Anatomy of a Rat Fuck

[FSogol]

Here's the schedule. It seems to be repeated every single election. Don't believe me? Bookmark it and check before the 2016 elections. Or plow thru the archives.

1. Month before the election: Both parties are the same.

Unwritten message: no point in voting.

2. Two weeks before the election: Accuse every mainstream Democratic politician of being 3-way, corporate, conserva-dems, DINOs who doesn't care about the voters.

Unwritten message: no point in voting

3. One week before the election: Impossible to win, look at all these right wings polls and pundits! They all agree we can't win.

Unwritten message: no point in voting

4. Day before the election: The machines might be rigged! Oh noes! They won't let us win.

Unwritten message: no point in voting.

To each and everyone of one these, I say screw that. Show up and vote. Bring your family, bring your friends, and bring your co-workers. Shame them into voting. Get them to the polls. We are doing better than the media reports and can take big wins if we show up. Don't sit this one out. Don't let anyone tell you it is a lost cause. GOTV.

[zappaman]

1. Yup.

Pretty much.

[olegramps]

35. I believe just as important as these issues is how candidates turned on Obama.

I can not imagine anything more discouraging to me then Democratic candidates not backing the president. They refuse to stand up for the party's principles and as a consequence they will not only lose this election but have lost any right to claim the future votes of loyal party members.

These spineless bootlickers don't give a damn about principle, and are willing to sell out the president to get elected and get on the government dole. It is disheartening to me to see candidates who refuse to even acknowledge that they vote for Obama and even go as far as saying they disapprove of several of his positions on issues. When I think of how Roosevelt said that he welcomed the hatred of the powerful and wealthy and stood with the working class in comparison to several of today's so-called Democrats who stand for nothing the situation is repulsive.

[zappaman]

36. True.

[humbled_opinion]

103. Excellently stated.... n/t

[aggiesal]

209. Best sign ever, from Milwaukee

[Historic NY]

2. see Repubican dirty tricks, or Carl Rove.

[bhikkhu]

3. I would add: pass every convoluted voter ID law possible

to make it as hard and as confusing as possible for people to vote.

[SidDithers]

4. And make sure you throw around words like "authoritarian" and "propaganda" as much as you can...

while doing 1 through 4. That'll really drive the point home.

Good post.

Sid

[zappaman]

34. I call it "Authoritarian Tourette's"

[bettyellen]

88. LOL- so true.

When's the next band practice? :drumroll:

[Fumesucker]

47. Do you consider Chris Christie to be an authoritarian, Sid?

For someone who loves science you sure want to ignore the research into authoritarian personalities, the type that makes up much of the Republican party.

[reACTIONary]

158. +10 (nt)

[randys1]

5. I.E. Some of us just talk a lot, fuck that, let your VOTE do your TALKING for you! GOTV GOTV

the talkers I am referring to are those who join in on those points you mentioned, not you

[Fred Sanders]

6. On CNN, it is: interrupt any one daring to mention voter suppression efforts and lost registrations.

[CakeGrrl]

7. And then add #5

Sit around wondering how Americans can be so stupid to keep letting Republicans win office.

/irony

[Beartracks]

66. Yes - Dem non-participation only supplements/enhances Repub participation. n/t

[Ykcutnek]

8. Likely talking points concocted by Frank Luntz to suppress the Democratic vote. nt

[emulatorloo]

12. And disseminated here with Rove/Koch $$$ by fake progressives

[MannyGoldstein]

9. 1. is pretty rare

except on specific issues, like "free" trade. There's probably less of it now then there was months ago.

2. Has been widely discussed on DU for many years, no recent uptick.

3. "Impossible to win". Links? The rest is just reporting news, should that not be allowed?

4. Machines get rolled out, tested, and used... right before (and during) the elections. Seems like a new blackout on this is not a good idea.

[randys1]

11. I am curious, who do you want to occupy the WH if you had your choice 2016?

[MannyGoldstein]

15. Have you seen my sig?

But I'm not interested in discussing anything of that sort until after tomorrow. I shouldn't have even posted what I did on this thread, but it's so orthogonal to reality that I couldn't resist.

[randys1]

16. OK, good....What about Bernie? And if neither are the nominee, will you work tirelessly to get

Hillary in?

[hootinholler]

18. Nice threadjack attempt. n/t

[randys1]

19. Me? NOt at all, I love this thread, I spend just about all day working to make sure we are all

voting

https://twitter.com/DidTheyLetUVote

lets argue about who does the most, lets do that on the day before the election

[MADem]

51. That happened upthread. Don't blame a poster for defending the premise of the OP. nt

[hootinholler]

55. I wasn't reacting to that

But to the will you work tirelessly crap.

Manny's reply was totally on point. How can that be a threadjack?

[Aerows]

56. Amen

We can't even get through 2014 without the implications of "You aren't a good Dem" starting. Simmer down now.

Lets get through the next few days, get the vote out by bringing our fellow Dems to the polls if they don't have a ride, and then see the lay of the land.

[MADem]

70. Go back to the post that started the thread, keeping in mind that this IS election season. nt

[randys1]

22. It is easy to do today, to be distracted, I have been on two non election threads myself

On Wednesday you and I can discuss this if you like, because I do find it fascinating.

[Aerows]

53. My God

Can we focus on getting through 2014 elections before we start attacking Dems?

You only have to get through about 38 hours, then you can start in. Please!

[randys1]

58. Exactly what I was doing, and have been doing here all day, trying to get people to focus

I asked one person a non tomorrow question...but I can dish it out so I can take it too

[Aerows]

61. You are the one bringing up 2016.

Please. Let's get through tomorrow first before dwelling on 2 years in the future. It's a distraction.

I personally think every election is important.

[randys1]

62. I said I was wrong, I posted 35 times today and mentioned 2016 once, one too many times

I agree

https://twitter.com/DidTheyLetUVote


sorry

[Aerows]

64. Sorry, too

Didn't mean to come down on you like a ton of bricks. Guess I'm tense about the election.

