most about investigating and crunching the numbers and the underlying trends evidenced by the numbers, the one blogger here who had an unwavering focus on races that others weren’t paying enough attention to. Those are big shoes to fill, because he’s been the only one with the combination of the data, the interest and patience, not to mention the grey matter to stay engaged with such dry, boring things as the facts. All the while breathing some life into them for the rest of us schlubs who are too busy, or lazy, or disinterested to pay attention at the level he did. So I’ll really miss that.

In other ways this departure is even more bittersweet because I missed meeting Adam and his (then) wife-to-be by just a few days in Chicago before I did my own version of this diary in Da Mayor’s fiefdom city. At the time he was just getting situated there, I was getting ready to run fast, run far from the place; we never got the chance to meet face to face, and I had always looked forward to that. But anyone who knows the story understands that not even the promise of a personal meetup with a fellow Redstater could counterbalance the enormous impulse I had to punch myself out of Chicago at the time. Anyway, I wanted to do it, and I hope he’ll contact me so we can have the chance to do it sometime relatively soon, maybe here on the East Coast.

Adam, if it’s about the election and your advocacy for McCain, don’t persecute yourself over it. He wasn’t my first choice and he wasn’t really this party’s first choice, particularly at the time you signed up here. He became the only viable choice — and that is what he was. I’ve had my own sour grapes about it, but I’m over it because they’re childish. Realistically John McCain was the only candidate the Republicans could have chosen in this cycle, for all of the reasons you put forth here. Nothing that happened on November 4th detracts from your arguments: the problems were simply bigger than the arguments and the options. If 2006 was a ‘whuppin’, 2008 was a ‘kickin’ and a ‘beatin’ with a ’stompin’ and a jackslappin’ for reasons more fundamental than any candidate we could throw out there could address. I don’t even think Reagan could have beaten Obama in this election cycle. I really mean that.

In any case, I hope you’ll stay in touch here from time to time and with me privately. I’ll miss your analysis. Like a few other commentators, I used it more than I cited it online, because I trusted it enough to use out there in “meatspace” where it mattered.

I’ve never forgotten that and it thrilled me that someone who was on the front page cared about my opinion.

We haven’t agreed on a number of issues, but you will definitely be missed.

Sad to see you go, but I’m sure that you’re on to bigger and better things. I wish you the best!

best of luck in your endeavors.

Your contributions were thoughtful, substantive, and well worth reading. I found myself reliably sympathetic to many of your viewpoints, and I thank you for having expressed yourself with notable patience and politeness.

I don’t say a lot on these chats or write a lot of diaries, but I do have something to you. First, I’ll ditto Kowalski’s comments, especially in regards to the McCain selection. Your thoughtful preparation of the case showed the fact that the die were cast, the stage was set and we had to soldier on. You opened my eyes in many ways and although we came up second in this battle, the war continues. As you rotate off the field, when you get the strength back, remember to come back.

But for personal, professional, and political reasons, it is time for my participation to end.

Personal reasons are personal, but you said the word political so I can’t help but wonder. Has Lord Obama convinced you to join the dark side?

You’ve been a great contributor to RedState and I’ve made it a point to ready your diaries.

We still disagree on McCain and Romney, but at least your man gave it as good a shot as any Republican could have against The One.

Have a great life.

You have been a stalwart contributor, especially in the face of us FredHeads, Romneybots, Hucksters, etc. I understand stepping away (toy with the idea every day myself) and won’t be surprised if and when you return.

The place will definitely miss you.

Best of luck to you, and leave a trail of breadcrumbs just in case, ok? There is nothing so temporary as that which is permanent (and vice versa).

We had our differences, but I know I’m better for the challenges you brought. I hope to see you around again in the future.

This is not cool, man.

But … nonetheless, I wish you the very very best. Do come by once in a while, okay?

---

 To me, “consensus” seems to be the process of abandoning all beliefs, principles, values and policies. So it is something in which no one believes and to which no one objects … There are still people in my party who believe in “consensus” politics. I regard them as Quislings, as traitors … I mean it.
      - Margaret Thatcher
NOTE: “consensus” = “Bipartisanship™”/”Centrism™”

I am sure that you will go on to bigger and better things. Thank you for all of your contributions to RedState.

Glad to have benefited from your many contributions to the site.

Your posts will be missed.