BlogHer - stem cell research - Comments

Hello A.L & everyone

Leplusjeune — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 19:17:17 -0500

Hello A.L & everyone else,

Well, I seem to be a victim of circumstance. Good grief, I was more or less accused of being a sock puppet today, lol.

A bit about myself, I've been active on message boards since about 2003. Met a bunch of people at the BBC boards - International, but Brits and Americans mostly - and we love talking politics, among other things. For the record, this board is pretty tame compared to that one. :) We actually did have a British sock puppet there who was everything from her Nanny to her own boyfriend, lol. So, I understand how frustrating that is.

Anywho, I'm relatively knew to blogging and started my first one back in July of this year. It's pretty mundane... about home improvement (but my industry and expertise) and I came here looking to link up with other home improvement and decorating blogs by women like myself. Every day when I check in on the home page here the headlines are all political - of course, it's an election year. Because of my love of politics I end up gravitating to and joining in on those discussions. I am an Independent and not afraid to say so, and just today was accused of being a sock-puppet and lying about being an Independent because I don't support Obama...no matter that I emphatically and repeatedly have stated that I don't support McCain, and ironically, for most of the reasons mentioned about Sarah Palin in this post. Didn't matter, I have been labeled a sock-puppet. Wrongly accused, though, and by several people who apparently got this information about a marauding band of sock-puppets (hehe) from this posting. I know that sounds goofy.

I was told by one member, "I'm not going to argue any of the other broad generalities and nonsense from your previous post . I don't need to and no one else here needs to either. "

I realize it's just unfortunate timing that got me caught up in this but it made me feel kind of bad to be unjustly accused, and certainly not welcome at all.

Just remember people, not everyone is a sock-puppet. You'll drive a lot of potential members away if people start accusing everyone. I know from my own modding/administrative experience on other boards, suspicious ip's can be checked if it's questionable.

After today, I'll probably just lay low from posting anything here at BlogHer until after the election.

LePlusJeune - still proud Independent

www.remodelle.net

She did not ban the books,

Janers0217 — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 21:30:46 -0500

She did not ban the books, demand they be banned, etc., but she did try to fire the librarian for not following her in her request to have books banned. (Not necessarily the ones on the list, but others she personally deemed questionable.) I'm sorry, but bringing up banning books, even if she doesn't force the issue, is almost as abhorable as actually banning them.

Janet + http://fuzzypinkslippers.com = love

http://urban-sunrise.net - a blog for 18-35 year olds

Great Article...poking fun is so much better that sarcasm.

Barbara-b — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 18:05:32 -0500

...the left side of my brain!

http://torristravel.typepad.com

http://torristravels.blogspot.com

Thank you...great article!

My daughter often says that Sarah Palin would probably be great fun at a soccer game. She would think that Bunko is fun. But she could not be an effective vice-president let alone president. I am beginning to think that McCain did not want to win this election in the first place and he found the perfect way to sabotage his campaign.

Great post!

MJ2007 — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 13:29:30 -0500

Thanks, NoClocks for the great post! I am in complete agreement with you on all accords. I would love to see a woman elected, but like you, I don't believe Sarah Palin has the experience to be elected. She has become the "token woman" selected by the GOP to get votes for their party which is an insult to women everywhere.

A Reply From No Clocks

NoClocks — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 13:06:31 -0500

Wow. Considering I wrote this three weeks ago, I was quite surprised to see this sudden response. First I want to say thanks, not only to those who have offered their support of my post (Elisa you did that especially well) but to those who disagree with me. This is great! I think we have far to little debate in this country, so thank you for the opportunity to defend my position.

So if any of you dissenters are still out there listening, here goes: First and foremost, I would never, ever attack another woman because she is a woman. The letter was written ironically, but I really do admire women who work hard and succeed, whether it's in the home, outside the home or both. You all deserve kudos! And I would LOVE to have a woman president or vice president. I just don't want Sarah Palin as VP. I don't want her as VP because of her views on the issues I mentioned, issues that are important to me as a woman and an American. Secondly, I am not wrong about her views on the right to choose or global warming. Those have come straight from her own mouth. No abortion under any circumstances (including rape and incest). And she said at the debate that the causes of global warming didn't matter. I heard her. Until she admits that it was humans, nothing I wrote contradicts that.

As for the pregnant daughter, bless her heart. Indeed, her personal life is irrelevant. Not to mention that I had sex as a teenager; many of us have sex as teenagers. I don't blame or judge anyone for any of that. What is relevant, however, and what bothers me is that a person with a potentially enormous influence on American policy has proof standing in front of them that something doesn't work (in this case abstinence-only education) yet refuses to see that and continues to support that policy.

