Some of you may recall that a while back I suggested that the job of VP would be perfect for Newt Gingrich, allowing him to make the most of his strengths and minimize the damage of his weaknesses. When I posted the piece I wrote on the topic on conservative forum Freerepublic, I was immediately pronounced insufficiently faithful to conservative principles, and called (among many other insulting things) "useless liberal Yankee".
They pulled the piece of course, unwilling to face ideas they disagree with - even conservative ideas. And until then they stuck to the view that I was really just a liberal plant designed to wear down their resolve and lure them to the dark side. Well Freerepublic must be ready to burst into flames today because someone else has suggested that Gingrich might be a good potential VP. His name?
Newt Gingrich.
So to all you A-holes on Freerepublic who had all sorts of nasty things to say about me at the time, you should try to remember that focusing on winning doesn't make someone a traitor. It's been obvious for weeks to anyone with an IQ above their age that Romney would be the nominee. But you still chose to ban all discussion of it, and to "take your ball and go home" rather than face facts. This was stupid, and it not only hurt your forum but it hurt the conservative movement by excluding your worthwhile members from the discussion.
Romney isn't my favorite nominee any more than all of yours, but you fight the war with the Army you have. And tearing that Army down uselessly to console your own vanity does no one any good. That's what Freerepublic has been doing for weeks now. Cutting off it's nose and ears to spite it's face. The result was ugly and stupid and focused on a pure failure rather than a compromised victory.
And on a personal note, for all you idiot FR people who seem to think there aren't any 'real conservatives" up here in the blue states let me say this:
It's easy to be a conservative in rural Oklahoma or Idaho where everyone else is just like you. But try living in a place where it's unpopular, like I and many of my friends do. Try sticking to your principles when the union workmen hired to repair your hurricane damage trash your house instead - just because they don't like the Gadsen Flag on your front porch and want to 'teach you a lesson'. Let's see you be a 'real conservative' when your neighbors call the cops on your 11 year old daughter for playing in the front yard with her friend, because they know that you're "one of those crazy tea party people" so the kids must be up to something suspicious. Try coping with the thousand nasty petty ways that liberals screw with conservative in areas where they know they're a majority. Then you can give me crap about how pure my heart is.
It's easy to to talk tough when it doesn't cost you anything. Try being a conservative in NJ where it costs you every day. Then we'll see how tough you are.
13 comments:
Let's see you be a 'real conservative' when your neighbors call the cops on your 11 year old daughter for playing in the front yard with her friend, because they know that you're "one of those crazy tea party people" and must be up to something suspicious.
I must have missed the post where you originally talked about this. Did this actually happen to you or was it someone else?
I never mentioned the situation with my daughter because it literally turned out to be nothing. Scared her and her friend a little, but that was it. They weren't guilty of anything except standing on the street corner in our suburban neighborhood so they knew they were OK.
Cops kinda know the woman who complained is a little crazy and vindictive - but they can't ignore her.
Cops kinda know the woman who complained is a little crazy and vindictive - but they can't ignore her.
I had one of those on my block. The old bat threatened to have me arrested if I rode my tricycle into the street (I was in our driveway as my Mom instructed). Yes.. I actually remember this incident.. even at 3.
My Mom, concerned called the Red Bank police dept. inquiring rules about 3 year old kids on tricycles. My Mom commented about the crazy old bitch, "she drives well over the speed limit on the street". The cop whom she was talking to was VERY enthusiastic about issuing a citation... almost insisting on it. Red Bank PD had a long, aggravating, history with the crone.
I learned my lesson with liberal tolerance of conservatives in NJ when I made the mistake of putting a 1/20/13 bumper sticker on my car. It was keyed/scraped off and a brick was thrown through the back window in a restaurant parking lot. The cops who responded to the scene said "what did you expect, with that on your car in NJ?" This was in Essex County, and a (small) contributing factor to the move to Monmouth Co. A debate btw Newt and Slow Joe would be...interesting.
Newt For Vice President
Monday, March 26, 2012 9:05:47 PM · by frithguild
Radio Free NJ ^ | Sunday, January 22, 2012 | Tom
Gingrich: Sure, I’d Be Romney’s VP
Monday, March 26, 2012 9:05:09 PM · by frithguild
NRO ^ | March 26, 2012 5:37 P.M. | Katrina Trinko
To be fair, I had to proofread a couple of times (and I'm dyslexic so it took me longer than a few seconds) ... otherwise... great minds.
How long do you think the other one will last this time?
Hello Tom,
I have been following your blog for, well since your were linked to from the carnival of NJ bloggers, so it's been quite some time.
