How would you like it if...

[ronpaulitician]

How would we like it if Giuliani supporters came to this forum, and did what some Ron Paul supporters have done to this (click me) (http://www.comedycentral.com/shows/the_daily_show/message_board.jhtml) forum?

What if the rude behavior by some Ron Paul supporters results in "virtual blowback" in that the users of these messageboards that we invade decide to go vote against Ron Paul en masse in online polls? Imagine if Ron Paul suddenly drops to a 1-digit number in the MSNBC poll after the debate next week. And then the next day there are stories in the mainstream media about how the rude behavior of Ron Paul supporters lead to an organized effort to hurt Ron Paul in the polls.

Someone within the Ron Paul campaign has already told me that he, too, believes we need to set up guidelines for Ron Paul supporters, because he, too, has been bothered by the abusive behavior of some of the RP supporters.

Hopefully, Ron Paul himself will approve whatever guidelines we/the campaign comes up with. "I can do whatever I want. You don't control me." is not too uncommon a reply from these rude posters when I've approached them about the fact that they're supposed to represent Ron Paul. Perhaps if we show them the actual request by Ron Paul to behave a certain way, it might just be enough to let them see the error of their ways.

And these guidelines should not just apply to posting in online forums. Digg, YouTube, MySpace, letters to the editor, stamping money (I've stamped a couple of bills, but after reading some good arguments against it, I will no longer do so), putting stickers on private property, calling in to radio shows, etc.

Let's come up with some acceptable guidelines that will do two things:

Give Ron Paul the exposure he deserves.
Avoid antagonizing people who are not yet supporters of Ron Paul.


I've been posting in online forums for about ten years now. Here are some guidelines/principles I'd suggest:

Restrict your posting to forums where you have been posting for some time now, and where the other users have a certain amount of respect for you. These users will listen to what you have to say more so than the users of a forum you've never visited before.
If you haven't been posting in any forums in the recent past, try to restrict your posting to forums that are specifically set up for discussions of politics. Don't go post about Ron Paul on www.justflowersforums.com.
Search for existing Ron Paul threads, and restrict your posting to those threads. Don't open a new thread for every new Ron Paul issue that you think of. This will allow users that do not want to read about Ron Paul to simply ignore the one thread about Ron Paul.
Don't call anyone names. There are two things you accomplish when you call someone names: (1) You show the weakness of your argument. (2) You associate the name of Ron Paul with name-calling. If someone gets on your nerves, just ignore that poster. If they won't listen to your argument, move on to another poster.
Don't talk just about Ron Paul. Discuss the issues. If the war on drugs comes up, don't just say "Ron Paul is against it." Talk about why you personally believe the war on drugs is a bad (or good) idea. "Those are my views, and I happen to think that Ron Paul is the candidate that most closely resembles my views" is a far more effective message than "Ron Paul, Ron Paul, Ron Paul!" Let the person on the other end get to know how you feel about the issues. Let them form an opinion of you as a person, because until they do, you're just an anonymous, faceless entity on the other end of the country, asking them to vote for someone they barely know.
Know when to shut up. If you don't know enough about an issue, don't start debating the issue. Do your research. Read what the other posters have to say. Form an informed opinion before you post. As much as possible, back your arguments up with facts, and as much as possible, provide links to these facts.
Be reasonable. If you disagree with Ron Paul on a certain issue, be frank about it. If you're not sure how you feel about a certain issue, be frank about it. Your goal should be to not only inform others about your views, but also to inform yourself about your own views. When someone asks you a tough question, don't be afraid to answer it to yourself. You may think you're for complete personal freedom, but does that mean people should be able to sell their own organs for profit? Should they be able to sell themselves into slavery? You may think you're against all forms of abortion, but what if a doctor tells you that a pregnant woman will definitely die if her baby is not aborted? You may be for or against gun control, but what if research shows that gun control or the lack thereof does the opposite of what you thought it would do? It's okay to change your mind on issues as you learn more about those issues. If you go into online discussions with the intent to learn, you'll automatically make for a much nicer discussion partner for the other users, and you're much more likely to have a positive effect on their view of Ron Paul.