[Major Hogwash]

95. It's after 12 o'clock. It's okay to talk about 2016 now.

No one changes their minds 12 hours before they go to vote, anyway.

[alcibiades_mystery]

10. Ayup

The strategy relies on plenty of Dems joining in the chorus, too, in order to legitimate it.

This is the very essence of the idea of the useful idiot.

[emulatorloo]

13. You nailed it. And it happens every time

and plays out exactly as you say.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

14. I'm sure millions of DU'ers are sitting out this election because of those "unwritten messages".

Right?

[1StrongBlackMan]

24. As others have pointed out ...

DU reaches far beyond DU, whether it's a lesser engaged Democratic leaner (who googled the term "Democrat" and got directed here) or the right-winger, that uses posts from here to make their "Democrats are Mad at Democrats" narrative.

I'm pretty certain that every regular attendee here will vote (and the vast majority will vote Democratic down the line) ... But it is NOT us that the message OP is talking about is directed to.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

26. I've been inundated by far, far, more messages urging me to vote than any urging me not to.

In fact, I haven't come across a single message, written or unwritten, urging me not to.

Even if I had I would still vote...in fact, I already did.

And, it cuts both ways. Republicans are just as apt to not vote from the "unwritten messages" as are Democrats, Independents, or those that vote 3rd Party.

[Scootaloo]

40. 1SBM...

Your hypothetical is, I'm sad to say, unlikely enough to be silly. If DU pops up on a google search for "Democratic party," "democrats," or even "democrat," then it's somewhere behind the Page 10 mark. I checked.

But okay, some person somehow stumbles in here and looks around. Which do you think is going to be a bigger turn-off from the democratic community here? People griping bout how there's no real difference between conservative Democrats and Republicans? Or the rampant and constant racism and misogyny expressed around these parts?

[1StrongBlackMan]

45. A couple of months ago ...

I think it was Duer Mineral Man (I believe it was) that first posted where DUer's quotes were used to attack Democrats.

Further, as a Black Man (unfamiliar with DU or politically disengaged), I would find the rampant and constant racism and misogyny expressed around these parts, as evidence that there's no real difference between (conservative) Democrats and Republicans!

So, "unlikely enough to be silly", is an over-statement because we DO live in a silly, silly world.

[Major Hogwash]

98. Rush Limbaugh even mentions DU once in awhile on his radio program.

It has gotten to the point, especially during these last few years, that if you defend Democrats here at DU, you're going against the current.
Like some salmon swimming upstream.

[1StrongBlackMan]

100. I was just thinking ...

some of the DUers that are the most critical of Democrats have taken to arguing, their voice is meaningless, after arguing for almost 6 years their voice is important. i.e., their criticism can't/won't depress Democratic leaners and/or the politically less engaged; but, their voice prevented a U.S. invasion over the Ukraine, stopped the bombing of Assad (over the gas) and stopped the CPPI!

Funny that!

[Major Hogwash]

120. Not only did they pat Putin on the back, they said he dinn't blow that plane up at the same time!

Ka-blooie!

Some of these guys are funnier than the ones I work with because they are so sure of themselves.
The best part is when they blame the BOG for something or mention the BOG in a thread that has nothing to do with Obama.
Haters gonna hate.
That's all there is to it.

Some of the regular DU members stopped posting at the DU earlier this year because it was so nonsensical to even try and defend Obama or the Democrats at this forum.
The Ukrainian invasion by Putin just added to the Snowden affair to crack this forum in half like a chestnut roasting on an open fire.

[7962]

72. I SERIOUSLY doubt it. Of course I know youre being sarcastic.

hell, I would think the last 2 would make MORE go out and vote

[hootinholler]

17. I don't think that Rat Fuck means what you seem to think it means

These are normal Republican messages.

A Rat Fuck would involve perhaps a false flag, group infiltration to manipulate, etc.

[Warren Stupidity]

184. No it was meant in the "DU" sense: an attack on the "left wing" here,

the left wing being defined as people who refuse to shut up about corrupt corporate friendly Democratic politicians and policies.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

20. Already early voted....

So I can be all smug and superior now.

[Oilwellian]

27. Yes, smug and superior

and self-defeating.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

38. Only if you LIKE to have your hair on fire.

[randys1]

21. 4. b Talk either about how you are losing or anything else that is NOT about the election

Get people thinking the election is over, no need to go vote tomorrow, in fact maybe you could go to a movie instead?

https://twitter.com/DidTheyLetUVote


IF YOU KNOW A WOMAN of child bearing age, then you know someone who the rightwing senate might kill if and when they are able to outlaw abortion and birth control...

[True Blue Door]

23. You forgot #5.

5. Day after the election, when Republicans rigged it: "We didn't GOTV enough! All the people trying to do something about election rigging prevented us from doing GOTV! Oh well, better luck next time, troops! Now stop paying attention and do nothing except prepare for the next recitation of this script in 2016."

You have to do both: GOTV and also counterinsurgency. There are no excuses for failure.

[brooklynite]

28. Alternate #5

Democrats win; voting machines weren't rigged (see 2006, 2008 and 2012)

[True Blue Door]

30. I wasn't referring to machines - I was talking about vote suppression.

They've already blocked more than enough votes to swing several races, and they've vowed to use even a 51 Senate majority to repeal Obamacare.

[questionseverything]

149. recently w virgnia elected a dem ag

because activists were watching the reporting of votes....they said the ab count was off by 3500 votes in dem stronghold and by god it was


obama was smart enough to know...we have to beat them so bad there can be no doubt

the rigged election count does not belong on the list...we need more people keeping track,after they vote,not less

[WHEN CRABS ROAR]

25. Vote! and vote often.

[longship]

29. I prefer Snagglepuss's description.

Self-inflicted Bar-B-Que!

We cook our own goose.

Exit stage left!

From off stage: R&

[DirkGently]

31. Step 1: Call liberals "rat fuckers." Step 3: profit?

Hooboy. Yes, there's a pattern all right.

The pattern is a flurry of threads on DU equating liberal voices, liberal candidates, and -- this is a new one -- any reporting of possible election fraud (???) with "killing morale" and inevitable loss.

