Merc - Wtf?

[glatt]

Merc was a mixed bag. When he posted in the non-political forums, he could be cool and interesting. I got a kick out of seeing the snakes he would find in his yard as just one example.

But in the politics forum, his posts were poison. And not just because I disagree with him politically. He would just be thoughtless and abrasive. Sometimes downright nasty.

My one regret is that as a moderator, I sent him a pm a couple days before he left, asking him to tone it down and be nicer. And then I went to bed. While I was sleeping, several dwellars absolutely tore into him in response to his latest negative comment, and made his comments seem almost benign in comparison. My attempt at being peacemaker was just a joke at that point. Merc told me he didn't enjoy the Cellar any more and wouldn't be back. I think I'm one of the people he lost respect for.

I think the Cellar is not in a particularly healthy place right now politically. There is no balance. The Cellar presidential exit poll showed that virtually everyone here is on team Obama, when the nation as a whole is split about 50/50. We could use some more conservatives here. But I'd like them to come without the nastiness of Merc. (It would be nice if Lookout would come back. He was a conservative who could back his positions up with rational and respectful arguments.)