[Brandybuck]

Thank you. I think one of us needs to go over there and apologize.

[ronpaulitician]

Thank you. I think one of us needs to go over there and apologize.
Done, but a slew of new Ron Paul threads (and even another apology thread) have bumped that apology to the next page already.

They don't need apologies at this point. They just need people to stop posting about Ron Paul. I don't think they'll be able to accomplish that without just removing all the Ron Paul threads. If it were my site, I would've done just that a long time ago.

[Bob Cochran]

The thinking here is good, but this is the Internet and people say crazy things. The Internet, blogosphere, whatever you wanna call it, is going to have an influence, but still a lot of people don't pay that much attention to the Internet.

Dr. Paul will have to slug it out in the debates, etc. I think he will do well on his own. It will help if his Internet supporters are "classy", of course, but we can't control what people are going to say on the web....

[Seth M.]

Good post. TY

[Bossobass]

I've gotta throw in my 2 cents here:

The guy called my candidate's comments at the GOP debate in SC, 'Exraordinarily absurd' and demanded an immediate apology, on national TV.

I was there. It was like swallowing an apple whole.

This marked the first attack of any GOP candidate against another in the debate format.

Since then, he has not only refused to debate his ridiculous claim, he has said repeatedly, in a cowardly fashion, through a spokesperson, that RP's claims are indeed absurd, and that, ""It is extraordinary and reckless to claim that the United States invited the attacks on September 11th."

This goes beyond rude and begs redress. If we let him off the hook, he walks away the apparent victor and is emboldened to do it again and again.

Also, it's a bit too politically correct to censor comments made in a public forum.

It's commendable that many such as yourself choose to conduct themselves in a polite and tactful manner, but equally out of place to become the manners police in a debate over mudslinging that was begun by Rudy Giuliani.

Forums have Mods. It does little good to apologize for someone else's comments. Rudy invited on line blowback, and it's fitting in the eyes of many, since Rudy has the MSM in his arsenal and RP does not.

I think the only way to end the problem you observe is for Rudy Giuliani to apologize to RP, on national TV. He would gain instant respect in every forum, IMO, and his detractors would be chastised much more readily.

Alas, I fear that it's far too late for Rudy, and I don't believe he's the kinda man who would apologize for anything he's done...ever.

[ronpaulitician]

...we can't control what people are going to say on the web....
We certainly can't control them all, but I am certain that a formal request by Ron Paul to behave a certain way will control some, if not many, of them. Combined with some self-policing, that'll go a long way towards preventing what has happened on the Daily Show messageboard.

[ronpaulitician]

The guy called my candidate's comments at the GOP debate in SC, 'Exraordinarily absurd' and demanded an immediate apology, on national TV.

I was there. It was like swallowing an apple whole.

This marked the first attack of any GOP candidate against another in the debate format.

Since then, he has not only refused to debate his ridiculous claim, he has said repeatedly, in a cowardly fashion, through a spokesperson, that RP's claims are indeed absurd, and that, ""It is extraordinary and reckless to claim that the United States invited the attacks on September 11th."

This goes beyond rude and begs redress. If we let him off the hook, he walks away the apparent victor and is emboldened to do it again and again.
So the blowback for Rudy's comments is an invasion of the Daily Show messageboard?

Also, it's a bit too politically correct to censor comments made in a public forum.
Public? Last I checked, forums like this are privately owned and operated.

It's commendable that many such as yourself choose to conduct themselves in a polite and tactful manner, but equally out of place to become the manners police in a debate over mudslinging that was begun by Rudy Giuliani.
Have you heard Ron Paul do any mudslinging? Did he call Giuliani any names in his press conference? Or on Bill Maher?

