one of the best has to be the board contrarians who have appointed themselves as guardians of the board with the main objective to ensure that everyone knows that they often disagree with conservatives and that they are much smarter than conservatives.

Why, you ask, would someone appoint himself to such a post instead of just offering genuine views like everyone else whatever the topic? Well, if you do that you run the risk of coming across like everyone else when the truth is that you think you are smarter, more hip, and more independent than the regular guys and you need everyone know it.

I think Shimmy has a point about perceived persecution on CB. I have never experienced and I'm not sure I have ever seen enough information to know that someone else has really experienced it. But I find it funny that in the same thread where contrarians mock conservatives, we hear the tired argument that "I am no liberal, but you CB conservatives think I am." Accordingly, they conclude, you guys are sooo far right that a normal mainstream (and hip) guy like me just looks left to you.

Well, that is one option. Here is another. When you assume the role of contrarian, and have an agenda to offer contrary views to a certain line of thinking, many people who have no such agenda and just offer sincere, if misguided, views will conclude that you have a certain political leaning even if you don't. And it's worse when you censor yourself on topics where you may agree with those people. What else should they conclude when the vast majority of the political views you offer disagree with the conservative one they support?

One of the ring leaders, and a very smart guy, conceded that this shtick is rather pretentious. Nevertheless, he just couldn't stand hearing conservatives reciting the same old arguments etc. So he would continue the shtick - and he is by no means a liberal, which would surprise many conservatives. A couple others have even replied by boardmail that they will concede the point after a long political debate. But they couldn't bear to do so on the general board.

So there is a lack of sincerity on the part of the contrarians, whatever their real political leanings are. And also a lack of self-awareness. They point out the perceived persecution claimed by some board conservatives-perhaps rightfully so. But they are blind to their own perception of persecution for being misunderstood - a creation of their own often disingenuous interactions with members of the board, who take them at face value.