Vintage: I’ve always believed that Mark O’Donnell was highly intelligent and a very good writer, and I still believe this. I try to find the smartest, kindest, and most reasonable people available with whom to work and exchange ideas. At the time that Mark O’Donnell began working with Cedars, Mark probably had surveyed his options and Cedars looked like a person whose goals were similar to Mark’s and who had the energy to help put the word out against CSA and Watchtower’s corruption. Mark can’t predict the future any more than I can. At some point, he was probably as surprised about Cedars as the rest of us have been.
It is always kind hearted to believe people are like us as I'm sure you try to find the smartest, kindest people as collaborators. However, we do not know if that was Mark's intentions. We do know that he is on this site after all this fallout downvoting comments critical of Lloyd, as per Simon! We also know he kept lying and deceiving LouGoode about the JWpodcast website because she kept asking for the website and didn't use the word domain. He was also doing the dirty work for Lloyd, buying the domain name to keep it from her. Who does that remind you of? An authentic person or an elder?
I've also seen him ridicule a female commenter in JWsurvey just because she pointed out some grammar issue because they wanted everything perfect so WT couldn't point to mistakes.
There is no way no one warned him and there is no way he did not see red flags. We all knew you couldn't give Lloyd the slightest criticism, and Mark didn't? Then he's not so smart, or it is something else.
Personally, I took offense at his statement about the Lloyd situation for the way he spoke for his wife. It was patriarchal, hence he is patriarchal.
He needs some real help and needs to completely stand up for what is right, not just what helps him look good.
Don't get me wrong, he does some good, and he is imperfect (super lame excuse), but geez learn to be honest and fair Mark, even to women.
I think he is smart, but an asshole. Maybe a savior narcissist with the CSA stuff.
I also think the way people look up to him in this community is a little too much like looking up to a CO or WT heavy.