Forums have Mods.
And mods generally dislike using their moderation powers. Do we really want to allow a situation where we force mods to use their moderation powers because of the rude behavior of Ron Paul supporters? Do we want to force them to just start pulling any and all threads that have Ron Paul in them, or banning any and all posters that talk about Ron Paul? Because that's pretty much what happened at abcnews.com. If the situation at the Daily Show messageboard doesn't improve soon, that's what's going to have to happen there as well. Boom. That's two forums where we not only can no longer promote Ron Paul, but that's also two forums where the users will remember only the bad things about Ron Paul. When those users visit other forums, they'll tell everyone how Ron Paul supporters are so annoying that they had to be banned. Word will spread.

I've just about had it with the "Who are you to tell them how to behave?" attitude. I'm still passionate about supporting Ron Paul, and I can't see these idiot posters from changing my mind about that, but they sure are undoing a lot of the time and effort that reasonable supporters are putting in, and sure are making getting Dr. Paul elected a lot more difficult. I thought we'd have to overcome hurdles like the mainstream media, attack ads by the other opponents, etc., not the childish behavior of our own.

[hambone1982]

Well said, ronpaulitician.

People will not be convinced to vote for Ron Paul by attacking them. We need to push Ron Paul's message of strong classical Republican values of liberty and limited government. We don't need to piss people off and become a target that they can all focus on.

We need to be above reproach and we need not give them any ammo to throw at us. They're going to be gunning for us anyway.

[DjLoTi]

Hey, guys, lets just get along... mmmk???

We don't want any internal wars on this site.

[mesler]

I'd like to echo ronpaulitician's sentiments, I think the Giuliani folks who receive us as well as we'd receive them here. It's unhelpful and many people really get turned off by the way some people conduct themselves. It's just the way it is.

[ronpaulitician]

We don't want any internal wars on this site.
Do we want external wars on other sites?

If one doesn't think we need guidelines, simply ignore this thread.

If you do believe we need guidelines, let's use this thread to put something together. The people running the campaign are busy running the campaign. It'd be nice if we can prepare something for them, so that they can focus on getting Ron Paul as many MSM appearances as possible.

[RonPaul4President]

This is a revolution in the making. Hell, Ron Paul's statements on national television during the debates were, alone, a revolution. There are a LOT of pissed off people out there. Look what they/we have been subjected to since 2000. These people need to be allowed to let off some steam. Be prepared for much worse than what you're seeing now. The Revolution isn't going to be pretty, or easy.

[NewEnd]

Do we want external wars on other sites?

If one doesn't think we need guidelines, simply ignore this thread.

If you do believe we need guidelines, let's use this thread to put something together. The people running the campaign are busy running the campaign. It'd be nice if we can prepare something for them, so that they can focus on getting Ron Paul as many MSM appearances as possible.

Nobody is going to read, or heed yuour thread, unless they already would.

There are going to be idiots out there, doing retarded stuff.

there will also be peopel out there intetnionally creating mischief.

And there will always be Paul-haters. First they say its because of "spam" but soon they reveal their true colors as anti-libertarians. I know, I have run into them in real life. Some people really, really, hate libertarians. These people tend to come from the left.

[ronpaulitician]

This is a revolution in the making. Hell, Ron Paul's statements on national television during the debates were, alone, a revolution. There are a LOT of pissed off people out there. Look what they/we have been subjected to since 2000. These people need to be allowed to let off some steam. Be prepared for much worse than what you're seeing now. The Revolution isn't going to be pretty, or easy.
Since 2000? People have been subjected to a welfare state for almost a century. They've accepted wars. Many of them will accept Hillary and Giuliani.

If we allow the revolution to look like the what happened on the Daily Show messageboard, the revolution will die. The passion will lessen in those that want to use reason as their weapon of revolution, and the torch will be passed to those that use "Ghouliani", "homosexualist Romney", and "Operation Wetback", and spamming as their weapon of choice, and they'll miserably fail in their attempt to circumvent the mainstream media, and Paul's only voice to likely voters will be the angry shouts of his supporters. That kind of revolution is sure to fail.

