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#1 KevinKorell

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Posted 30 August 2008 - 01:00 AM

We are in a Presidential Election year, in the season of conventions and headed for the stretch run in the race. The presumptive Presidential and Vice Presidential nominees are now all known.

This is just to reiterate to everyone about our policy with posting of political news. In order to maintain the high level of decorrum on the Forums that we have lived with the past 5 years, we must do what Fox News Channel does by stating that they are fair and balanced. In a sense that means that no personal comment on a person in the party of one person's choice can appear here without a comment by the candidates 'adversary.

Sure, where a candidate might vote in favor of Amtrak. he may not vote favorably of other issues that affect the working public. If Amtrak is really everything in the world to you, and the number one issue you want your candidate to address and improve on, then think again. In reality we are hard workers at our carreers, parents bringing up kids and teens, and home owners trying to maintain their homes in the best condition while ensuring that monthly mortgage and maintenance fees are paid every month. Is Amtrak the number one issue on those people's minds? Hopefully not, unless Amtrak happens to be your sole reason for being, your employer, etc..

So here is the litmus test to go by.

1. If you have a NEWS article stating what a candidate has done or has promised to do, then it can be posted here.
2. If it is commentary by a columnist or letter to the editor, or editorial, think twice about posting it. That is exactly what we are trying to avoid, an endorsement.
3. In short, there should be no posts on our board from our members either outright endorsing or denouncing any Presidential or VP candidate, much less anyone running for Senate or Congress.
4. As much as some would like to, there should be no bashing of the current administraition, because again there are those who might think differently.
5. And while we are on the subject, please don't e-mail other members with your political views. We're bound together for our interest in things that run on flanged wheels, not whether we agree or disagree with one another on whom to vote for. The e-mails I have received around the 2004 presidential election, and are starting up now for 2008, have been clearly designed to either reinforce that I will vote for the candidate of the sender's party, or change my mind if I was going to vote for the other party's candidate.

We can't avoid politics, but it is one of the issues I have learned over my years with the group that can be highly divisive. Let's stick to talking about trains and leave the political discussions for those outlets that were created for it.

This was not written in reaction to anything that has been said on the Forums so far. Hopefully it will provide our members with some guidelines in properly discussing issues dealiing with trains without causing anarchy among us by publicly supporting or denouncing somebody either in office or running for it.

Edited by KevinKorell, 31 August 2012 - 01:17 AM.


Kevin Korell


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Lakewood, NJ


#2 EvergreenRailfan

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Posted 31 August 2008 - 12:56 AM

I'll try, starting over from now. I usually try to keep partisan politics off these boards, it can give me a headache just posting it on local news forums.

#3 KevinKorell

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Posted 31 August 2012 - 11:10 AM

This is just a friendly reminder as we are in another major election year that you should reread the parent note in this thread. You can just substitute 2012 for the dates in the message but it's the same thing. Know the difference between stating fact (such as what a candidate did), and public endorsements for or against someone. The latter cannot be tolerated as there are plenty of politically oriented forums for that purpose. Whether it's this board or our Sunday chat, personal opinions about candidates for any public office, OR their the political parties they belong to (whether incumbent or challenger) should not be shared via these media. In addition, neither the board software nor personal e-mails should be used to attempt to sway fellow board members towards or against a political candidate or view that you may have.


Kevin Korell


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Lakewood, NJ


#4 KevinKorell

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Posted 05 October 2013 - 11:45 PM

Another November is approaching, so this is just a gentle reminder to all that we try to stay away from political endorsements, whether positive or negative and stick to topic. Guidelines in the parent note above. So far the moderating team has extremely rarely needed to intervene here, and I trust our mature membership will continue to support that effort. Not trying to muzzle anybody, but there are other places for political debate.


Kevin Korell


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Lakewood, NJ





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