Is it an obsession?

Do you really hope to sway other posters?...I mean really??

Of course we all know that we are given ONE vote, Is this vote worth losing a friendship?

and last but not least, what would you do to encourage a friendly political forum, let's call it our Political New Years resolution?

Originally Posted by jebartle

Is it an obsession?

Do you really hope to sway other posters?...I mean really??

Of course we all know that we are given ONE vote, Is this vote worth losing a friendship?

and last but not least, what would you do to encourage a friendly political forum, let's call it our Political New Years resolution?

A FORUM, by definition is an organized event where something is discussed. THIS IS NOT A FORUM...NOTHING ever is discussed.

As a charter member of this community, I came here to discuss, learn how others think and get different viewpoints on issues that confront the country.

If you read the posts on here, you will find it is simply somewhere to make up names for political candidates we disagree with and to vent our personal probems with churches, groups or whatever has bothered us through life....IT DOES NOT DISCUSS ISSUES at all. Fact is, it does not endorse DISCUSSION of any kind.

I post no longer because I never ever thought I would sway anyone but by offering my viewpoint or readings on issues that face us, I thought maybe I might learn something and share things but that has become a lost cause !!!

Currently we are discussing on here what a paid commentator said....WHO CARES is my thought...and of course the media feeds on this kind of claptrap. All it does is take us away from any discussion on Iran, deficit, the problems in the middle east, Syria, etc. The media feeds on this. For example, and I hope you will trust this is not partisan...just is that only the Republicans are having a primary.....Mr Romney can talk for 2 hours about our severe financial problems...Mr Paul can give us all food for thought on our budget problems and constitutional issues..Mr Gingrich can talk about our foreign relations problems...all of them for a long time giving their opinions on those issues....Mr Santorum will talk for 10 minutes about social issues which by the way will HAVE NO EFFECT ON THE ELECTION, and he will be the main story on all news channels and be discussed in here over and over, calling names mostly....never linking to readings...just playground stuff.

To encourage a friendly forum ? I dont think any political forum can be over friendly, but it can and should be civil (assuming it is all adults). There is NO attempt by anyone to call out folks for name calling, slander or any of those type of things...actually, it appears to be encouraged and AS ON ANY PLAYGROUND, if you have the biggest mouth and call the funniest names you become some sort of hero.

To encourage a CIVIL forum it requires those who really WANT a civil forum to police the others and for the administrators to pay attention.

We want our politicians to be civil....we want them to listen but we come on this forum and do just the opposite. We get the leadership we deserve.

Sure wish some of our posters would "turn over a new leaf"....Is it possible?

As I posted on the thread called "The Political Knitting Club",

"I write my posts, read them, re-read them, and then decide if I want to post them. I delete a lot while in the exam mode.

Public figures are fair game for comments. I am not going to make any apologies for my comments on public figures.

I am not going to call any forum member by a hurtful or foul name. I hope that will hold the same for any forum member to me."

Another poster on the same thread said in reply to my posting: "The public figures and their actions and words are fair game for derision in my view. I should be able to comment on your personal attack on a public figure without it being deemed a personal attack on you, though."

He is 100% right (actually far right, but I digress). He said also that the Political room is a place where a little rough and tumble is to be expected. Correct once again. We can abide by standards as we are adults but this is not a Pollyanna site, it is a members only site. Stay within bounds and there is no problem.

i will bite....i guess my reason for posting on these issues is to bring to the fore the realization among well-meaning life long democrats that their party is no longer the party of JFK. even the repub party is more to the left than ever, a consequence of growing dependence on govt, witness the latest flap about contraception...it seems our younger generation has been brought up to think that the taxpayers should provide everything in their lives...this is totally contrary to all the values that made America great...but, alas, i fear it is a losing battle as the big money conforms public opinion and manipulates the populace to obtain ever-increasing power...the power to destroy our way of life as we have known and loved it... i find it very sad.

ChaCha,

I am curious as to exactly you say are "all the values that made America great". It sounds good but exactly what are all those values?

It certainly is not and won't ever be an obsession.

No intention ever to sway anybody. Only give MY opinion or MY belief.

I don't understand the one vote, friendship loss. Probably because I cannot comprehend one being an issue at the expense of the other. There is always the old standby, agree to disagree. Which of course will not work for those who do come here to sway or convince others....or at least they play that game.

Most folks only want to post what they believe. There are a few who insist that any thoughts that do not align with theirs is unacceptable. By itself not bad. Some make a game out of the insulting, name calling, constant degrading of ANYTHING that is not in line with their thinking. Under the guise of anonymity they engage in constant degrading counterpoint. These same people most likely would not behave in this manner in a face to face discussion.

As the day to day proof here on this forum will substantiate, I do not think they would care to participate at any other level than they do currently.

I just don't let minority representations affect how I live or what I believe.

btk

Originally Posted by buggyone

.... He said also that the Political room is a place where a little rough and tumble is to be expected. Correct once again. We can abide by standards as we are adults but this is not a Pollyanna site, it is a members only site. Stay within bounds and there is no problem.

I've learned a lot from reading threads in Political, although I rarely post. IMHO members of the Political Forum have a right to a little "rough and tumble", and it's easy to skip over posts if you find them offensive. It is a members only site, and easy to "opt out". I personally find Political more interesting than reading repetitive posts complaining about restaurant service, roundabouts, and dog poop.

Originally Posted by buggyone

As I posted on the thread called "The Political Knitting Club",

"I write my posts, read them, re-read them, and then decide if I want to post them. I delete a lot while in the exam mode.

Public figures are fair game for comments. I am not going to make any apologies for my comments on public figures.