[wwycher]

Whatever guys, I read that crap and I don't even what to say about it. I am sorry there are people who want to be rude and nasty to each other. They will probably be bitchin' all the way to FEMA camps as they are being pepper sprayed. All I know is I don't like all this shit thats goin' down and I want to protect my family against it. I believe Ron Paul is concerned about this too. I don't want to waste my time cursing in forums with brainwashed people. Its not their fault. THey are trained in our government funded schools. Lets do what we gotta do to stop the globalist from destoying this country and everything that makes it great.

[ronpaulitician]

There are going to be idiots out there, doing retarded stuff.
Not all of the ones doing retarded stuff out there are idiots. And even the ones that are may listen, at least to some degree, to Ron Paul's request.

there will also be peopel out there intetnionally creating mischief.
Nothing you can do about that, but I think it's unrealistic to believe that at this point, with Paul still polling way low in offline polls, the supporters of his opponents are going online pretending to be Ron Paul supporters just to cause havoc.

And there will always be Paul-haters. First they say its because of "spam" but soon they reveal their true colors as anti-libertarians. I know, I have run into them in real life. Some people really, really, hate libertarians. These people tend to come from the left.
Have you gone to the Daily Show forum?

[cujothekitten]

I agree wholeheartedly. I would hope that the people making these comments are just young and overly passionate. They need to understand that their comments are damaging the campaign and pushing away many perspective younger voters (I’m sure there are some older people as well) that use those message boards.

These aren't rules you're forced to follow but if you really want to help Ron Paul win you'd be smart to stick to them.

[X_805]

Lets do what we gotta do to stop the globalist from destoying this country and everything that makes it great.

Most people I know do not even know about globalism. It's sad, but true.

[Bossobass]

So the blowback for Rudy's comments is an invasion of the Daily Show messageboard?

Public? Last I checked, forums like this are privately owned and operated.

It's a public forum...period. If a poster violates a forum's rules, it's up to the mods to take appropriate action. Feel free to go over there and report the offenders, but take some spare time with you.


I've just about had it with the "Who are you to tell them how to behave?" attitude. I'm still passionate about supporting Ron Paul, and I can't see these idiot posters from changing my mind about that, but they sure are undoing a lot of the time and effort that reasonable supporters are putting in, and sure are making getting Dr. Paul elected a lot more difficult. I thought we'd have to overcome hurdles like the mainstream media, attack ads by the other opponents, etc., not the childish behavior of our own.

Calling others idiots and appealing for their censorship is not gonna accomplish much, IMO.

BTW, we ARE talking about Comedy Central, right?

I wonder how much time and effort RP supporters put into that forum? There's a forum violation in every thread in that place, and it's not exactly the first place I thought to go to spread the good news about RP. Heck, they even dis' Jon Stewart.

OTOH, some 50 threads appeared in that forum with RP in the title since last Friday. I wonder how many lurkers Googled RP? I'm sure not gonna venture a guess, but I wouldn't want to be the guy who says with any authority that political correctness and manners would have yielded a higher count.

Bosso

[ronpaulitician]

Calling others idiots and appealing for their censorship is not gonna accomplish much, IMO.
You're right. The "idiots" comment was out of line.

OTOH, some 50 threads appeared in that forum with RP in the title since last Friday. I wonder how many lurkers Googled RP? I'm sure not gonna venture a guess, but I wouldn't want to be the guy who says with any authority that political correctness and manners would have yielded a higher count.
The end justifies the means?

[NewEnd]

Not all of the ones doing retarded stuff out there are idiots. And even the ones that are may listen, at least to some degree, to Ron Paul's request.

Yes, but the ones you are trying to reach, aren't going to go check and see what is acceptable first.... they are already charging the minefield. You can yell "halt" all you want, but.... there they go!


Nothing you can do about that, but I think it's unrealistic to believe that at this point, with Paul still polling way low in offline polls, the supporters of his opponents are going online pretending to be Ron Paul supporters just to cause havoc.

