Facebook eliminating those with conservative ideology?

Many conservatives around the country have found the social networking sites like Facebook, Myspace, Twitter are useful tools to network with other conservatives. After all these sites are specifically designed to assist people in networking, but it appears that at least one may not wish conservatives to be able to network with each other. Stories of conservatives being deleted from Facebook have been floating around the internet for months, but until it happened to a few friends on Facebook and then myself I though they were only rumors.

For me problems began shortly after appearing on the Fox News Channel, which is owned by News Corp which also owns Myspace, Facebook’s larger rival in the social networking internet realm. An influx of new friend requests and new friend suggestions began to roll in from people of like minded conservative ideology. Shortly after accepting the new friend requests and suggestions that Facebook was suggesting I began to get warnings about possible abusive behavior. After reading the “Terms of Use” I could not find anywhere where I was being abusive for responding to friend request and suggestions, so I requested clarification by contacting Facebook.

Inquiries to Facebook only resulted in automated responses, “The Facebook Team has received your inquiry. We should get back to you soon.” Nothing beyond this response was ever received. My experience is not unique among conservatives across the nation. One Conservative Facebooker, of Ames, IA, kept having her accounts deleted, but could get no where when trying to find out why, “I never got my original account back. I got my 2nd account back after a month after 30 emails someone finally bit and told me I was banned. I asked for specifics, [they] couldn't answer me.” Many conservatives are reporting that Facebook is unresponsive to request for information as to why their accounts are being deleted.

The deletions do not just affect the individual Facebook account of the user; sometimes they have far reaching effects. A Facebook event listing for a dinner with RNC Chairman Michael Steele, himself a Facebook member, was deleted along with the conservative user that posted the event. For many this was their only point of contact for the event which included times and directions. Friends and political connections also are also lost when Facebook is the only point of contact. The Iowa Conservative said, “I am very involved in politics. This is NUTS. I am losing friends like crazy to accounts being disabled.”

It has been reported in the media that Facebook has had problems with people registering under fake names and they are disabling those account, but so far most of the conservatives having their accounts disabled have had fairly normal names. The Iowa Conservative believes “We need a conservative Facebook NOW!”

The Return of the 19th Century Media

In the 19th Century the Newspaper was your only source of news. Many towns had more than one, with names like the Barbour County Democrat, The Oakland Republican, etc. These names were not picked haphazardly, they reflected the views of the newspaper. You bought your newspaper based on its political views. That was how the media ran in the 19th Century.

Through the 20th Century that open bias went underground and was thinly veiled claim of journalistic impartiality. Although if you looked close enough you could often find the bias poking its head through. The problem was the vast majority of the press shifted to the left.

Now at the beginning of the 21st Century it has come full circle and the 19th Century media has returned with a vengeance. MSNBC could very easily change its name to DNBC (Democrat National Broadcasting Corp), or CNN changes it to DNN (Democratic News Network) because that reflects the view point they provide. They complain constantly that Fox News is Republican Network. Well, they would be right. They are providing a different point of view and reaping the financial rewards.

Our nations political views are primarily center right. With the majority of the media hard left, they do not reflect the view point most Americans want to hear. If some one wants to challenge Fox News media dominance, then the way to do that is create a second right leaning network.

In the 21st Century if you're Right, the you watch Fox News, read the internet and listen to talk radio. If you're left then you watch Broadcast news, CNN or MSNBC and read major city newspapers. Now if we could only return a 19th Century sized Federal Government.

Election 2008 holds importance for a lot of reasons. One of the more interesting issues that we face in this election is a discussion of what it means to be conservative. What issues drive Republicans and conservatives in general?

It boils down to the nominee Republicans select for the presidency. Certainly Rudolph Giuliani has the visibility and experience. His economic credentials indicate that a Giuliani administration will make tough decisions regarding the budget and work back towards balance. The potential leadership Giuliani brings in terms of managing our economy and getting our budget under control could lead to true reforms in social security and the tax code. President Bush pushed these issues hard and gained no traction. Giuliani might succeed where Bush could not in this sphere. Additionally a Giuliani administration likely will support less burdens on business. This would help set the country on a sound economic path for decades to come.

Giuliani appears questionable on the very issues that former Senator Fred Thompson has used to garner strong support. Fred Thompson has strength in economic conservatism, but has also earned the support of social conservatives. The Tennessean strongly opposes abortion and same sex marriages, issues that galvanize conservatives in rural America.

Liberals already speculate that social conservatives would not turn out to support a Giuliani campaign. Perhaps if they nominate a non-entity like Obama that might be the case. Conservatives of all stripes dislike intensely Hillary Clinton and would vote for a dead cat rather than see her in office.

Conservatism in America lies at a crossroads. The nominee Republicans select for the presidency next year will strongly determine what conservatism will look like for a long time to come.