Many of you know who I am.
For those who don't, here's a few samples:
Bush Waits for Terrorist Attack
A New Energy Infrastructure
Grown Ups: HOW Will You Exercise Oversight?
You can find those and a lot more by doing a google search for my name.
Of course, if you just did a search and found a WHOLE LOT of stuff on dailykos, that might give you an indication what my political leanings are, no?
So let me get to the point. I've been watching the polls. What I've noticed is that DESPITE the daily revelations of criminal conduct, war crimes, intelligence fraud, authoritarian and anti-republican policies and practices, ETC, by the Bush Admin, they retain a 75% approval rating from self-identified Republicans.
And I got to thinking. What am I doing spending so much time posting here? Not that I don't feel more informed by getting the info on the daily outrage. Not that I don't enjoy having my errors corrected and having my views expanded by folks more knowledgeable than I am.
But really, shouldn't I be over on the conservative sites, challenging those folks with facts and questioning the talking points and trying to persuade them that they are being deceived?
So I decided to try. I have had some success. There are a few sites that I logged on, checked out their stories and articles, and made comments. And I feel good about my efforts.
I checked out a story on one site entitled "Baghdad Safer Every Day," and you can see the exchange that has gone on there. I'm dealing with a straight-up Kool-Aid drinker. He hasn't yet acknowledged that the source for his post is ENTIRELY FABRICATED, as I pointed out to him, but I'll ask him about it again.
And I want to encourage others to do the same as I am doing. That's why I'm writing this diary. Now to the main event.
I attempted to register an account on Redstate, using my name as you all know it here. And, as far as I know, I have an account there. But when I try to post a comment, I get a message, in red, telling me that I'm not allowed to post there.
So I sent them an e-mail, asking them why. No answer.
So, I'd like to propose an experiment.
Please go to Redstate, register an account with your dailykos name, and attempt to post there.
If you do get in, try to be a persuasive, but polite, dissenter for any and all kool-aid drinker propaganda you see there. Try to confront with facts, and logic, and KINDNESS.
I'm not trying to make people MAD, I'm trying to persuade them. I'm not trying to INSULT people, I'm trying to win them over.
But my guess is, that you won't get in. Please go ahead and try, and then come back and let me know how it went. Let's test the commitment to free speech, democracy, right to dissent, and tolerance on Redstate.
Now, some might recoil in horror, thinking that this would unleash a horde of rightwing nuts on kos. And we are afraid of that, for WHAT REASON?
Oh, by the way, did I mention? I live in a RED STATE.
UPDATE The purpose of dailykos is for progressive grass roots organizing, and that goal would be distracted by what I propose. So, I'm withdrawing my suggestion to use dailykos names for the experiment.
But I still like the idea of trying to persude the Republicans who AREN'T self-identified authoritarians, that Bush has got to go.
And maybe Redstate isn't the place to do it. I'm open to any suggestions for sites that have right/left discussions.