Have you seen the vitriol some people have for this man? If it is possible people can spam for paul, what makes you think people will not spam as paul supporters to create angst?

Both sides think the ends justify the means. You have those who believe they are spamming for freedom, and those who believe they are discrediting paul through whatever means, to keep social justice.

[ronpaulitician]

Yes, but the ones you are trying to reach, aren't going to go check and see what is acceptable first.... they are already charging the minefield. You can yell "halt" all you want, but.... there they go!
And all it would take at that point is tell them "Please go read some of the guidelines Ron Paul has asked his supporters to follow." and link them to those guidelines. No, it's not gonna change the behavior of all of them, but even if all it does is change the behavior of a few, that's something positive.

Have you seen the vitriol some people have for this man? If it is possible people can spam for paul, what makes you think people will not spam as paul supporters to create angst?
He's just not that much of a threat to the frontrunners yet. We can vote in online polls all we want, and claim victory about the number of meetup people, or YouTube videos, but I do not for a second believe that those numbers reflect the voting behavior of likely voters. They're a tool to give Ron Paul name exposure.

Both sides think the ends justify the means.
I don't. And I don't for a second believe that Ron Paul does.

[NewEnd]

And all it would take at that point is tell them "Please go read some of the guidelines Ron Paul has asked his supporters to follow." and link them to those guidelines. No, it's not gonna change the behavior of all of them, but even if all it does is change the behavior of a few, that's something positive.

you've met some of them... some of them think its a conspiracy, or a battle, and some will post more spam in response... which is exactly why I think some of them are trying to tarnish paul early. Right now, the internet is the front line,soon it will shift to television, but right now, this is it.




I don't. And I don't for a second believe that Ron Paul does.

niether do I. ;)

[NewEnd]

I think you are right.

It would be interesting to have Ron Paul Spam patrols, posting links to this forum and guidelines on behavior. It could help nip problems in the bud.

I'll bookmark it. Maybe we can expect the Ron Paul haters start up a spam storm, as he gains popularity.

Just keep in mind, there is going to be alot of hatred, as the last of the neocons circle their wagons, and alot of dirty pool.

[Revolution9]

Alright.. We do not need the Good Doctor telling us what to say and not to say and how to act.. Did some of you forget this is America?? The internet is the wild west and loaded to the rafters with trolls. If Giulianis board is rife with pugnacity and riled emotions then that is as it should be. The man is a nexus of immorality and wants to battle the Muslim world.. he is now getting his forum discomboblulated and the name Ron Paul plastered all over it and I am sure they are firmly shoving his words at the debate up the dark fundament that is his brain. Can you spell k-a-r-m-a?? He can't.. he has probably never heard anything so absurd in his life.

Sorry folks..now is not the time for manners from the electorate. There is a serious fight for control of the worlds future going on and when i see a shill shilling for any of the minions of the cabal they will get a trouncing and read the riot act. Bottom line..this is about free speech, freedom and America and i see alot of Paul supporters forgetting that fundamental. We have the Good Doctor as the statesman. An army of good statesman will not get the man elected. I can guarantee you the MSM and PTB would love all us Paul supporters to remain calm and polite..That would leave them with all the other political trickeries in their exclusive bag. Only a loud and boisterous cacophony and a serious "yer gonna listen whether you like it or not goddamnit" stance is going to get into the preprogrammed real estate between the other candidates followers ears.. and frankly..some of the more amusing threads i have ever read on any topics were quite pugnancious.

Best
randy

[ronpaulitician]

If Giulianis board is rife with pugnacity and riled emotions then that is as it should be. The man is a nexus of immorality and wants to battle the Muslim world.. he is now getting his forum discomboblulated and the name Ron Paul plastered all over it and I am sure they are firmly shoving his words at the debate up the dark fundament that is his brain.
Did you go to the Daily Show messageboard? Do you believe the John Stewart deserves to have "his" forum treated like that? Do you honestly believe that spamming the Daily Show messageboard will help Ron Paul get elected? It's a lot better now. The number of Ron Paul threads on the first page is down from filling half the page to just a handful, but the regulars on this board seem to overwhelmingly disapprove of Ron Paul now.