Just like the scientific proof about global warming. Ignore facts and logic. That's what the post was about. I simply want leaders who think, who look at the facts, reflect on them, and base their decisions and ACTIONS on a logical conclusion, not on "their gut" as George W likes to say. It's that simple. Finally, the book banning. I suppose that because of the way I wrote the sentence (in an effort at humor) it could come across that I believed she banned books. I apologize if that was misleading, I never believed she actually banned books. But she did ask about the possibility of doing so, and she threatened a librarian's job. So the intent (which is just as important) was there. Below you have a clip from an article in the Anchorage Daily News.

WASILLA -- Back in 1996, when she first became mayor, Sarah Palin asked the city librarian if she would be all right with censoring library books should she be asked to do so. According to news coverage at the time, the librarian said she would definitely not be all right with it. A few months later, the librarian, Mary Ellen Emmons, got a letter from Palin telling her she was going to be fired. The censorship issue was not mentioned as a reason for the firing. The letter just said the new mayor felt Emmons didn't fully support her and had to go. Emmons had been city librarian for seven years and was well liked. After a wave of public support for her, Palin relented and let Emmons keep her job.

Again, thanks.

Carol J. Clouse at www.noclocks.wordpress.com

Great article, Liz

alvenable — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 23:46:33 -0500

Liz, that's a great article and love the terminology and methodology provided. I didn't know there was a name for these tactics. I just knew something was making my BS detector beep loudly.

A. L. Venable is a Random Citizen. She primarily writes at Dimple and a Smirk (dot) com and Our PDX Network.

Those commenters are sockpuppets

Liz Henry — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 23:27:42 -0500

Oh, that's not the worst of it. The PUMAPAC commenters are mostly, if not all, sockpuppets.

See my post here: http://liz-henry.blogspot.com/2008/09/sockpuppets-and-astroturfing-in.ht...

-----------------
Liz Henry
lizzard@bookmaniac.net
Contributing Editor, World and Latin America

I figured something was up...

alvenable — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 19:30:58 -0500

A lot of the comments lately are being made by folks who just registered on the site. After noticing the trend, I figured something was up because the tone of the comments were all too similar.

It's really unfortunate that people can't engage in a discussion about politics without it resorting to these kind of tactics. Perhaps BlogHer should require a 24-hour waiting period before people are able to post/comment to weed out some of these folks. They're going for the low-hanging fruit, so if they have to wait 24 hours, most will move on to other sites wihout any restrictions.

For the folks on BlogHer who are for the McCain-Palin ticket, please voice your opposition to these tactics. It cheapens us all and does nothing to further a conversation.

A. L. Venable is a Random Citizen. She primarily writes at Dimple and a Smirk (dot) com and Our PDX Network.

Wow!!

topsyturvy86 — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 19:15:29 -0500

I just followed the link and all I can say is WOW! There was actually a plan. How sad are these people?? lol

It definitely explains a lot. Thanks for that gimmeabreak.

This comment section is under an organized hit by PUMA

gimmeabreak — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 18:47:28 -0500

PUMA - blog.pumapac.org - it attempting to orchestrate it's members to go to Blogher blogs with any mention of Presidential politics and spam it with the PUMA meme. This is one of their "action alerts" or "prowls" as they call them.

PaddyCake, Miss Confused (most definately not a "Miss"), Barb P and tuggles at minimum here are from PUMA pac blog.

http://blog.pumapac.org/2008/10/05/we-are-the-lunchtable-where-the-stupi...

A real look

justme_hanging out — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 18:21:31 -0500

I hope they will take a real look, look at all she has done for Alaska, look at how huge her approvel rating is........she must be doing something right!!

1 gypsy ,

The Great and Powerful Oz — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 16:16:49 -0500

I don't doubt that you do . i was speaking to the author of the Letter to Sara Palin .

Fellow Chicks

The Great and Powerful Oz — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 16:14:30 -0500

We need to ask ourselves Why , when the mainstream media is largely made up of men , do so many of us depend solely on them for our political and societal information ? Why do so many of us just take what they say at face value ? Are we not capable of doing our own research and comming to our own conclusions ? I mean , because Obama gave Chris Matthews a tingle up his leg does that mean that Obama is a good guy ? C'mon , 'chicks' you are much smarter than that , you don't have to buy what they are selling . DO the research and make your own decision .

Check the Facts

1gypsy — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 16:09:36 -0500

To the Great and Powerful Oz

I myself check ALL available facts about candidates. I think it is the readers' responsibiity to be thoroughly informed when posting on-line. There are many resources available, not just the blogs.

Well , I have to

The Great and Powerful Oz — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 16:04:03 -0500

Well , I hate it but I have to defend Sara Palin against the inaccuracies in the letter . I am not a Palin fan , but if you are going to make a case against her , get your facts straight . Wrong on the books , wrong on reproductive choice , wrong on Global Warming ... It would behove you to stop listening to what you are told and do the research yourself .....