# It's Amazing Just How Badly Bill Clinton Dropped The Ball RE: Bin Laden **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 4, 2005, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-amazing-just-how-badly-bill-clinton-dropped-the-ball-re-bin-laden/319954 "2005-09-04T00:21:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Psycho\_Pirate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Psycho\_Pirate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Psycho_Pirate)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2005, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-amazing-just-how-badly-bill-clinton-dropped-the-ball-re-bin-laden/319954/81 "2005-09-06T00:44:00Z")
Yes, this “nonsense” again. I find it unacceptable that a Moderator is apparently mixing personal feelings with their duties of enforcing board rules. There is a time and a place to take potshots at a poster. I just don’t think a Moderator should do that with their “mod hat” on. ---
**Author:** ![Exploding\_Kitchen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c89c15/32.png) [@Exploding\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exploding_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2005, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-amazing-just-how-badly-bill-clinton-dropped-the-ball-re-bin-laden/319954/82 "2005-09-06T00:47:41Z")
There is a difference between a “conservative poster” (see: **John Mace** , **Sam Stone** , etc) who makes good arguments, backs up their points to the best of their ability, etc., and generally represents their side of the political divide well, and a “ **Stephe96** ” who simply picks up the nearest piece of GOP-branded feces and slings it into the nearest thread. To be honest, I thought the same thing as **BMax** , especially after his refusal to own up to any position he actually believes in. ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2005, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-amazing-just-how-badly-bill-clinton-dropped-the-ball-re-bin-laden/319954/83 "2005-09-06T00:49:58Z")
Wow. Just wow. “Liberal” poster\* calls arch-conservative **Stephe** a troll. Mod reprimands “liberal” poster. This is evidence of liberal bias on part of the mods. I swear, some days I think **elucidator** is right about cognitive dissonance. \*I have no idea what **Bmax** ’s political views are in general, but in this particular thread they seem not to be pro-conservative. ---
**Author:** ![DarkPrince](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce73a5/32.png) [@DarkPrince](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DarkPrince)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2005, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-amazing-just-how-badly-bill-clinton-dropped-the-ball-re-bin-laden/319954/84 "2005-09-06T00:50:31Z")
> [@Psycho Pirate](#): > > Way to be a jerk. The actions in question could also be inconsistent with your worldview, but instead of treating this poster with respect, you insult him with your Moderator bully pulpit. What’s she done to earn respect? Outside of his impressive ability to dodge around points he doesn’t like. > [@Psycho Pirate](#): > > What a liberals club this board is becoming…Conservative posters are only acknowledged through insults (except for “good” or “reasonable” Conservatives, which is just code for Bush-bashers). This board stopped fighting ignorance a long time ago. It now wallows in it. I believe a common answer to this sort of whine is, “If you don’t like it, leave.” You may have heard it somewhere before… ---
**Author:** ![Scott\_Plaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Scott\_Plaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scott_Plaid)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2005, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-amazing-just-how-badly-bill-clinton-dropped-the-ball-re-bin-laden/319954/85 "2005-09-06T00:50:47Z")
> [@Psycho Pirate](#): > > There is a time and a place to take potshots at a poster. I just don’t think a Moderator should do that with their “mod hat” on. Well, that is too fucking bad. So the mod said, “It is possible this person is very stubborn and not a troll after all” in a not very polite way. A mod is not required to be moderate, but to make sure that the rules don’t get out of hand. Btw, time to remind you of reality.[Remember the last time you made this claim](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=331271&page=4&pp=50)? ---
**Author:** ![Psycho\_Pirate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Psycho\_Pirate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Psycho_Pirate)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2005, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-amazing-just-how-badly-bill-clinton-dropped-the-ball-re-bin-laden/319954/86 "2005-09-06T01:08:40Z")
> [@Scott Plaid](#): > > Well, that is too fucking bad. So the mod said, “It is possible this person is very stubborn and not a troll after all” in a not very polite way. A mod is not required to be moderate, but to make sure that the rules don’t get out of hand. > > Btw, time to remind you of reality.[Remember the last time you made this claim](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=331271&page=4&pp=50)? Yes, a classic SDMB pile-on, much like this one. Excuse me if I was unable to answer 10 posters at once. Btw, [time to remind you of reality.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=323762) ---
