= new reply since forum marked as read
I had not voted.
Maybe it really was Rahm! 
the nation is moving to the right and Democratic Party has gone right along with it.
We are faced with the phenom of "socially liberal, economically conservative" i.e. Ronald Reagan meets gay marriage.
Citizen United is making things even worse, of course. On the one hand, I'm pissed as hell that the middle class keeps getting shafted no matter who is in office, on the other hand, middle class is horrible at looking out for their own best interests and to a large extent they deserve what they get, which is less than zero these days.
Now, watch as middle class chops off their left arm (India and China took the right one) with TPP free trade agreement.
Then, as a million more jobs hemorrhage to Asia, the middle class will bitch and moan and demand cuts to food stamps to pay for the damage done by their own hands.
Both Democrats and Republicans take advantage of a weak middle class, Republicans, built their brand on this, but conservative Democrats are gaining influence on what used to be Republican policy (e.g. "clearly, we need spying and we must raise the retirement age to 75"
.
Explains the bruises... 
I guess the 
thingy really is necessary.
...because he used some bad words about that same man...
Got it.
we're supposed to give our party a free pass and look the other way or sugar coat poison pills. If you can't do that, then just s.t.f.u. got it?
Big
Democratic. Democracy. Underground. Not Lemming Overground
did you see grasswire's post yet?
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024756673
than everyone else here. 
I joined the Democratic Party in 1967 because I believe in certain Values and Goals.
The Democratic Party did NOT give me these values.
I didn't start fighting FOR these values because the Democratic Party told me that THAT is what I now have to start believing in.
I joined the Democratic Party because I was willing to fight to move our country in the direction of a Newer and even Better "New Deal" for the Working Class,
and an even Greater and more egalitarian "Great Society".
FDR Economic Bill of Rights
Among these are:
*The right to a useful and remunerative job in the industries or shops or farms or mines of the nation;
*The right to earn enough to provide adequate food and clothing and recreation;
*The right of every farmer to raise and sell his products at a return which will give him and his family a decent living;
*The right of every businessman, large and small, to trade in an atmosphere of freedom from unfair competition and domination by monopolies at home or abroad;
*The right of every family to a decent home;
*The right to adequate medical care and the opportunity to achieve and enjoy good health;
*The right to adequate protection from the economic fears of old age, sickness, accident, and unemployment;
*The right to a good education.
All of these rights spell security. And after this war is won we must be prepared to move forward, in the implementation of these rights, to new goals of human happiness and well-being.
America's own rightful place in the world depends in large part upon how fully these and similar rights have been carried into practice for all our citizens.
--FDR, State of the Union Address, 1944[/font]
Please note that the above are stipulated as Basic Human RIGHTS to be protected by our government,
and NOT as COMMODITIES to be SOLD to Americans by For Profit Corporations.
When a Democratic Politician moves TOWARD the above Traditional Democratic Party Values,
I will cheer in SUPPORT.
When He/She moves AWAY from those values,
I WILL voice my STRONG opposition.
I have been raised in the Democratic Party tradition of voicing my opinion,
and have EARNED that right through 47 years of Party Line voting, donations, shoe leather, and GOTV.
My vote and support WILL go to whoever BEST embodies these values.
I am too old and tired to again support the Least of the Worst.
Let the chips fall where they may.
[font color=firebrick size=3][center]"If we don't fight hard enough for the things we stand for,
at some point we have to recognize that we don't really stand for them."
--- Paul Wellstone[/font][/center]
[center]
[/font]
[font size=1]photo by bvar22
Shortly before Sen Wellstone was killed[/center][/font]
[font size=5 color=firebrick]Solidarity![/font]
K and R
to remind the complacent and complicit that you aren't just going along to get along.
I have been on DU long enough to have discovered I do not like sycophants. I don't like two-faced people, liars, bullies or people who always feel the need to purge someone from among our number for unorthodox thinking. The tactics of these individuals include intimidation, acidic mockery, extreme self-righteousness (ready to cast the first stone and every one thereafter if need be), and eager willingness to brutally attack vulnerable people when they are down. All of those sound like Republican qualities to me.
The ease in which the principles and beliefs of the left have been cast aside by those who once called the left allies saddens me. And it's not because we were beaten to a pulp in battle, but because we didn't surrender fast enough before the fight began. Or because we were rude and impatient, then disgusted and resigned, and sometimes even angry as hell.
To be honest, I have begun to feel like I don't belong here anymore. I didn't fight the Bush regime with every ounce of my being to see their policies become institutionalized by my side. I didn't post here thousands of times about things I cared about only to give up because it was clear that no one else cared that much when push came to shove. When it came time to stand up for something, there were those who stood up for the wrong ideas as long as they were promoted by the right people. And who would allow no criticism of those who deserved some. And much criticism for those whose positions hadn't really changed at all.
I feel like I am lighting matches in the dark now.
I can see them, and add my own.
With enough of us who will STAND for traditional Democratic Party Values,
we can turn the night into day.
Those who STAND for NOTHING
will FALL for ANYTHING.