I am not going to call any forum member by a hurtful or foul name. I hope that will hold the same for any forum member to me."

Another poster on the same thread said in reply to my posting: "The public figures and their actions and words are fair game for derision in my view. I should be able to comment on your personal attack on a public figure without it being deemed a personal attack on you, though."

He is 100% right (actually far right, but I digress). He said also that the Political room is a place where a little rough and tumble is to be expected. Correct once again. We can abide by standards as we are adults but this is not a Pollyanna site, it is a members only site. Stay within bounds and there is no problem.

One more post...

ROUGH AND TUMBLE...absolutely. I have spent most of my adult life in and out of politics (REAL politics, not forums) and of course that is expected. HOWEVER, what you seem to manifest and feel proud of is less than civil. The name calling is, and there is ABSOLUTELY NO DENYING THIS, childish at best. Your time and those who wish to partake would be better served by understanding what civil discourse and discussion actually is.

I disagree that simply by being a public figure you are " fair game for derision". You surely are fair game for criticism but in my USA, it is done with some civility and respect that your opinion IS NOT THE ONLY ONE.

And you say "We can abide by standards as we are adults". Obviously our definition of ADULTS differs. I know of NO ADULTS who call public figures by name, and as you see this as YOUR forum, others read it..not just you and perhaps your cronies. This forum is losing posters and readers as a result of this kind of NON ADULT activity.

Again, you should enjoy your forum..the way you want it..no thought...no civility and absolutely without a doubt no discussion of ANY PERTINENT political issues that confront the country.

Originally Posted by Bucco

One more post...

ROUGH AND TUMBLE...absolutely. I have spent most of my adult life in and out of politics (REAL politics, not forums) and of course that is expected. HOWEVER, what you seem to manifest and feel proud of is less than civil. The name calling is, and there is ABSOLUTELY NO DENYING THIS, childish at best. Your time and those who wish to partake would be better served by understanding what civil discourse and discussion actually is.

I disagree that simply by being a public figure you are " fair game for derision". You surely are fair game for criticism but in my USA, it is done with some civility and respect that your opinion IS NOT THE ONLY ONE.

And you say "We can abide by standards as we are adults". Obviously our definition of ADULTS differs. I know of NO ADULTS who call public figures by name, and as you see this as YOUR forum, others read it..not just you and perhaps your cronies. This forum is losing posters and readers as a result of this kind of NON ADULT activity.

Again, you should enjoy your forum..the way you want it..no thought...no civility and absolutely without a doubt no discussion of ANY PERTINENT political issues that confront the country.

I'm growing older......not up.

Originally Posted by jebartle

Is it an obsession?

Do you really hope to sway other posters?...I mean really??

Of course we all know that we are given ONE vote, Is this vote worth losing a friendship?

and last but not least, what would you do to encourage a friendly political forum, let's call it our Political New Years resolution?

Meaningful discussion is virtually nonexistent. I stick around simply to see if several of the diehards can get more off the wall than they have already demonstrated. I've decided not to make any more nasty posts but rather to sit back and laugh at those I read. Intelligent dialogue, if it exists, is certainly not on this Political Forum. Have your fun, I'll be watching.

I assume you know that you control the pace and intensity of this forum. I believe if you could take over management, their would be only 6 people left on the forum that are not banned. You must open your mind and heart to the rest of America and stop with the negative short sighted mentality.

Originally Posted by Bucco

One more post...

ROUGH AND TUMBLE...absolutely. I have spent most of my adult life in and out of politics (REAL politics, not forums) and of course that is expected. HOWEVER, what you seem to manifest and feel proud of is less than civil. The name calling is, and there is ABSOLUTELY NO DENYING THIS, childish at best. Your time and those who wish to partake would be better served by understanding what civil discourse and discussion actually is.

I disagree that simply by being a public figure you are " fair game for derision". You surely are fair game for criticism but in my USA, it is done with some civility and respect that your opinion IS NOT THE ONLY ONE.

And you say "We can abide by standards as we are adults". Obviously our definition of ADULTS differs. I know of NO ADULTS who call public figures by name, and as you see this as YOUR forum, others read it..not just you and perhaps your cronies. This forum is losing posters and readers as a result of this kind of NON ADULT activity.

Again, you should enjoy your forum..the way you want it..no thought...no civility and absolutely without a doubt no discussion of ANY PERTINENT political issues that confront the country.

Bucco: I happen to agree with both of your posts. You make reference that you were involved in politics so you know that the gap has widended greatly between liberal and conservative, Why that happened I leave to the historians but it has frustrated and paralyzed the legislative process.

Congress once had a healthy balance of liberal and conservative in both parties and they fought hard for their causes but at the end of the day they remained friends. Now it is a continuing game of one upmanship and conducted in a vile and angry manner

This one upmanship also existed for a time in corporation but leaders recognized the damage this was doing to achieving goals. Ergo the era of team building such as white water rafting, etc

As we find the situation today I don't believe that one person can sway another person's opinion because far too many of voters have never acquired critical analytical skills. For example, its easy, at face value, to accept that the government gives away free things but voters don't stop to think of what they are giving up

We need the Bill Buckley's and Pat Monihan's to achieve well thought out policies. The legislative process today from bill to policy is so poorly defined and defended that the government is implementing bupkus

Originally Posted by Barefoot

I've learned a lot from reading threads in Political, although I rarely post. IMHO members of the Political Forum have a right to a little "rough and tumble", and it's easy to skip over posts if you find them offensive. It is a members only site, and easy to "opt out". I personally find Political more interesting than reading repetitive posts complaining about restaurant service, roundabouts, and dog poop.

OH, THANK YOU!!!!!!! I so agree!!!!