I'm also in NJ, though up in Scott Garrett's district, so a bit saner. Also been a freeper for over a decade. Your post is right on. Myself and most longtime freepers from NJ/NY have just given up on trying to communicate the "behind enemies lines" existence to most flyover freepers.
If you want, I'd be willing to post any future commentary of your on to FR, under my handle. Your pieces won't get pulled if I post it on FR.
Please comment affirmatively and I'll give you my contact details.
Lots of the original freepers left to greener pastures, those who didn't go "pro" in the talking head punditry field have moved to darwincentral, you might find a better fit there. Freepers who were banned for ridculing creationists were the originators of the site, and as years went by, the wave after wave of banned freepers congregated there. (Guiliani supporters, Republican Liberty Caucus supporters, anti-WoD, anti-WoT, anti-Patriot Act, anti-BushMedicareRX, etc etc ) forum.darwincentral.org
First of all thanks for the support.
Frithguild is a friend of mine (and a friend of this blog) who is more enraptured with rattling the animal cages at FR than I am. He still posts some of this stuff on FR when he thinks it would be fun. He's usually Sphinx like in his reasons (who can fathom the minds of attorneys), but I like to tell myself that at least sometimes it's because he thinks I say something worth repeating. You're welcome to do the same. I'm not so interested in trying to persuade the folks at FR that I'm going to enter into some sort of process to remove my name from my writing. I don't think the problems over there are too directed at me personally anyway.
As for your other forum, I'll check it out - thanks for the link. I'm not much of a joiner, and I don't think I'd be completely comfortable with an anti-creationist site anyway. I'm not a creationist myself, but I do not share the Darwinist animosity toward organized religion - particularly organized Christianity. I think all that 'spaghetti monster' talk is insulting, and in most cases people who call themselves 'atheists' are really just angry at Mom and Dad. But if I were to set the bar for civil discourse at FR level, I don't think it will be so tough for them to get over it, so I'll definitely check it out.
"Behind Enemy Lines" certainly says it doesn't it. That's how this blog was named - from "behind enemy lines". I've been to middle America - I go there all the time these days. The people in NJ aren't appreciably stupider than they are elsewhere but we're still in the liberal choke hold. Just goes to show how difficult it is to get rid of socialists once you let them in the door. But if we keep ridiculing them for lack of reason and being unashamed of our politics - it's only a matter of time.
BTW, I think Scott Garrett is lucid (I'd vote for him) and I love your area. I get up that way in hunting season sometimes (still looking to get a Bear) and I love the Watergap area. One of NJ's best kept secrets.
Tom - Best Post Ever!
FU - FR
I still post there from time to time, but the paranoia and lashing out has really become like "John Carpenter's The Thing".
I tried to shed some light on the ex goldman employee op-ed as well as other things Wall St. I was then treated to some bizarre inquisition that concluded that I didn't know what I was talking about (even though I admitted to being a Wall St trader with 20 years experience) and as a result of my knowledge of the topic I was to be treated as if I had the plague or "one of those things!"
Thanks for exposing "The Thing".
or as they'd say in Freepspeak: Schadenfreud!
Yeah, I particularly enjoy the retired military men and housewives angrily telling me that I don't understand commodities, or derivatives, or banking, or finance or any of the other things that I've all but dedicated my life to understanding.
It's fun.
The problem (as I've said before) is that it's anonymous. That elevates the dumbest and loudest above those who actually have knowledge. There are plenty of smart people there, but they are eternally shouted down by the neophytes, who always turn out to be imbeciles with nothing but anger to offer.
I've learned my lesson where FR is concerned. Hopefully I don't have to learn it again. But if they get to the point where they're alienating me (a guy who makes no pretense at centrism, and proudly declares himself an ultra-right wing gun nut) then the brew must be getting pretty toxic over there.
I just popped in over there to see the Newt threads.
I have learned from fly-over country freepers that Romney is a "Cult Member"!
is that what FR considers a valid argument?
If Mitt is a Cult member than I must be a no-good papist.
This is the product of "big tent republicans", people that rejected Goldwater because he was leary of religious kookery.
If I've offended any southern baptists...
:p
“Saint John Baptist de La Salle, pray for us!”
if newt wasnt newt id love him.. he brings lots of good things with him but also so muchbaggage.i would have loved to see him debate odummy. talk bout bringing a knife to a gun fight.but it wont happen... i still say he needs conservative help and help with south and less baggage. marc rubio is on sqwauk in an hr. ill take a closer listen.he woulld seal florida and help latino. cant have another white as rice vp...
ill take him. young . intelligent southern. latino....not harsh and in your face. think hed give biden a handful.....
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