And liberal use of the Nixonian term "rat fucking," which of course is a rightwing idea having to do with sabotage, illegal spying, and not in any way related to insufficiently conservative Democrats.

Pretty telling that Nixon and his tactics are so top-of-mind for some people, eh? Kind of like the thief that has 12 locks on his door, maybe?

This was of course the argument Hillary acolytes raised against the Obama candidacy.

"We can't elect that fluffy liberal because pragmatism, you are all full ponies and unicorns, and oh, by the way, your opinion is RATFUCKKKINNGGGG!"

How'd that logic work out, by the way?

This new addition that anyone watching for election fraud on the part of Republicans is also a traitor / spy / rat is very interesting, though, coming from supposed Democrats.

It's already specious to claim that liberal views or liberal candidates are morale killers plotted by enemies of the Democratic Party to ensure election losses, but throwing in hate for people watching for Republican election fraud, too?

That's a very curious addition to the whole rubric.

If someone DID want to conduct some "rat fucking," by demoralizing the Democratic Party, wouldn't trying to float that idea that anyone watching for Republican dirty tricks is a traitor be a more likely tactic than say, getting Obama nominated?

[markpkessinger]

52. +1000! n/t

[LondonReign2]

57. +1,000

It's never out of season to blame liberals, apparently

[nashville_brook]

69. thread winner. you get a rainbow!

[beerandjesus]

89. +1

But I have to add, I hate this goddamn polarization. Does it feed into some weird martyr complex to pretend the liberals are the enemy.... when we could be working hand in hand with the cheerleaders, if only they'd tolerate an iota of dissent??

[WorseBeforeBetter]

123. Curious, indeed.

And rather tiresome.

Good post.

[Marr]

171. +1, so sick of it.

[sibelian]

238. Thank you Dirk.

[liberalmuse]

32. I take a look at HuffPo these days...

and just laugh. They've had a large headline or large byline every day proclaiming that Democrats are doomed and how the GOP will soon become our new overlords. I hope most liberals haven't fallen for this sh&t. It's all over the place.

Am I pleased with my party? No. Am I so disgusted with the political process in this country and how much "liberals" in office tend to bend to the tantrum-throwing GOP that I'm tempted not to vote? You bet! But...I still voted, just because as usual, a lot is at stake.

I voted because I'm so sick to death of hearing conservatives "ObaMexiGuns" rant I could just scream. Every single conservative I talk to has to spew a vile schpiel about how Obama is an evil muslim communist/terrorist, how Mexicans or rather, their dehumanizing term of "Illegals" are ruining "MY COUNTRY", and how much they love their guns and would like to use them on the prior two subjects. Once in awhile they'll throw in the Jews and top it off with an unhealthy dose of the most dire Bible scriptures they can crudely paraphrase and take out of context.

I don't want these people in power. They're stupid, mean and fearful, and people like this are capable of some truly evil things. It's funny how every single one of the conservatives I run into tries so hard to put across how they are good people, real Americans, yet this ugly sh&t is coming from inside of them.

[jtuck004]

33. What do you call it when you elect them and THEY fuck you? That seems like the REAL Ratfuck. n/t

[Doctor_J]

37. that's called "pragmatism", and you're supposed to realize "It's the best we can do"

and "ACA is healthcare on the way to single payer" and "spying is different now because greenwald had boxes in his garage" and "not that many care about TPP and offshore drilling" and "Arne Duncan? Who's that?".

[jtuck004]

74. Hmmm. I think I shall henceforth think of that situation as a "ponyride".

As in:

"You wanted what? Well, here's your ponyride."

I already have "pragmatism" reserved for when I really have to settle for less, not just things I would rather make excuses for.

Yes, I think that will do nicely.

[Phlem]

59. This ^^^^^

that is exactly the issue. But the base is so busy brutalizing each other, no one ever mentions this or even get's this.

[LadyHawkAZ]

39. "I voted for Obama- TWICE! But I'm so disappointed..."

"I've been registered Democrat since the age of three, and have never so much as spoken to a Republican on the street, never mind voted for one! SnowdenChainedCPIObamacareghazi, though..."

"I will absolutely be voting for/ already voted for straight D ticket! But DINOs..."

^^Don't forget to mention the official Democrater-than-thou cred. It's important.

K&R

[Bobbie Jo]

78. Holy crap

This. This. This.....

[LawDeeDah]

106. ^This ought to be framed and mounted on DU home page.

[wryter2000]

110. I wish I could rec a reply

You nailed it!

[Phlem]

225. ^^^perfect^^^

K&R

[Jamaal510]

235. "I've been registered Democrat since the age of three"

[tkmorris]

41. Isn't there a lot of #3 coming from the DCCC and DNC themselves?

Furthermore there is plenty of all four pretty much all the time. The voices do tend to get a little louder as the elections get closer, but is that really surprising? After all, dubious voting devices and Democrats that sound an awful like like the Repubs they are running against are just more topical subjects at election time than midway between.

Your points #1 and #2 are largely the same thing, which is kind of odd since your list only runs to four items to begin with.

I would submit to you that each of these items is in fact a legitimate concern for a lot of people. The vast majority of whom are not in any way shape or form engaging in "ratfucking", and probably don't even know the meaning of the term. Yes, issues like these CAN tend to depress the vote, and there probably are a fair few folks who like to highlight these issues for just that reason. That does NOT mean that everyone who does mention these problems is trying to undermine the GOTV efforts, and I think you realize that.

What I find depressing is that the list you've compiled contains some serious and legitimate problems, and MERE DISCUSSION OF THEM IS PERCEIVED TO BE ENOUGH TO AFFECT ELECTIONS. That should be a heads up to hard-core Democrats that voters care deeply about these things and they might want to listen to those concerns, but instead we get threads accusing anyone who dares discuss them of being some kind of anti-Democrat plant. Why would anyone think that is helpful?

[jeff47]

50. There's some "strategists" attempting to cover their asses

Which should demonstrate just how good they are at being strategists.

I would submit to you that each of these items is in fact a legitimate concern for a lot of people.