[font size=3]Centrism....because it is so damned EASY!
You don't have to STAND for ANYTHING,
and get to insult those who DO!
[/font]
You will know them by their WORKS.
They seem to have no values of their own.
They don't have a clue as the WHY they support the Democrats.
They never enter a discussion about POLICY or Traditional Democratic Values.
Supporting the Democrats (or the President) seems to be the entirety of their rationale,
or maybe they just prefer Blue over Red?
If you don't STAND for SOMETHING,
you will FALL for Anything!
..you are a "fascist" who called the president a "piece of shit"? 
Hear, hear!
But Obama has also done some crap stuff that no one forced him to do. They way I see it, I voted for him twice, I've never voted for a republican in my life and I'm not going to start now. No one is going to depress my vote and make me stay home because they don't like Obama and say something negative about him on a message board. He's not running again, we elect a new President in 2016 and he will be gone, so if someone doesn't like him or one of his policies here on DU I'm not going to take my ball and go home.
I can alert on a post, if the jury or the hosts leave it I can ignore the poster or trash the thread. Who gives a fuck. I will never understand how people can get all bent out of shape because someone criticizes a politician or their policies.
I consider myself a fucking great Democrat.
Short, sweet and devastating.
etc., why aren't you joining us in criticizing Democratic support for these horribly destructive RW things, and trying to get them stopped?
What positive change does sitting around a circle jerk singing a congratulatory version of "Feelings" bring about?
These RW fuckers are destroying our planet, and we need to stop them before they do, and discussing how much we all love "Hello Kitty" isn't going to do jack shit to save our planet and our democracy from the predations of the 1%.
There is no ethical justification, none whatsoever, for any Democratic leader to support these things. I did not sign up for this, I did not elect Democrats for this, and I feel betrayed and violated by these things.
The President, and other Dem leaders, totally need to get their Democratic priorities in order. Working for genuine positive constructive change? 
good deal, yay, doing your job as an elected Democrat. Love ya!!!
Yes, we've made some significant social progress. That's wonderful, an example of Democrats "just doing their job", like they should.
Promoting RW policies such as committing rampant, thoughtless acts of environmental destruction for corporate profits, trade deals that are extremely harmful to the 99%, appointing republicans, unnecessarily continuing a senseless war, begun by a greed driven Machiavellian republican administration comprised of madmen, for 5 years, etc?
Inexcusable for any Democrat under any circumstances, unless someone has made serious threats towards their families, and they have the means and will to carry out these threats.
Personally, I now suspect that a significant amount of the irrational "We Love Obama So Much That Anyone Who Criticizes Him When He Promotes Destructive RW Policies Should Be Excoriated And Banned From DU™" ludicrousness we see here is a cover for people working to help ensure that Third Way pro-corporate profit interest policies are not defeated.
We don't support Third Way RW policies, but we never criticize them, because the President supports them and we just love him so gosh darn much that we can't bring ourselves to speak out against these truly awful things.
?
Third Way policy is total bullshit propaganda to neutralize the Democratic party as an effective force to combat the predations of RW wealthy private interests, and Democrats need to stop apologizing for this RW bullshit. And IMO, in this case, silence by Democrats really does mean consent. Fiddling while Rome burns is bad enough. Helping the arsonists set the fires is far worse.
If you want progressive Democrats to stop criticizing the President, then help us stop him from promoting destructive Third Way RW corporatist policies.
Otherwise you will appear to be insincere, in pretending, or actually believing, that nothing is wrong, especially when you excoriate Democrats who justifiably complain about serious problems, and you will, in fact, be blaming the victims for complaining about being "raped".
Some of us who see this contradiction have little choice but to wonder about why this contradiction exists, given the fact that any sincere, barely informed Democrat recognizes that we have extremely wealthy, powerful enemies in our midst, enemies who are deliberately acting against the best interests of our planet, and against the people and other life forms on our planet as well.
End of Story.
Thanks to DUer madfloridian for posting the Third Way BOD graphic
Daily Kos Will Not Enable Those Who Enable The Third Way
Generic Other wrote in post #65 -
I have been on DU long enough to have discovered I do not like sycophants. I don't like two-faced people, liars, bullies or people who always feel the need to purge someone from among our number for unorthodox thinking. The tactics of these individuals include intimidation, acidic mockery, extreme self-righteousness (ready to cast the first stone and every one thereafter if need be), and eager willingness to brutally attack vulnerable people when they are down. All of those sound like Republican qualities to me.
What we have here is a hardcore, tiny, cheer-leading squad that is hopelessly outnumbered, and they want to drive DU into ghost town status by trying to enforce their narrow, extreme, near fanatical points of view on the rest of us.
A recent poll is an excellent example, they asked if Fox news-style bashing of Obama and the Democrats should be added as prohibited to the official rules. Interesting poll, right? It lost by a 70% - 20% margin. Think about that, 70% to 20%. That kind of margin, in a nutshell, says it all.
Not as good at writing as you are, but you should be proud! 