Anonymous Blogger Attacks the NH Underground!

[MengerFan]

What I take away from this blog is that Julia is entirely awesome. Not only that, but her name is totally sweet.

[Soundwave]

Julia,

You could have written "expose those/these cops as the thugs..." and it changes the whole tone of the sentence to hating corrupt cops.

Brian

That's highly likely what I intended to write, since it's what I think. Like I said, it was a while back, and I just don't recall. Maybe it was early?

[d_goddard]

Thanks for the Fred P. call recording... neat!

I love when he said to Rep. Tim Robertson: "you're just a shitty messenger"
I look forward to seeing Rep. Robertson at the House Criminal Justice Committee meetings in a few months' time

[MengerFan]

Update:
http://freekeene.com/2007/09/26/fred-parsells-denies-involvement-in-hit-piece-blog/

Heheh, you can sign me up for the Ian Bernard charm school.

[Jacobus]

These tactics should come as no surprise, and the more successful free staters are, the more attacks like these there will be.  It doesn't matter how nice you are, or how tempered your language, or how clean your history is.  If it looks like you have a shot at increasing freedom and taking away the government's power, they will attack you.  They will try using an appeal to fear, as the premise of the FSP is for "outsiders" to move to NH and increase liberty.  Even people who are not associated with the FSP will be associated with "outsiders who want to take away our schools".  

Even the best among us have posted or written sentences they did not fully think out or later would have liked to reword.  They will always be able to find something to paint you as a radical, or a racist, or whatever.  For example, look at how Ron Paul opponents use the newsletter incident as evidence of racism, or associate him with select supporters who might be viewed as more fringe.

Knowing that free staters will be associated with "extremists", one approach you can take is to triple-check every word you write, only support the most minimally incrementalist reforms, and try to purge those from the movement with whom you think it would be bad to be associated.

Or you can continue to write what you believe, act as you think is right, and hope that as people meet and hear free staters, they will see that the fearmongers are wrong.

[Jim Johnson]

I'm sorry, but saying "expose the cops as the thugs they really are" when you're running for office is just dumb. And more importantly, incorrect. Most cops aren't thugs. No wonder serious Free Staters want to disassociate themselves from the extremists.

Hey...look...jsorens just said, 'Julia is ruining it for the rest of us'.   

[Kat Kanning]

nah, only for "serious freestaters"  (like those who've actually moved?)

[dalebert]

nah, only for "serious freestaters"  (like those who've actually moved?)

Ouch.

[d_goddard]

you can sign me up for the Ian Bernard charm school.

Maybe that's not a crazy idea. Ian's done crazy things for money before, right? 
If one were to start, I think it would make sense for NHLA to co-brand, or at least co-ordinate.
As I like to point out, Keene's own Rep. Robinson is one of the best "negative examples" in all of NH government

It's also good to see positive examples in the same environment, and speaking to the same audience, and convincing them. See, for example, Neal Kurk.

will be associated with "outsiders who want to take away our schools". 

Hence my Step One of New Hampshire Politics:
Volunteer in the community

Do this for 3 months, and not be a raging asshole, and you are not an "outsider", period.

Note that while this is to be started the same week someone moves in if possible, it can be started at ANY TIME.

one approach you can take is to triple-check every word you write, only support the most minimally incrementalist reforms

Please pardon my saying thus, but this subject is important enough that to warrant plain speaking: that's bad advice.
It sounds like a way to sound like a "slick politician". Yes, those get elected sometimes, but I predict it will be harder for them now that we eliminated straight-ticket voting. Just being a "D" or an "R" doesn't mean you'll get any votes now

Or you can continue to write what you believe, act as you think is right, and hope that as people meet and hear free staters, they will see that the fearmongers are wrong.

I'll take the same advice that's in so many of the books I read to my 3-year-old:
I wish to be
Just Like ME!

[J’raxis 270145]

I'm sorry, but saying "expose the cops as the thugs they really are" when you're running for office is just dumb. And more importantly, incorrect. Most cops aren't thugs.

Part of becoming a police officer involves a psychological profile of the applicant. From what I've read, departments specifically look for applicants who would be described in laymen's terms as thugs or bullies.

[Puke]

I'll repeat what I said over at the FTL forum.

Whoever writes that blog is definitely scared. The rhetoric and euphemisms are out of control.

I was talking to a guy at work today and all I said was that Julia was a bit of an anarchist and he said without any hesitation that he would vote for her.
Sure, it's just words, but this guy is over 50 and has lived in Keene his whole life. He is totally pissed at the gov't here.

[jsorens]

I'm sorry, but saying "expose the cops as the thugs they really are" when you're running for office is just dumb. And more importantly, incorrect. Most cops aren't thugs. No wonder serious Free Staters want to disassociate themselves from the extremists.

That article came out months ago, (so long ago, I didn't even remember it) when I wasn't planning to run for city council. Also, it wasn't worded correctly (my fault and not denying it) because I don't think all cops are thugs, but I do think that many are. This would easily be corrected simply by ending the war on drugs, or at least enforcement of it. Respect for police officers would go up overnight. As for the rest of the quotes, many are taken out of context or just dug up from super old posts to make me look bad. In addition, some of it is just an outright lie. That being said, I suspected such an attack, and am not surprised in the least.

And yes, Dennis, I'll be going to door to door very shortly here. It's funny, because one of the men from the newspaper said that a lot of those quotes would cause him to vote for me.

Since it's not Fred Parsells who wrote the blogs, I wonder if it's my opponent?

Fair enough. I doubt the damage is irreparable, but I suspect most Keene voters who read the blog will do little research & take it at face value. Like it or not, we face a higher standard. 

[KBCraig]

nah, only for "serious freestaters"  (like those who've actually moved?)

Ouch.

That was katty. 

[Russell Kanning]

I'm sorry, but saying "expose the cops as the thugs they really are" when you're running for office is just dumb. And more importantly, incorrect. Most cops aren't thugs. No wonder serious Free Staters want to disassociate themselves from the extremists.

they seem like thugs to me

[Russell Kanning]

It is good to see that people are noticing.