Forum on DU to debate conservatives - good or bad idea?

[Rocknrule]

On one hand it would be fun to ream those knuckledraggers the way Kerry did to Bush in the debates with facts, truth and common sense (which is like kryptonite to them). On the other hand, we don't need them fouling up DU with racial slurs, rabid, hateful rants, misspellings, and songs of worship to *. What do you think?

[Lefty48197]

1. I'd rather debate a dog

They're much nicer people than Republicans are.

[MGD]

5. I think a "battlefield forum" would be excellent. May the best ideas win.

It would probably cut down on our own infighting too. Furthermore, Republicans/conservatives are used to fighting on their turf surrounded by their allies. It would be fun to see them fight without the home field advantage.

[cynatnite]

11. I did try that on another forum...

talking to a brick wall was more interesting.

Understand this...these people will defy all logic in order to make their point. Free Republic is a prime example of this. It has nothing to do with home field advantage...they are narrow-minded and willfully ignorant. In their minds there is no other side but theirs and they are always right.

Sorry, but no.

[DancingBear]

20. "there is no other side but theirs and they are always right"

Lately, this statement holds true on here as well.

Be careful, lest you become what you profess to abhor.

[cynatnite]

2. Bad Idea

I come here so I won't have to put up with their shit. They are narrow-minded and there is no debating them. They'll spew their garbage as they always do. Plus there is the potential for them spreading their crap in other forums.

I prefer their little hit and runs until they get the tombstone by the mods.

If DU were to let them in, I'd quit.

NO WAY!

[Bunny]

3. We've been up and down this highway a thousand times before.

There is zero need to foul DU with this. Plenty of other places online to get your rocks off.

[tblue]

4. Let's debate them over THERE so we don't have to debate them here.

Please no! Can we have ONE sanctuary from right wing madness?

[I Have A Dream]

6. Bad. I don't want them coming here any more than they already do.

This is our sanctuary. I don't want their energy here.

[bananas]

7. There already are a lot of conservatives here

maybe you didn't notice.

[Papa]

8. I think it's a good idea, but it has to be implemented correctly

I don't know if this is possible, but if those on the opposite side could be restricted to just ONE forum and not allowed to pollute the rest of DU, i think that would be ideal.

At times I tire of the cheer leading and thirst for debate with the other side. Some say that there are plenty of places to go to, but I like the idea of having a small little corner here on DU where we could debate the other side, knowing that someone "has my back" here.

[Lex]

9. Seems to me there are PLENTY of places on the 'net to do this.

Not sure why it has to be a part of DU. :shrug:

[LTR]

10. Fuck no!

Let 'em stand outside and look in (since they do already). Those pricks aren't worthy.

There's already tons of forums out there that are geared toward that. I participate in one, and all it is are a bunch of morans shouting "LIAR" and "TRAITOR". It's nearly impossible to communicate with people with that small an intellect.

Want proof? Check this out:

http://www.radio-info.com/smf/index.php/board,192.0.html

You can easily tell the batshit-crazy crybaby conservatives apart from the common sense crowd.

[rhiannon55]

12. I think it would be a pointless exercise in futility

I WISH it was possible to engage in real political dialog with conservatives--I stupidly keep attempting it with my freeper brother. But NOTHING penetrates that cocoon of ignorance they have willfully spun around themselves; it's like these people are living on a different planet than the rest of us. And it's infuriating how they act like they're on higher moral ground than we are and think it's perfectly acceptable to call us traitors and cowards and worse. I don't think attempting to communicate with delusional people would be productive or fun or even very interesting. And, it would raise my blood pressure to dangerous levels for no good reason at all. :thumbsdown:

[tkmorris]

13. Bad

From a purely financial point of view, it would attract a ton of new people who wouldn't contribute a dime towards the DU admin. It might be entertaining but it would be bad for the site overall.

There are other places to do your debating. I am a member of a few, though I will not link any here.

[BlueStater]

14. It depends on what you mean by "conservatives"

Do you mean REAL conservatives or the phony Bush-loving idiots who call themselves conservatives?

[boolean]

15. Fuck them. They don't listen. (nm)

[MODemocrat]

16. I personally don't like the idea

They always spell trouble.