And they will be next week too. Not much harm in cooling it for a week, and then start screaming bloody murder next week.

The main thing we have to work on is local races and primary races. That's how we steer the party.

Those "meaningless" school board and low-level state positions are the pool of candidates for higher office. But we've not paid much attention to those races for a long time now. Resulting in the party shifting to the right. We need to become much more involved in those elections, because we can have much more of an effect in those elections simply due to the smaller number of voters.

Second, we need to understand that primary elections are very important too. Turnout in most primaries this year was awful. And then people complain that they don't like the candidates in the general election. Well, only 20% bothered to vote in the primary.

We keep looking to the party and the top of the ticket to miraculously solve everything. That does not work. And it never has worked. We need to stop obsessing over what the media talks about, and work bottom-up to actually change the party.

But that's gonna take time. So we shouldn't expect quick results, but we should get started now.

[tkmorris]

65. I agree mostly, but I think we're having two different conversations

Myself, I am staying chilly with any sort of criticisms until after the election. However, since elections are the topic du jour here and elsewhere it really doesn't surprise me that others are voicing their concerns about those same elections right now.

My focus in my post was really how very unhelpful it is to level crass and nasty accusations at fellow Democrats for the crime of not being 100% thrilled with the party right now, and having the audacity to say so. Being overtly divisive (ratfuckers? really?) in an attempt to get people to unite and GOTV seems like an astoundingly stupid approach if you ask me, and I'd say that doing exactly that in an open forum (which the OP did) is in fact the equivalent of asking me.

I agree with most all of your other points. I don't know quite why you posted them in response to me, but they are good points nonetheless.

[jeff47]

67. And how is a reader supposed to tell the difference?

Being overtly divisive (ratfuckers? really?) in an attempt to get people to unite and GOTV seems like an astoundingly stupid approach

We can be absolutely certain that ratfuckers exist - former Republican operatives have admitted to it. So how is the reader supposed to tell the difference between a ratfucker and someone who's just annoyed at the party?

My suggestion is if you don't like where the party is, start talking about where you want it to go and, much more importantly, start dragging it there. Instead of complaining about where the party is, let's talk about where it needs to go.

[tkmorris]

115. You sound like you're itching for a fight

With that in mind I suppose it's not surprising that you see things the way you do.

Now me, when I see someone here making a criticism of the Democratic Party, or more likely, a particular Dem candidate, I assume they are a frustrated Democrat with a legitimate (to them at least) beef. Sure it's possible a given poster might be trolling, but with the exception of low count and generally obvious examples of the breed, it's highly unlikely.

Others start screaming "RATFUCKER!" at the top of their lungs. Which kind of person do YOU wanna be?

As for the rest of your post, once again you post a lot of stuff that has little or nothing to do with anything I said. I already told you that my personal approach is to hold any criticisms until after the elections, so your admonishments in that regard are rather misdirected. Further you will find it's almost impossible to discuss where you want the party to go (which I do quite a lot of actually) without acknowledging those within the party who are dead set against going in that direction. That's a discussion for another time though. For now could we please just resist the urge to call our fellow DUers nasty names, or is that asking too much?

[Daemonaquila]

42. Don't confuse REAL complaints with anti-GOTV tactics.

There are real folks who are tired of their own party's capitulation. There are real folks who are tired of DINOs, corporatists, etc. in their party. While you are right that the media is playing this to the hilt along with #s 3 and 4, to discourage GOTV, it's time for the party to lose its arrogance and entitlement in insisting that liberals/progressives/left wingers should just accept whatever crap candidates are convenient to field at the time.

I voted. I voted early. And I voted for some Dems. And I didn't vote for others, even though they were running against some repugnant Rethugs. Even if the margins were close enough in some of those races for my vote to matter, I would still send the message that I'll vote for REAL Dems, not whoever the party feels like supporting this time. I'm done with that. Candidates have to have more going for them than an "-D" to get my vote.

[jeff47]

49. And the time to fix those problems was back in the spring

during primary season.

We're not going to get better Democrats on this election's ballot now.

And I didn't vote for others, even though they were running against some repugnant Rethugs.

Congratulations on your vote for repugnant Rethugs.

Even if the margins were close enough in some of those races for my vote to matter, I would still send the message that I'll vote for REAL Dems, not whoever the party feels like supporting this time.

Stop believing that this is a problem for "the party" to fix. This is a problem for you to fix. You need to work on getting better Democrats on your primary ballot, so you can vote for them.

Believing that someone else will fix this for us is how we got into this situation.

[Chathamization]

168. Yep, problems with Democratic candidates seem to get much more attention after they have won the

primary then when they are running. If people are frustrated with bad Democratic candidates, then the answer is to get people to not vote for bad Democratic candidates, not ignore primary elections and then get pissed off at the results when the general comes around.

[AndyTiedye]

151. Letting More Rapeuglicans Win Just Forces the Democrats to Capitulate Even More

I didn't vote for others, even though they were running against some repugnant Rethugs. Even if the margins were close enough in some of those races for my vote to matter, I would still send the message that I'll vote for REAL Dems

That is not the message they will receive. They will think they have to move further to the right to win.

Every general-election loss, every single one, forces the Democratic party further to the right.
The only way to move the party leftward is in the primaries.

[rock]

43. Then you may as well vote

So that you're not one of that myriad of non-voters!

[BumRushDaShow]

46. That's it in a nutshell.

[Cryptoad]

48. Papa Paul and Comrade Snowald are counting on you not voting!

[Aerows]

54. Get out the vote.

Let's all get out the vote in 2014, and wait a day or two before worrying about how 2016 will take care of itself.

[DirkGently]

80. All the liberal critics I know ARE getting out the vote.

All the conserva-Dems are apparently on DU calling people they don't agree with "ratfuckers." Again.

You know, because they are all about party cohesion. Which they intend to achieve by explaining how much they hate the (according to them) stupid, ratfucking, unpragmatic, poll-watching liberals, who apparently just screw everything up for everyone.