**Author:** ![Psycho\_Pirate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Psycho\_Pirate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Psycho_Pirate)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2005, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-amazing-just-how-badly-bill-clinton-dropped-the-ball-re-bin-laden/319954/87 "2005-09-06T01:12:45Z")
> [@Gorsnak](#): > > Wow. Just wow. “Liberal” poster\* calls arch-conservative **Stephe** a troll. Mod reprimands “liberal” poster. This is evidence of liberal bias on part of the mods. Way to miss my point. I’m not upset that **TVeblen** reprimanded **BMax** , but the decision to insult **Stephe96** while wearing the mod hat. Clearer, I hope? ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2005, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-amazing-just-how-badly-bill-clinton-dropped-the-ball-re-bin-laden/319954/88 "2005-09-06T01:14:47Z")
> [@Psycho Pirate](#): > > Way to miss my point. I’m not upset that **TVeblen** reprimanded **BMax** , but the decision to insult **Stephe96** while wearing the mod hat. Clearer, I hope? Actually, I realized that just after I posted. I owe you an apology. And I even agree that it’s in poor taste for **TVeblen** to call **Stephe** an idiot whilst acting in an official capacity. Good enough? ---
**Author:** ![Scott\_Plaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Scott\_Plaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scott_Plaid)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2005, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-amazing-just-how-badly-bill-clinton-dropped-the-ball-re-bin-laden/319954/89 "2005-09-06T01:18:44Z")
> [@Psycho Pirate](#): > > Yes, a classic SDMB pile-on, much like this one. Excuse me if I was unable to answer 10 posters at once. No, I will not excuse you. I replied to a hell of a lot more posts on that thread. Not only that, but they had a wide variety of complaints, while your thread simply repeated the fact that: > [@mhendo and others](#): > > “People have not been abusing you indiscriminately. In fact, for the most part people haven’t been abusing you at all. They have simply been responding to your claims and assertions with arguments of their own. You have every right to choose not to participate further, but it’s pretty unseemly to whine about a pile-on. You’ve been treated pretty kindly in this thread by people who disagree strongly with your position.” ---
**Author:** ![Psycho\_Pirate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Psycho\_Pirate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Psycho_Pirate)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2005, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-amazing-just-how-badly-bill-clinton-dropped-the-ball-re-bin-laden/319954/90 "2005-09-06T01:28:52Z")
> [@Gorsnak](#): > > Actually, I realized that just after I posted. I owe you an apology. And I even agree that it’s in poor taste for **TVeblen** to call **Stephe** an idiot whilst acting in an official capacity. > > Good enough? Absolutely. Apology accepted. ---
**Author:** ![Psycho\_Pirate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Psycho\_Pirate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Psycho_Pirate)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2005, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-amazing-just-how-badly-bill-clinton-dropped-the-ball-re-bin-laden/319954/91 "2005-09-06T01:35:31Z")
> [@Scott Plaid](#): > > No, I will not excuse you. I replied to a hell of a lot more posts on that thread. Not only that, but they had a wide variety of complaints, while your thread simply repeated the fact that: > …[snip] Well, I agree that you replied more than I did. And I formally retract my claim that this board is a liberals club. And I admit that I stormed off from that thread you linked to in a metaphorical huff because it seemed to me that little was being accomplished. Let me rephrase and restate my main point: I think it is unacceptable that a Moderator would insult another poster while exercising their duties as a moderator. I don’t care if that poster has many failings that have been demonstrated on the board. That is not the time nor the place. You don’t have to agree (and I doubt you do), but that is how I feel. ---
**Author:** ![Scott\_Plaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Scott\_Plaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scott_Plaid)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2005, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-amazing-just-how-badly-bill-clinton-dropped-the-ball-re-bin-laden/319954/92 "2005-09-06T01:49:19Z")
> [@Psycho Pirate](#): > > That is not the time nor the place. Which forum is this again? :dubious: But really, you admitted to more than I would have expected, and I am glad to hear it. ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2005, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-amazing-just-how-badly-bill-clinton-dropped-the-ball-re-bin-laden/319954/93 "2005-09-06T02:00:13Z")
> [@Scott Plaid](#): > > Which forum is this again? :dubious: That’s not the point, **Scott**. If **TVeblen** wants to call **Steffe** an idiot in the Pit, that’s just fine. What’s not fine is calling **Steffe** an idiot whilst speaking in an official capacity. That’s no longer one poster calling another an idiot, but rather a poster speaking on behalf of The Straight Dope calling another an idiot. Probably no rules against it, but it’s in poor taste. Moderation should have an air of impartiality. Even if moderators in person are biased as all hell, they should strive to keep that bias out of official pronouncements in the interests of fostering the sort of atmosphere desired on the SDMB, even in the Pit. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2005, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-amazing-just-how-badly-bill-clinton-dropped-the-ball-re-bin-laden/319954/94 "2005-09-06T02:05:34Z")
