In the midst of the general hilarity that is Freeper-bashing, Kossacks need to remember that there are in fact some intelligent, principled conservatives out there. It's just that they're not the ones driving the debate right now.
Right now, the "conservative" movement is morphing into a hodgepodge of brownshirts, bigots, faux patriots, and mouth-breathers who can't decide if 2 + 2 = 4 without consulting Limbaugh.
On the other hand, it's also fair to say that not all conservatives are like that...just as not all '70s feminists were raving man-haters.
So, how do you distinguish a wingnut from a conservative who's got, well, half a brain? You'll notice that conservative wingnuts generally sound alike after a while. This is because they wouldn't know an original thought if it snuck behind them, planted a "Kick Me" sign on their butts, and then invited random bystanders to administer the kicks.
Robert Reich, in his book Reason, identifies key words used by radical conservatives. Following in his footsteps, I've compiled the following terms used frequently by wingnuts. If a right-winger uses one of the terms below, it is safe to assume that he or she is an intellectually lazy wingnut. From there, you can decide if he or she is actually worth a debate or even a snarky reply on Free Republic.
Homosexual Lifestyle: Most wingnuts define this as vacations on Fire Island, a career as an interior designer or hairdresser, and weekends spent cavorting around clubs in blue feather boas and studded leather. Basically, your average wingnut has never met an uncloseted gay person in his or her life, but can readily define the "homosexual lifestyle." The reason the wingnut has never met an actual gay person--and no wonder. If you were a gay person unlucky enough to meet a wingnut, wouldn't you want to remain in the closet?
Democrat/Socialist/Marxist: The wingnut thinks all these are the same. Again, the wingnut has probably not read The Communist Manifesto, but he/she knows that Democrat = Socialist = Commie.
Baby Killer: Anyone who believes abortion should be safe and legal. The wingnut has a lot to say about abortion, but not a lot about things like kids living below the poverty level.
RINO: This refers to the wingnut's favorite slur, next to "Democrat": Republican In Name Only. This expression can refer to any moderate Republican, but has also been applied to any Republican who expresses disagreement with Bush. For example, Senator George Voinovich of Ohio, who's fairly conservative, has been dismissed as a RINO for his opposition to Bush's tax policies. In today's political climate, Eisenhower, Nixon, and Ford would be considered RINOs.
America hater/traitor: Anyone who disagrees with the government. If you're not a RINO, expect to be called an America hater or a traitor.
Tax and spend liberal: Slur used by wingnuts who haven't gotten over the 1970s and forget that liberals also pay taxes. The opposite of a borrow-and-spend Republican, basically.
Special interests: Any environmental, civil rights, or labor group. This term does not apply to conservative Christian groups, the NRA, or right-wing think tanks.
Personal freedom: What wingnuts say they believe in. What they mean is personal freedom for white heterosexuals.
Hollywood Left: Common bogeymen of the wingnuts, who conveniently forget about GOP-lovin' celebs like Stallone, Willis, Kelsey Grammer, and Ahnuld.
Liberal elite: Like their conservative counterparts, liberals sometimes are wealthy. Bring up Richard Mellon Scaife to a wingnut and watch his/her reaction.