One of the few conservative sites I visit is hosted by Scott Elliot called www.electionprojection.com
Up until today, Scott would post conservative blather and allow anyone to comment. The majority of people these days are not fans of Bush; and no longer swallow the GOP spin of how well the war is going, that there is no global warming, or that the GOP is somehow still the standard bearer of moral values.
Even the conservatives on the site were slamming the inept Commander in Chief. So Scott did what most conservatives do when they can't argue back:
He shut down debate. (Emphasis mine)
I've been struggling with something a while now regarding this website. As everyone who reads this blog probably knows, I am a conservative Christian. If you are in the habit of reading the comment threads at the end my posts, you are probably also aware the vast majority of people posting responses there are not. It is the disparity of liberal and otherwise non-conservative posts that has given me cause for concern. I had originally intended for the comment threads to be a place of civil - and equal - give and take about the issues. Instead, over the last year or so, it has morphed into a sort of target practice where I and my beliefs are the clay pigeons and my readers are the shooters.
In addition, many of the posts from "the other side" are distortions and exaggerations which, in my opinion, leave people with the wrong perception of reality. I simply don't have the time to effectively expose and refute the inaccuracies when I and my like-minded contributors are so far outnumbered. The end result is that this site has become a place where one is more likely to be persuaded to believe that the merits of liberalism outweigh the merits of conservatism than the other way around. That's something this blogger cannot bear. Therefore, I have decided to close comments indefinitely.
Wow. Maybe it's because the merits of liberalism DO outweigh the morally bankrupt ideology of conservatism. I should add that the commenters on that site, like me, were always civil and jumped down anyone who wasn't--(much like this site).
Can you imagine if Kos decided to just post the front page and not allow anyone to comment on what he wrote? I don't think it would be as popular. Part of what keeps us honest is hundreds of people who won't think twice about calling BS when you post something, even if they agree with the arguement. (I got a fact wrong on a previous diary, and this community to its credit did NOT let up. I deleted the diary.)
If Scott thinks this will end argument, it won't. It just goes to show that his positions are so weak, they can't stand debate. He was fine with comments as long as the majority agreed with him. But the rest of America has grown. It's time for him to adjust.
Scott is genuinely a good guy. Although he cultishly accepts the spin, but doesn't spew the venom of other conservative bloggers. What gets me about him is this: Both of his parents were killed in Iraq while serving as missionaries in 2004. His life was touched by tragedy as a direct result of a callous and inept president, yet he is still a diehard fan. I have a hard time understanding families who lost loved ones to this national disgrace but still want to follow this horrid administration.
Oh well. The other prediction site, which gives real good insight without the conservative drivel, is www.electoral-vote.com. Which will be my new favorite.