Azaeroprof is quite right, there are many new people here, especially since the election. Ones who comment as well as countless who are just reading. I started reading last summer, joined late Jan.

There are a lot of feelings involved. All related to the devastating losses we sustained in election 2008. The gut wrenching fear that many of us have felt because of the presidency of Obama only compounds the issue. This stems from the fact we are feeling helpless and powerless. Each person, in their own way is struggling to come to terms with all things leftist Dems. IMO, this is why there are heightened responses.

Sarah, at least for the time being, represented another huge “loss” to many on our side. And people are going through all kinds of angst about it. Anything that is seen to hurt the conservative movement at this time, has the ability to cause us to feel pain and stress to a greater degree. Full disclosure, I love Sarah, and I think she has more to come and I am going to trust in her. In the meantime, I can go forth and work on all of the things important to me which she herself seemed to value.

About the birth certificate, I said yesterday, I think it can be used ultimately in the bigger picture of credibility with him, but it is not going to change anything right now.

Since being here, I’ve seen it can be rough, but it is also one of the most dynamic, informative and affirming sites I know. Healthy discussion is good, and I think people are just trying to nudge people into the most productive use of resources. And I am talking about more than money-time and energy count too. Also, only seeing everything about an issue or individual as painted positive can be harmful. We need to know the cons as well as the pros. How else can we adjust and grow and help a candidate or our cause?

Name calling is never good unless their is humor and affection. But I have also seen stubbornness from both sides in any argument and they can become passionate. Please be fair to the Directors, that was the only thing that bothered me when you said “yet” re. Sarah. They’re not like that. In fact, I think they let us run on our own, finding our way as possible.

And Rod, I still remember one of my very first comments here, I was expressing feeling bad and scared about the future because of Obama and you responded, naming a couple of others and yourself, “it was a plague” that response stayed with me and helped give support to get going and get past the fear. Thank you.

I remember the last election and the beat down that took place of Fredheads in the name of party unity. The Directors made a decision to unify the party behind the nominated candidate. It was, and is a logical decision. I didn’t enjoy it, but it was for a reason.

I have found the party intelligentsia has their favorites and support them. I have found that this web site has always been reasoned if not fair. I have always found Eric and company good people and that is why I stay here, though mostly in the background now.

The Sarah Palin thing is a unique situation. A mind set has developed about here that is unusual and I can’t explain it. When it comes to conservatism she is what we need in a candidate, however, the dynamics of her resignation and the pasting in the press have made her viability tenuous at best.

I am still hopeful with Sarah making her way onto the national scene, but I am not going to hold my breath.

Much the same way the mainstream of the Republican Party has turned its back on Marco Rubio, it appears they despise Sarah Palin even more. I base that statement on my readings on blogs and news sites.

It has always been evident to me that if you are not anointed by the main stream of the party, they do their best to cut you off at the knees before you can threaten them. Sarah is in that situation right now. Marco Rubio isn’t to that point, but he is ruffling some feathers by not going away like he is suppose too.

This is why I don’t call myself a Republican anymore. Fred Thompson, Sarah Palin, Bobby Jindal and Marco Rubio are the type of candidates we need more than ever. However, the Republican Party is doing all they can to cut them off at the knees. Not me, they have my support.

you started the thread off with the perfect example of what Prof was writing about.

Whether you like it or not, these people are Republicans, and they’re therefore fair game for commentary about what they say and do. Sometimes this becomes a bit circular, as differences of opinion can go on pretty long, and only time can prove who is right or wrong, or neither or both. As Prof said,

But RedState should not be an elitist site!! We want a big army, we need a big army. If we call Palin fans, especially those who are new and whose opinions are still largely “feelings-based”, names (e.g. Palinbots) and ridicule them, they will leave our site (and likely political activism) for good. If we make fun of the folks who genuinely believe that Obama has not proven his eligibility (and believe me, I’ve met a good number of them, and they are a completely different, and more normal, group than the Paulites) and make cracks about “tinfoil hats”, we will lose them as well. And believe me, every person who leaves RedState feeling put down or unwelcome will let their like-minded friends know how they were treated or how welcoming our site is.

Save the accusations of “bot-tery” for folks who are wrong on facts or who intentionally mislead. When it comes to opinion about what will happen in the future, we are all working with the same equipment, just different backgrounds. Even a wise Latina could see that.

I developed a lot of respect over time for Art’s comments. I, of course, took them all with a grain of salt given his obvious, and admitted, bias. But I also gave them more credence, as I knew that he had first-hand experience with Alaska issues and politics.

Actually, if you’ll look as the posting history, I’ve been on the receiving end of far more name-calling and unfounded assusations from the Palinbots than I’ve ever dished out about her or to them. She’s the Republican Obama except that instead of any criticism being racism, with her it’s misogyny or, if you’re Alaskan, you’re a frustrated officeseeker. I’m neither a misogynist nor a frustrated officeseeker. Frankly there’s no way in Hell I’d work for her.

