Reply #21: I'm curious why there is such a need to defend this position

[CakeGrrl]

No one is stifling dissent, and I think everyone here knows the definition.

If you think you're being censored, consult the admins, but I've seen plenty of posts critical of Obama or his administration or their policies still standing without censorship.

My $.02? I think at the core, people are bugged by the way some respond to their comments. People may not like what you (or I) have to say. They may react strongly. But they don't have to be engaged if it isn't going to head in a constructive direction.

If someone has decided that a criticism of Obama meets their definition of 'bashing' rather than 'dissent', they push back...but there's no obligation to acknowledge that. You can walk away from an ad hominem attack and leave it to wither on the vine.