[Mojorabbit]

174. + a gazillion. nt

[gordianot]

60. That does seem to be how it works.

Absence of long term memory plays a prominent role for rat fucks.

[Beartracks]

63. Even if machines were rigged....

... they'd have to be rigged so as to not blow out the margin for error, so that the cheat can't be proven. That's how all the pundits explained away Kerry's loss in 2004: "Well, all those push polls could have been be wrong." So... flood your polling place with voters and overwhelm the cheat(s).

==============================

[whatchamacallit]

68. I encourage everyone to vote

just on the remote chance the corporate dem proffered by our corrupt political system will find their conscience and do the people's will.

[beerandjesus]

71. This is quite possibly the most disingenuous OP I've ever seen on DU.

But have fun punching the hippies, and thinking about how much better you are than Republicans.

Cuz it seems to me that that's what drives a good chunk of the posters on here: Hollow sanctimony based on what team you root for. The hell with policy, the hell with substance, the hell with anyone who's hurt by initiatives pushed by (bad) Democrats. "Look at me, I'm a little bit less homophobic than the Republicans! What a great guy I am!"

Fucking pathetic. Shame on you.

[FSogol]

73. Perspective: The polls open here in about 14 hours. What possible good can

criticism of the Democratic party and their candidates do at this time other than encourage people to vote GOP or to skip voting?




As for "hippie punching," no idea what you are talking about. Like the guys that scream "third way" or "authoritarian" twice in each sentence, your preferred pet bon mot does not always apply.

Shame on me? I want as many Democrats, liberals, progressives, etc to show up and vote tomorrow. I don't want a repeat of 2010 where the left were encouraged to sit it out to show displease to the administration. GOTV.

[LordGlenconner]

113. Hey, don't interfere with their persecution complex

[yodermon]

169. "repeat of 2010 where the left were encouraged to sit it out to show displease to the administration

Wait. That's what happened? In 2010? Democratic turnout was suppressed by ultra-leftist activists in order to punish Obama and it *worked*??? Damn, them ultra-leftists are more powerful than I thought!!

[DirkGently]

75. But it's hippie punching cleverly MASKED with concern trolling!

It's not that they just don't like liberal ideas and policies and candidates. It's that those things can never WIN, so it's "depressing" to talk about them so ... people won't vote, or something. It's like treason, because they don't agree. And also it's to fun to say "ratfucking" a lot. You can kind of call other DUers "rats" and animal fuckers and traitors and spies and stupid, all at the same time, and it's okay, because you're just so CONCERNED FOR THE PARTY!

Harder to maintain even that thin premise though now they've started lumping in anyone daring to suggest Republicans might try election fraud. Because ... only traitorous Dems worry about Republican election fraud! Erm.

Yeah ... that's the ticket!

[chknltl]

76. Wow! Just Wow! Alerting

Just so you know which one of us hollow sanctimonious hippy punchers alerted on this post.

[beerandjesus]

77. Sorry, I get sick of Democrats pretending other Democrats are depressing the vote...

...by actually caring about what happens to America.

[Bobbie Jo]

79. Yeah

Why do they hate America??

[beerandjesus]

82. Republicans hate America, not Democrats.

C'mon, you know that, right?

[Phlem]

83. [phone]

yep.

[DirkGently]

87. But liberals aren't DOING IT RIGHT!

Criticism is for when conservative Democrats say it's okay. Not right before an election. Or during a campaign. Or during the lead-up to a campaign. Or after the election. Or during someone's term of office.

They'll call you and let you know when it's okay to embrace actual democratic principles or candidates. Until then, we must all stop being traitors and ratfuckers by disagreeing with them.

[Andy823]

210. You are right

Liberals are not doing it, not real liberals. I a person is guilty of doing the things listed above in the OP, then they re guilty, and probably not a real liberal. Real liberals don't put a purity test on the candidates before they will vote for them. Real liberals don't go around calling anyone who has a different opinion "authoritarians", Obama bots, or tell them can not be liberals simply because they disagree with their unique little group. And real liberals don't call the president names especially saying he is a piece of shit. Nope real liberals don't do this things.

[chknltl]

94. Nowhere in OP is it suggested Dems are pretending other Dems supressing vote

It is well established that Republicans do this.

It is good that you care about this country. As we merrily slide out of democracy into fascism you should care. Picking on someone for trying to give out yet another reason to GOTV is an odd way of showing this.
Did you know that Thom Hartmann quoted much of this OP on his show today? It has been my experience that he doesn't often quote disingenuous material. BTW result of alert had only one fellow DUer in agreement with me.

[beerandjesus]

96. Doesn't seem to me you read the OP.

The OP preemptively put the blame for any Democratic losses on liberals--I mean, ratfuckers--like me and many other well-meaning people here. That's not "giving a reason to get out the vote", it's sanctimony.

And here you are with the Weyrich video, *again* implying that I, because I have sincere issues with some of the retrograde positions the Democrats have pushed, am looking to depress the vote. You're basically calling me a Republican. And I'm supposed to believe this isn't sanctimony? Really? Hell, I might alert on you, but I have a rat to go fuck.

[emulatorloo]

99. "Ratfucking" = sabotage by political operatives, and OP follows that definition

Dirty tricks/sabotage by operatives. Nixon's henchmen called themselves ratfuckers.

[chknltl]

109. Read it again just now.

When Thom Hartmann read this OP live on his show, I was under the impression that the ratfuckers were the Republican operatives behind media that put these 'ratfuck/talking points' out there. After reading this a third time now that is still what I get out of this OP. You apparently get something else out of this OP. Sounds like we both made our choices of interpretation.

FWIW your interpretation of my post, that I am calling you a Republican because of your response to me, is one I am having even greater difficulty with. I never thought you more than misguided in your assessment and background knowledge when you asserted Dems were depressing the vote. For that reason ONLY did I post that video. Choices of interpretation again I guess.

[beerandjesus]

140. I wasn't going to respond to you again, but since you seem sincere, and even nice...

...and I frankly suspect that it came off quite differently on Thom Hartmann's show, the part that raised my hackles was this:

2. Two weeks before the election: Accuse every mainstream Democratic politician of being 3-way, corporate, conserva-dems, DINOs who doesn't care about the voters.