I’ve never made a secret of the fact that I do not and never have liked the woman. She became Governor of my State by shwrewdly and self-interestedly attacking the people who had elevated her and by mythologizing herself with the help of the Anchorage Daily News back when she was every Democrat’s favorite Republican because they thought that a clueless small-town mayor would be easy for a front-rank Democrat to beat. She ran for governor just like Obama ran for President; there was no there there – nobody could really tell you what her program and platform were beyond a few very safe Republican platitudes – and SHE WASN’T FRANK MURKOWSKI, who she and the ADN had completely demonized.

As far as I’m concerned, tomorrow is a great day for Alaska. Hopefully, she’ll hole up for awhile helping her ghostwriter and then she’ll go on an extended book tour and then just fade away to enjoy her money – never to be a factor in Alaska or National politics again.

Jaded you are so correct in this comment-

“I agree that if you have an argument to make do so without name calling and the outright dismissal of those opinions that you disagree with. It won’t happen of course but it would be nice.”

I completely understand what azaerprof is trying to convey in his diary. The newbies, as well as everyone else who comments here for whatvever length of time, needs to understand that not everyone is as knowledgable about all the ins and outs of politics as some others. As long as anyone commenting shows that they are on the Republican/Conservative side of the aisle, they are another vote to rid our country of those marching us into Socialism. There are so many scared to death that tomorrow will be the day we wake up, and find it is too late to change it. I really could care less if those people can’t spell or punctuate properly. They do know how to pull the lever, or touch the screen for those with an R behind their names. They do know how to hold a sign up in protest rallies. It doesn’t take a certain IQ, or education level to tell their friends and family that the unemployment numbers are so high because of Obamas policies. There is not a person here who hasn’t made some dumb or silly comment at one time or another. If you read a comment that you don’t agree with, like, or believe doesn’t add anything to the discussion, either move on, or respectfully educate those that are missing something.

Excellent, well intentioned and needed diary azaerprof. Hopefully your plea will resonate.

Sarah Palin, by quitting office, has dropped herself way down the activism priority list.

When she was a sitting governor under attack, she mattered.

Now? She falls way below such priorities as defeating the Obama agenda, roughing up Obama to take the shine off of him, and gearing up to win in 2010.

People who don’t share those priorities just aren’t going to fit in as well as those who do. Yeah, Palin in her new role can raise money for candidates and such. But the candidates need to be the real stars, not Palin.

Great comments. And I completely agree with your take on Palin, though I really hope that folks don’t think this diary is about Palin or birthers, I just used those as the most obvious examples (at least in my time at RS, since I wasn’t here for the Fred or Paul episodes ).

though I always enjoyed Josh’s diaries. I think he focused primarily on Palin because he probably saw that as his role on the front page (though I certainly don’t want to speak for him). IMHO, he at least attempted to keep his tone informative and not TOO cheerleading.

Where I differ with you (if you can call it a difference?) is that there are a huge number of folks who absolutely love Sarah Palin (e.g most of my facebook friend list!) but are not what I would call political activists. Many are becoming active because of her and Obama’s train wreck, and I don’t want to see them scared away from RS.

Oops, I’ve engaged in another Palin discussion. That really wasn’t the point of my diary! But thanks for the comment!

those people who put Sarah Palin on that pedestal will either be satisfied with her actions or doomed to disappointment, regardless of what any of us say about her. To show up and cross swords with them at every single opportunity doesn’t make them rethink their position, it only reinforces it. Same with the birthers. They’re not going to drop their beliefs based on what you, or I, or anyone else thinks.

After reading azaeroprof’s diary, it led me to rethink the notion of jumping into any fray that is based on someone’s hardcore feelings about either of these two issues. And, yeah, I used the word “feelings” because much of the disagreement on both issues comes from that. It’s unpleasant to watch regular posters going at each other hammer and tong—and that’s from someone who regularly chooses to engage in pointy-stick behavior with trolls and mobys, not from somebody who is averse to doing battle at all.

Bottom line is that if you don’t agree with someone on these two issues in particular, then avoid their comments and diaries. To engage, particularly with hostility , just draws more attention and inflates the feelings on both sides. If we wish to enlarge the membership both here and in the GOP, then it’s perhaps time to live and let live on the birth cert. and on Sarah Palin. Both issues will resolve in time, no matter what we say or don’t say.

… is spell check. My terrible spelling and grammar is directly linked to how busy I am. Phone in one hand and my other on the keyboard.

There are still issues that I just read about but seldom comment on, mostly economic and financial ones. Was never good with math and the arcane language of the financial world just confuses the heck out of me.

You’ve been a welcome addition to the mix. Keeping up when school starts will only be a problem in one way– you will find yourself logging on here to read when there’s a big issue being discussed at midnight because you just CAN’T resist knowing what folks are saying about it.

master the ‘Reply to this’ button…

Let the Replies BEGIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!????