Did the “Can Manhattan curse while closing a thread?” thread get disappeared? Or was it lost in the crash? I can’t find it. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2005, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-amazing-just-how-badly-bill-clinton-dropped-the-ball-re-bin-laden/319954/95 "2005-09-06T02:11:10Z")
> [@This Year's Model](#): > > Did the “Can Manhattan curse while closing a thread?” thread get disappeared? Or was it lost in the crash? I can’t find it. Dang it, we must have killed the search engine looking for it. I couldn’t find it either. Good times. Good times. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2005, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-amazing-just-how-badly-bill-clinton-dropped-the-ball-re-bin-laden/319954/96 "2005-09-06T02:15:34Z")
> [@Gorsnak](#): > > That’s not the point, **Scott**. If **TVeblen** wants to call **Steffe** an idiot in the Pit, that’s just fine. What’s not fine is calling **Steffe** an idiot whilst speaking in an official capacity. That’s no longer one poster calling another an idiot, but rather a poster speaking on behalf of The Straight Dope calling another an idiot. Probably no rules against it, but it’s in poor taste. Moderation should have an air of impartiality. Even if moderators in person are biased as all hell, they should strive to keep that bias out of official pronouncements in the interests of fostering the sort of atmosphere desired on the SDMB, even in the Pit. I have to agree with this 100 percent. Official mod pronouncements aren’t the place to take potshots. If there isn’t a rule against it, I’d support making one. ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2005, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-amazing-just-how-badly-bill-clinton-dropped-the-ball-re-bin-laden/319954/97 "2005-09-06T02:19:03Z")
> [@This Year's Model](#): > > Did the “Can Manhattan curse while closing a thread?” thread get disappeared? Or was it lost in the crash? I can’t find it. Odd, I didn’t have any trouble finding it. [Here you go.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=156526) Maybe you only searched titles only? ‘Manhattan’ is misspelled in the thread title. ---
**Author:** ![Scott\_Plaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Scott\_Plaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scott_Plaid)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2005, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-amazing-just-how-badly-bill-clinton-dropped-the-ball-re-bin-laden/319954/98 "2005-09-06T02:22:49Z")
> [@This Year's Model](#): > > Did the “Can Manhattan curse while closing a thread?” thread get disappeared? Or was it lost in the crash? I can’t find it. I can not seem to find it either. However, I have found [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=189677) which seems to have come to the same conclusion. Mods will occasionally swear, when closing a thread. Big hairy deal. (Although the thread is way too long for me to tell.) Now, I suppose he could have said, “It is possible she is not a troll, but instead simply single minded.” However, such modification of one’s normal behavior seems to have no point and asks for behavior modification, something I think we have no right to expect, mod or not. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2005, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-amazing-just-how-badly-bill-clinton-dropped-the-ball-re-bin-laden/319954/99 "2005-09-06T02:23:18Z")
> [@Gorsnak](#): > > Odd, I didn’t have any trouble finding it. [Here you go.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=156526) Maybe you only searched titles only? ‘Manhattan’ is misspelled in the thread title. No, I remembered it as “curse” instead of “swear”. All of my searches had “curse” in them. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2005, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-amazing-just-how-badly-bill-clinton-dropped-the-ball-re-bin-laden/319954/100 "2005-09-06T03:29:10Z")
> [@Psycho Pirate](#): > > Well, I agree that you replied more than I did. And I formally retract my claim that this board is a liberals club. And I admit that I stormed off from that thread you linked to in a metaphorical huff because it seemed to me that little was being accomplished. > > Let me rephrase and restate my main point: I think it is unacceptable that a Moderator would insult another poster while exercising their duties as a moderator. I don’t care if that poster has many failings that have been demonstrated on the board. That is not the time nor the place. > > You don’t have to agree (and I doubt you do), but that is how I feel. Have you ever read the collected works of Cecil Adams? He frequenlty insults people as he sets them straight. That is the way things work around here. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-amazing-just-how-badly-bill-clinton-dropped-the-ball-re-bin-laden/319954.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-amazing-just-how-badly-bill-clinton-dropped-the-ball-re-bin-laden/319954.md?page=6)