Unwritten message: no point in voting

#1 is a charge we lefties also see leveled at us pretty frequently on here, but #2 was the one that sounded pretty unambiguous to me. I honestly am not familiar enough with your posting history to know how far on the left you are, but if you're reasonably fair minded--which I'm pretty well convinced you are--I'm sure you can see why it might get tedious to come on here, day after day, and hear about how by *not* pretending that Obama and Hillary are the Second Coming of FDR, I'm somehow helping the Republicans.

In the context of your last post, the Weyrich thing feels a lot less inflammatory; I also re-read the OP, imagining it in Thom Hartmann's voice, and it sounded a hell of a lot less antagonistic than it did when I first read it. I still question the motivations of the original poster, but I think I probably came down too hard on you, and for that, I apologize.

[chknltl]

166. Now that's a horse of a different color. Thank you for that response.

While it is true that I have a slit in my marble bag I see now that I came to an erroneous conclusion myself. When I alerted on your post what I was seeing was a DUer with a low post count trying to convince us that Dems, not Republicans were the reason for voter suppression AND basically calling another fellow DUer names! DU sees an incredible increase in trolls around here during election season and that is exactly what I believed myself to be alerting on. I was wrong. I owe you an apology too, one I hope you will accept. I should have waited and watched before jumping to conclusions like that.

When Thom Hartmann cites a DU OP it grabs my attention. I try to send a "way to go" to the DUer who gets Thom's attention like this, which is why I was here at all. Truly, my interpretation of what Thom was using this OP for was in the context of Republican dirty tricks worth watching out for. I have been a fan of Hartmann since before President Bush jr. and let me assure you that had he interpreted this OP the same way you do he would not have mentioned this OP at all!

Lastly, this DUer prefers that our next Democratic POTUS Candidate lean equal to or slightly to the left of President Eisenhower. I guess that makes me a Sen. Sanders Democrat. Yeah, I know, but Ike wasn't a Dem either. Thom plays Ike's warning about the M.I.C. frequently. Have you ever Googled the name Hillary Clinton with the words Military Industrial Complex? For that reason, I spoke out against Sen. Clinton here in DU during the last Primary and will do so again if it should come to that. Perhaps we will be lucky, maybe the Bush's and the Clintons will decide to bow out of politics gracefully instead of offering us the choice to choose between bad or worse.

[beerandjesus]

186. Glad to see we're on the same side after all!

I have to say, I was pretty surprised to get an alert from someone with a Bernie avatar!

I don't post on here much, it's true; I lurked for many years before even signing up, and honestly, I enjoy the site less since I started reading past the OPs, but now I'm kind of addicted, haha! Go figure, I guess--at least I quit listening to right-wing talk radio, which I used to do sometimes.

I was recently talking with a South Carolina right-winger friend of mine about politics. When I brought up the fact that the South was so solidly Democratic for so long, and asked what changed (I love asking this question, since NO ONE will admit it's about race), he said that the issue was how much the Democratic party had changed since the 1960s. His case in point was Kennedy cutting taxes, and he didn't have much else; my initial impulse was to dismiss what he said out of hand, because the Republicans have obviously changed so much more--and in such a reckless, nihilistic direction to boot.

But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that he had a really important point, even if he was coming at it from the wrong angle: The Democratic Party used to be about helping ALL Americans. It used to be about protecting the poor and middle class from the depredations of the extremely wealthy, about investing in America to keep America a great nation, and so on. That's why African-Americans, during the New Deal, began supporting the Democrats in spite of the Democrats' naked racism: Democratic policies were helping ALL Americans.

That has changed. The Democratic Party has, for the most part, become the party of identity politics. We vote for Democrats because we're against racism. We vote for Democrats because we believe in marriage equality. We vote for Democrats because we believe in equal pay. All that is great, but that's the absolute, bare minimum. I take no pride in not being racist: As far as I'm concerned, that ought to be a given, not something to crow about. That's like taking pride in liking ice cream. But this is all the Democrats have offered for most of my adult life.

And this brings me to why I get so disgusted with many of the posts here on DU. There is a vocal contingent that is happy with that. A contingent that is satisfied to pat themselves on the back for the fact that they're ok with gay people. And if anyone dares hope for more--if anyone dares to hope for REAL populism, of the sort that might bring my right-wing friend around to our side--they're shouted down with stupid, lame bullshit like "ODS", or "Rand Paul", etc.

So... I should probably go back to being quiet. Fact is, if we get our left-of-Eisenhower guy nominated, the BOG will vote for him or her out of sheer party loyalty, so there's not much persuading that needs to go on here. But being, like you, pretty far to the left of the spectrum, it's extremely disheartening to see the team-sport-Democrats play-acting the Republican line, by worshiping their anointed Democratic heroes and shouting down dissent.

Thanks for the friendly reply. A friend of Thom Hartmann's is a friend of mine, haha!

[Quackers]

197. Results

On Tue Nov 4, 2014, 09:29 AM an alert was sent on the following post:

Glad to see we're on the same side after all!
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=5755210

REASON FOR ALERT

This post is disruptive, hurtful, rude, insensitive, over-the-top, or otherwise inappropriate.

ALERTER'S COMMENTS

" the BOG will vote for him or her out of sheer party loyalty, so there's not much persuading that needs to go on here. But being, like you, pretty far to the left of the spectrum, it's extremely disheartening to see the team-sport-Democrats play-acting the Republican line, by worshiping their anointed Democratic heroes and shouting down dissent. "

What a way to trash a bunch of Democrats on a Democratic website on election eve. Over the top rude and inappropriate for DU.

You served on a randomly-selected Jury of DU members which reviewed this post. The review was completed at Tue Nov 4, 2014, 09:33 AM, and the Jury voted 0-7 to LEAVE IT.