[conscious evolution]

17. War party room

Years ago I was talking to Native American guy who would talk about how he and his buddies would all go to a riech winger forum and have 'war parties' on their asses.
Why not have a room where we could post the address of a site.Then anyone interested could join in on the fun.

[Tyo]

26. I haven't been here all that long so maybe I should sit this one out, but

why not have a place where we can talk to these folks?

I love DU, I truly do, it's safe place for a gay guy on the left side of Progressive to hang out and be exposed to the Left-of-Center in all it's diversity. But essentially we are all on the same train and most of our arguments are over whether we should go the slow scenic route to the Promised Land or direct the engine to the express tracks.

We have something to talk about and the Freepers do too (twisted as it may be) and like it or not they are our fellow Americans both in cyberspace and in real life. Why not make a place where they can come but where we control the rules?

[AlCzervik]

18. they have the whitehouse, the congress and the media---they have

enough outlets and we don't need to give them one here.

[EFerrari]

19. You can't debate conservatives. They can't construct an argument.

/and I can't type

[Rocknrule]

21. Actually you know what?

Forget I even posted this. They can't debate anyway, they just spew "9/11, Clinton, traitors, fags, French pussies, etc."

[Scout]

22. try the gungeon n/t

[LWolf]

23. I think you mean debate Republicans.

There are plenty of conservative Democrats to debate here at DU already.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

24. My understanding is, it's been tried here and failed miserably. Also, this

topic/thread is posted periodically, and there is a broad consensus expressed each time (including people like me) that it's a bad idea.

[Cleita]

25. Maybe it would keep them out of the other forums?n/t

[RevolutionStartsNow]

27. I've been debating a conservative recently...it's fun and easy!

He's a friend, but a Limbaugh Republican. It's time consuming to have to correct him so many times, but here's what we've covered, briefly:

1) He suggested there is no such thing as a moderate Muslim, and that all Muslims are "ticking bombs." His suggestion for combatting terrorism is to put them all into internment camps until they can be "worked back into society." I wasn't even sure how to respond to that one, I just asked if then we should nuke them after we put them in camps.

2) He believes the war on terrorism can be compared to WWII and that Japan got in line after we "slapped them in the face" and now they have a wonderful flourishing society. I reminded him that "terrorism" is not a country and Iraq is not WWII.

3) He argued that if I don't see the connection between Iraq and 9/11 then I don't have a clue, and history will treat Bush well for his actions in Iraq. After I stopped laughing about that last one, I offered to buy him a beer in 5 years if that ever happens. Then I changed it to 2 years, and suggested that history will treat Bush exactly how he deserves to be treated.

4) He fell back on the old line that liberals have no ideas or suggestions, only complaints. I sent him several links to Democratic plans for Iraq, the economy, etc. His only response was that they were bad ideas.

5) He suggested that the Dems are casting "smoke screens" with Foley, and what about Barney Frank? That was another easy one to combat, reminding him that Republicans concealed Foley's behavior and allowed it to continue. He's a real homophobe, so I didn't bother trying to explain the difference between Barney Frank and Mark Foley. To him they are both "perverts."

6) He believes Global Warming is a hoax, because he went to Alaska and some people he met there told him so. Also James Inhofe says so. I sent him so good Inhofe background, including his comments about the OKC bombming, and when he tried to suggest that "the science of Global Warming is in dispute", I asked him who was disputing it other than Inhofe and some "scientists" bought by the energy companies. No answer to that one.

7) He conceded that Bush is a terribly inarticulate speaker, but concludes that he was re-elected because the American people believe "he's the right man for the job" and he's "sincere." Another very easy one to counter, even without having to suggest Bush was installed by election fraud.

8) I asked how he would deal with North Korea and he said he thinks Bush is too soft on this issue and we should bomb their launching sites and get it over with. I sent him an article about the Pentagon report that addresses the potential consequences of that action, and he hasn't responded.

I am noticing that in every case, when I calmly send him facts, he just changes the subject. A few times I've wanted to just tell him he's an idiot, but it's actually more fun to just baffle him with facts.

Like I said, it's time consuming, but easy.

Edited to say: I don't think this type of debate belongs on DU. It would degrade into the usual nonsense. Most of them don't want to really debate us, they just want to spew rhetoric. It would be too hard to control and moderate, and also a waste of time. We're not going to change anyone's mind that comes here.