Color me educated -- I didn't know about that. Most of the authors I know who are in social networks don't talk about their own books (e.g. on childlit) but I admit that I tend to avoid social networks are authors would talk about their own books, so there you go.

The problem with what's going on right now isn't the same as the problem with Card. He is, as you say, consistent in his political views. That's different from just being an ass. (And there are authors who are out there who are known for being asses, and about whom everyone is made happy when it turns out that Coke gets poured on them during a con. But as I said upstream, knowledge of author behavior used to be restricted to people who had the ability and inclination to go to cons.)