Juror #1 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: No explanation given
Juror #2 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: WTF.
Juror #3 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: Deep breath, take a break.
Juror #4 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: Not even close. Please stop alerting on anything that slightly hurts your feafeas. This is getting silly.
Juror #5 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: No explanation given
Juror #6 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: No explanation given
Juror #7 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: No explanation given

Thank you very much for participating in our Jury system, and we hope you will be able to participate again in the future.

[beerandjesus]

198. Thanks for sharing.

I won't gloat.

[Bobbie Jo]

199. lol

Good grief.

[stevenleser]

81. You realize you can wait until Wednesday and avoid hurting candidate chances, right? nt

[beerandjesus]

85. I haven't even said anything lately.

But I'd just be repeating my point anyway. It's not DU posts that hurt candidates, it's bad policy.

Not on board with pretending it's Will, or Manny, or anyone else. Sorry.

[stevenleser]

86. The "You" is a general "You" for folks that are doing this. And yes, it is also DU posts that hurt

candidates. The policies are done by the time its two months and counting to election time.

[DirkGently]

91. Calling Dems you disagree with "ratfuckers" is a bit more divisive

to the party than arguing for liberal policies or candidates, don't you think?

C'mon. No one's buying the concern trolling that people must stifle their opinions or criticisms on a Democratic website because the liberal opinions are intrinsically dangerous to election efforts.

Nobody actually thinks that.

Liberal Dems are out there at the polls and conducting GOTV as much or more than any conserva-Dem. Agree with them. Disagree with them. Either way they are not "hurting the party" by saying things others find uncomfortably critical. That is simply a crock of disingenous nonsense.

They do not need to shut up for the good of the team. An argument, let us note, dragged out not only right before elections, but at the start of every campaign season, and then randomly throughout all other times as well.

No one interested in party unity crafts OPs describing how Democrats they disagree with are traitorous "ratfuckers."

[Rex]

105. Call it what it is, conservative dems blaming moderates and liberals

for their own faulty voting record. Funny the group that votes the LEAST, complains the most and is usually trying to divide up the party the day before elections!

I have my own theory as to why.

[DirkGently]

108. Conservatives believe in pretense. Liberals screw that up constantly.

It's not the police misconduct or the Constitutional overreach in the spy program, or the corruption or the racism that's the problem to them.

It's those damn people pointing all of that OUT all of the time. They're not thinkers and critics and whistleblowers. They're SPIES and TRAITORS and RATFUCKERS!

If we would just shut UP and pretend things are great, things would BE great. Or at least, it would be hard to prove things weren't great, which is basically the same, if you are a nihilist and maybe a little stupid.

It's a funny way to look at the world. Like sticking your head in a bag and yelling at everyone else to get inside with you.

[Rex]

114. Hard to ignore the CIA spying on Congress, but yeah a special type not only does

but accuses others of not loving America enough if they bring up Clapper lying etc..

[Caretha]

230. You had no idea

how powerful you were, huh?

Stevenleser said:

You realize you can wait until Wednesday and avoid hurting candidate chances, right? nt

[beerandjesus]

233. Haha, yeah! Sorry about that, everyone.

Thanks for the laugh on a depressing Wednesday morning!

[Phlem]

90. There it is again.

This guy is hurting the candidates. It has nothing to do with the candidates themselves and their positions and policies they're promoting, it's this guy who's doing all the hurting.



Unfucking believable. So we're all voting out of fear now because the other guys are evil. Guess what, some people understand the situation completely, still vote D anyways, even after years and years of not giving us anything to vote for and being thrown under the bus on top of all that.

Your concern for all of our well being is amusing. Oh and cute.

[stevenleser]

92. That's right. In the two months before the election, it has NOTHING to do with policy.

The policies are done. There won't be any new policies proposed or voted on until next session. So its time to reflect on the candidates who are nominated which one will do a better job.

Its not time to lie/exaggerate and say the Democrats are the same as the Republicans and try to depress the vote.

[Phlem]

104. So blame the voter?

Last I checked we got PBO elected twice even after he and Rahm threw us under the bus on Fox news. Now all they have to sell is we're not as bad? This is a slow walk to the right, I think we all know that.

How about they get there base excited about all the new prospects we have and all the progressive legislation they're going to get through? You know, things that actually help their base.

I believe the issues we're facing now are directly tied to blaming the voter.

And like you said "So its time to reflect on the candidates who are nominated which one will do a better job."

People have been doing this very thing. Who do we have to choose from? How are they going to help me and my family? Are they going to support corporations more than us? Etc...

I've been reflecting ever since Reagan. I've also been reflecting about Presidencies before that. And I am definitely reflecting on our current situation and not very happy about it at all.

STOP BLAMING THE VOTERS!

[beerandjesus]

93. Me and my 700 posts, you know....!

[1StrongBlackMan]

124. But there are some that will claim ...

you, and your 700 posts, stopped a U.S. military invasion in the Ukraine, the bombing of the Assad regime (over the gas) and the CPPI from becoming law ... with that typing power, depressing some Democratic vote should be light work!

[Rex]

102. You have to understand one thing, conservative dems vote the LEAST

out of the three groups; moderates make up the bulk of the party and liberals vote at a higher percentage than the other two groups. Guess which group whines and moans the most? Yup, the conservative dems. Guess which group throws around the ratfucking term the most? Yep, conservative dems.

Typical that the group that ratfucks the most, blames the other two groups the most.

[WorseBeforeBetter]

122. Board of Elections data will be interesting...

it always is. Although cold, hard facts haven't stopped DU's ConservaDem contingent from blaming 2010 on far lefty leftists.

As they say here in NC, bless their hearts.

[Cha]

126. No.. actually I'm going to throw your words right right at you.. "Fucking pathetic. Shame on you."

[beerandjesus]

135. That's cute. But thanks for substantiating my point...

...by letting your hero worship cloud your understanding of the issues.

I'm actually reading a book about how Reagan's genius was in framing complex issues as simple, good versus evil propositions. You're nowhere near his level yet, but I'll give you a B+ for effort.

[Cha]

136. You have no point.. all you have is this.. "Fucking pathetic. Shame on you."

[beerandjesus]

137. I have a point, but you have to read my reply to the OP.

Not just the last line.