So, what has been accomplished?

A few days of spamming got Ron Paul's name on an established messageboard, visited mostly by regulars. The spammers left, leaving the regulars behind. The regulars now dislike Ron Paul, and everything associated with Ron Paul.

Spammers 1 - Ron Paul Revolution 0

[Minuteman2008]

If anyone has an air of superiority regarding their stance on the war or immigration or any important subject, it can only hurt their cause. But sticking to the message and reasons why you believe what you do, and why Ron Paul believes the way he does, is a winning method as long as it's done in a way that doesn't look down on those you're trying to convert.

Referring to all the Republican candidates as warmongers certainly won't help convert many base Republicans. Perhaps they'll come around but not when RP supporters insult them. This is the same thing that makes people mad at liberals.

[joshdvm]

The OP is a good list for decorum.

I've already been adhering to many specific items on that list, so reading it here is confirmation I may be doing something right.

A. If the board in question has a narrower community than most, I tend to post only if it's a forum where I've done postings on other subjects as well, so I don't just look like a troll.

B. I'll limit myself to ONE thread on a RP subject, and try to stay on topic. IMO, the most important goal at this stage is generating name recognition. I'll put the name 'Ron Paul' in the subject line, and as long as that thread stays on the 1st page of the board, I'm happy. I'll only bump the thread, when I have something that doestn't look like I'm just trying to bump it.

C. I try to look at it from the OTHER poster's point of view. It's important to know when to just plant a seed. If you come on too strong, you may have lost a future supporter.

D. If someone gets annoying or irrational, I'm not saying I won't return a barb or two, but I'll focus on reasoned responses, and intellectual exploration for my own benefit and growth. Even when someone's comment is "obviously idiotic," sometimes I'll have a hard time answering it, so how 'idiotic' was it really?

E. If time constraints leave lot of difficult points unanswered, I won't feel too bad, as long as I've gotten to use the name "Ron Paul," "Congressman Paul," and so forth, several times in the body of a decent post. I can't stamp out every erroneous idea out there, and, again, I feel the goal at this stage is generating name recognition.

[mconder]

I seen some of the Comedy Central threads and people started cussing out Ron Paul supports long before it raged out of hand on both sides. The Ron supporters should have been smart enough not to escalate the conflict by going on the attack...very un-Ron Paul.

[mconder]

Do we really want to allow a situation where we force mods to use their moderation powers because of the rude behavior of Ron Paul supporters?

Would that be like forcing Congress to use their power to declare war?

[mconder]

The internet is the wild west and loaded to the rafters with trolls.

Amen Brother!

[ButchHowdy]

With all due respect - many of you are sounding like religious legalists.

"We do not represent Ron Paul - Ron Paul represents us."

I'm reading these posts and all I see is the typical human need to compel compliance and regulate the behavior of others. This is the crap we're trying to get away from.

People (Trolls excluded) can police themselves.

[SeekLiberty]

It's a public forum...period. If a poster violates a forum's rules, it's up to the mods to take appropriate action. Feel free to go over there and report the offenders, but take some spare time with you.



Calling others idiots and appealing for their censorship is not gonna accomplish much, IMO.

BTW, we ARE talking about Comedy Central, right?

I wonder how much time and effort RP supporters put into that forum? There's a forum violation in every thread in that place, and it's not exactly the first place I thought to go to spread the good news about RP. Heck, they even dis' Jon Stewart.

OTOH, some 50 threads appeared in that forum with RP in the title since last Friday. I wonder how many lurkers Googled RP? I'm sure not gonna venture a guess, but I wouldn't want to be the guy who says with any authority that political correctness and manners would have yielded a higher count.

Bosso

Your posts are refreshing Bosso. Keep up the great work. BTW, you made an awesom Ron Paul video! Thanks!

[vertesc]

Let us remember that ours is the candidate of REASON.

There's nothing wrong with posting on other people's message boards, but if you want to represent RP well, have a REASONED discussion with your opponents. The truth is on your side. If you can manage to stay calm, avoid ad hominem attacks and simply offer facts as rebuttal, you will leave your opponent looking like an ill-informed ass.

What's more, you will build a reputation for RP supporters as worthy debaters and intelligent people. Most forum sites welcome users of that sort, whatever their political stripes. Be respectful but persistent, and we will win.

[Revolution9]

Did you go to the Daily Show messageboard? Do you believe the John Stewart deserves to have "his" forum treated like that? Do you honestly believe that spamming the Daily Show messageboard will help Ron Paul get elected? It's a lot better now. The number of Ron Paul threads on the first page is down from filling half the page to just a handful, but the regulars on this board seem to overwhelmingly disapprove of Ron Paul now.

So, what has been accomplished?

A few days of spamming got Ron Paul's name on an established messageboard, visited mostly by regulars. The spammers left, leaving the regulars behind. The regulars now dislike Ron Paul, and everything associated with Ron Paul.

Spammers 1 - Ron Paul Revolution 0

To start with I have not visited the Comedy Central boards lately. Last time I was there it was rather irrelevant and loaded with trolls both left and right. Second. Jon Stewart knows what is going on. He could not write nor deliver such scathing material if a few posters "invaded" his message board..or even hundreds invaded and pissed off his regular trolls and posters.. Surely his regulars can handle it. If they can't..they need to get a thicker hide and switch their cable over to the Whiners Channel.

You say the board looks "better" now. Guess what..so does their scheduled event with Dr Paul.. hmm..maybe the overloaded message board had something to do with it. That was what was accomplished.

Third..spamming is one individual doing the same data uploading over and over and over. One thousand individuals demanding the same thing is NOT spamming.

Fourth.. Now that the regulars have been disrupted they are surely gonna throw all their toys out of the playpen and all 50 of them will now not vote in the primaries. Personally..I think it was worth getting their knickers in a knot to get Dr Paul on and I also guarantee you that some of the regulars and trolls there had a good second look at Dr Pauls' platform and videos, voting record and/or writings...and are quietly putting their toys back in the playpen.

Fifth..I saw someone else claim that since Dr Paul was the candidate of reason and we are all so bloody intelligent that we should get all elitist and behave like we are at a lawn party at the plantation..not raise our voice in consternation or plain old "I have had enough BS" anger. Well..guess what.. Ron Pauls support come from across the entire spectrum. You ain't gonna herd a bunch of cats around like this is some pedigreed elite dog and pony show.

Freedom is the Rule
Randy

[JaylieWoW]

First let me say that I agree that supporters of Ron Paul should pattern their temperment after the man himself. Even through some pretty vicious attacks and decidedly improper twisting of his words, he always remains composed.


However, the internet is full of people at that board like that leah00 (or whatever person) and sadly, I'm sure some Ron Paul supporters are similar. It is called "Cyber-bullying" and it is widespread and rampant on message boards. In fact, I've seen quite a few message boards (dealing with MMORPGs) where the board itself was created with the express intention of calling out and embarassing other players by a mob of "cyber-bullies". Cyber bullies always have a following of sheeple that back them up and generally all they can do is resort to foul name calling and misguided character attacks. To be honest, the only people who read those boards are the bullies themselves and their prey.

I'm not saying it is nothing to worry about, but I'm certain it will have little to no affect on Ron Paul's character. (Which is yet another illogical conclusion to draw).

For whatever reason, it lends these people some sense of accomplishment to be the "lead bully" of certain message boards.

I always enter into a discussion with the intent of not saying who I support but rather by questioning why someone believes something a certain way. Sometimes its not always easy to hold your composure, especially when someone tries to tell you that you wear a tin foil hat, but hitting the delete button and sitting down with a margarita is a good way to start. :p

[ronpaulitician]

You say the board looks "better" now. Guess what..so does their scheduled event with Dr Paul.. hmm..maybe the overloaded message board had something to do with it. That was what was accomplished.
If you believe Ron Paul's appearance has anything to do with the fact that Ron Paul supporters spammed his messageboard... pass me some of that thing you're smoking.

Most of the spamming took place AFTER it was announced that Ron Paul would be on the Daily Show. It was as if that was some sort of cue for RP fans to go over there and make the Daily Show message board into the Ron Paul messageboard.

Third..spamming is one individual doing the same data uploading over and over and over. One thousand individuals demanding the same thing is NOT spamming.
Fine. Give the beast a different name. It still gives Dr. Paul a bad name.

Fourth.. Now that the regulars have been disrupted they are surely gonna throw all their toys out of the playpen and all 50 of them will now not vote in the primaries.
And that's... good? If these 50 talk negatively about Ron Paul to 50 other people, and they talk negatively about Ron Paul to 50 more people, and so forth...

Just like word of mouth can contribute to Dr. Paul's campaign, word of mouth can also harm our campaign. If someone hears something negative about Ron Paul or about his supporters BEFORE hearing something positive, it's going to be that much harder to get the positive message through.

Fifth..I saw someone else claim that since Dr Paul was the candidate of reason and we are all so bloody intelligent that we should get all elitist and behave like we are at a lawn party at the plantation.
There's nothing elitist about believing that reason is the more powerful weapon.

Well..guess what.. Ron Pauls support come from across the entire spectrum. You ain't gonna herd a bunch of cats around like this is some pedigreed elite dog and pony show.
We seem to be doing okay in herding all those cats towards online polls, meetup.com, www.ronpaulforums, YouTube, and MySpace. I see no reason why we can't make them aware of the fact that there are wrong and right ways to behave. That there are consequences to calling people names and to interrupting their daily routines (by clogging up their messageboard) against their will.

[Revolution9]

If you believe Ron Paul's appearance has anything to do with the fact that Ron Paul supporters spammed his messageboard... pass me some of that thing you're smoking.

Fine. Give the beast a different name. It still gives Dr. Paul a bad name.

And that's... good? If these 50 talk negatively about Ron Paul to 50 other people, and they talk negatively about Ron Paul to 50 more people, and so forth...

Just like word of mouth can contribute to Dr. Paul's campaign, word of mouth can also harm our campaign. If someone hears something negative about Ron Paul or about his supporters BEFORE hearing something positive, it's going to be that much harder to get the positive message through.

There's nothing elitist about believing that reason is the more powerful weapon.

We seem to be doing okay in herding all those cats towards online polls, meetup.com, www.ronpaulforums, YouTube, and MySpace. I see no reason why we can't make them aware of the fact that there are wrong and right ways to behave. That there are consequences to calling people names and to interrupting their daily routines (by clogging up their messageboard) against their will.


Yer last statement contradicts your first statement that was coupled with an ad hominem attempt to link my opinion to the smoking of some plant which you percieve will affect my value judgements in a manner not conducive to your sensibilities.. Are you trolling me? heh..

My opinion stands and like Giuliani at the debate your prideful statement you ended up with as the nal in my debating coffin shows that I was correct. If they want to support him who are you or I to tell them how to behave. Frankly I find it insulting and demeaning to supporters to have you sit around and gesticulate and pontificate how they should act. We are grownups and all of us are not anal retentive.. Some of us might come from ethnic backgrounds where a little hot emotion is dished up with all of lifes important events. Stay calm if you wish.. My nature is NOT that way. Nor is it irrational as I see you may attempt to promulgate from your previously faulty reasoning. Do your thing. Don't try to UNDO others things. Isn't that the core of the Paul message.?

Regards
Randy..

[ronpaulitician]

Yer last statement contradicts your first statement that was coupled with an ad hominem attempt to link my opinion to the smoking of some plant which you percieve will affect my value judgements in a manner not conducive to your sensibilities.. Are you trolling me? heh..
It's been a long day. I must learn not to post on days like this. I really could use some of that you-know-what when I get home :)