I stand by what I said. It takes a weak, weak "Democrat" to preemptively blame election results on other Democrats.

[IronLionZion]

179. Did somebody say hippie punching?

Personally, I often feel like this cat when the socialists and corporatists go at it here:


Most hippies are doing this though:

[Major Hogwash]

97. Kick and recommended. Great thread.

Some of them now want Democrats to pass litmus tests before they run for office!
Can you fathom that??

[Rex]

101. It is funny talking about authoritarians in general and then some "DUer" shows up outraged

as if you are talking about them personally!

So fucking obvious.

If you let other people make decisions for you, chances are you are a republican!

[Phlem]

107. Fucking Amen!

[adirondacker]

117. Excellent point. I don't think too many on the" left "are fratboys or sororities sisters either.

[Major Hogwash]

134. If the god damned mainstream media wasn't telling everyone that Obama sucks, and not to bother . .

. . voting for Democrats because they are ALL going to lose tomorrow, it wouldn't be so obvious.

But, it is obviously obvious to those of us who have been paying attention!!!

[Rex]

138. I guess it helps that I haven't had cable TV in years and years.

Fuck the M$M, they made their bed with all the lies and complacency in the Bush years. I refuse to listen to all the Doom and Gloomers that have watched too much M$M!

I just won't cave in to apathy. We are going to keep the Senate and take over the House...maybe not by a lot of seats, but it is going to happen!

[Major Hogwash]

178. I'm not talking about cable tv! All 3 of the corporate networks are ratfucking the Democrats!!!

All of the over-the-air corporate networks -- ABC, NBC, and CBS -- have been doing this for several days now, telling Democrats they don't have a chance to win any of their races this year.

All they have been doing is repeating the same meme as CNN . . . which has been repeating what they hear at Faux Snooze!!
Saying that the Democrats are in big trouble this year, that President Obama is not popular, and predicting that the Republicans will take back control of the Senate this year.

I don't see how any of that can happen after analyzing just how many times the Republicans have filibustered the Democrats in the Senate.
The GOP has become the Great Obstructionist Party!!

Or after analyzing how impotent the House of Representatives has been under Speaker of the House Boehnor's leadership, voting 55 times to repeal "Obamacare" -- knowing full well that it would never, ever get taken up in the Senate, which means it was a complete waste of taxpayer's money!!
They may as well have voted to put Reagan's head on Mt. Rushmore --- it was NEVER going to happen!!!

The racism in this country is reflected by the racism displayed by the reporting performed by the 3 major tv networks!

We all knew that Faux Snooze was racist, years and years ago.
But to hear Scott Pelley tell it these days, the Democrats are a bunch of fucking losers who somehow snuck in to Congress while the rest of us weren't looking!

Brian Williams doesn't play the part of innocent angel, non-partisan any better than Pelley.
Instead, he tries to keep the stank off of him by handing the political football over to Chuck Todd, who has already inserted his lameass fucking opinions in several key Senate races this year, while trying to portray himself as an disconnected, objective observer of politics!!
Just to tell you how deformed their network is, Chuck Todd and Andrea Mitchell are providing coverage of the mid-term election results for NBC tonight.
That's great!
I can hardly wait to hear Mrs. Greenspan and Toady declare just how screwed President Obama is after each one of the Democrats are defeated tonight, and then watch them give high fives to each other!

Diane Sawyers is just as lame, pouting when she puts on her little pouty face and then tries acting like it is just so awful in order to give another one of her patented "aw shucks, ain't that too bad" routines on her news broadcast.
She is so predictable that I can finish her sentences for her!!
That is, on the odd night whenever I am watching her anchor the news broadcasts.
Almost all of her irrational national reports end with "President Obama has yet to comment" . . as if he has to comment on every fucking lameass story that screwball network concocts out of thin air.
And then when Obama does comment . . . they don't report what he said about it!!!!!!!!!

The newspapers have been doing the very same thing, from the Washington Post to the New York Times to the Los Angeles Times!
We don't even need to read the New York Post or the National Enquirer to get trashy stories about the Democrats anymore, the other mainstream newspapers have picked up the torch of bullshit for them!!

[Rex]

202. I don't know how you can watch all that crap, it would make my blood pressure spike.

Best thing I ever did, healthwise, was get rid of cable and that includes the M$M (ABC/CBS/NBC/Fox/CNN etc). It's like I've said over and over - the ONLY reason the GOP wins elections anymore, because the M$M works to get them elected. Should be illegal imo, but since 2000 and Foxnews - mainstream media seems to think they can control what we think and who we vote for. FUCK THAT.

[IronLionZion]

111. You'll get single payer if you don't vote

and you'll get an increase in the minimum wage to $15 an hour if you stop others from voting.

Executives and bankers will go to jail if you go to any heavily Dem precinct in a swing state and start punching people in the face as they wait in line to vote.

[Doctor_J]

131. Those things won't happen no matter how many people vote

Which is why a lot of them don't vote. Potential curbs on Reproductive rights mean little to someone working two minimum wage jobs to pay rent and who can't afford to see the doctor. Those are the people the party should be serving and thus courting.

[IronLionZion]

150. That's the spirit!

Why are you here?

[Jamaal510]

236. +1

[LordGlenconner]

112. And if you're an aging academic/activist desperate to be 28 again

Be sure and use a lot of profanity in your posts. Profanity is so hot with the kids today.

[Puglover]

121. Or depending on how you look at it

tragic when used by some 40-60 something keyboard warrior for the purpose of getting high fives from all of your cyber buddies.

Just plain pitiful.

[QC]

182. +1

[treestar]

116. Amen

It's all ratfucking.

[Cha]

164. Yes, and this thread is condemning it as "may be ratfucking too"..

has the link right in the OP.. It's not "ratfucking" to call out Ratfuckers.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=5753671

treestar

[pansypoo53219]

118. you forget the repeat ad nauseam of obama's 'bad' poll numbers.

BOO!

[Dont call me Shirley]

119. Acute observation! Thanks for postingFSogol

[Cha]

125. Like freaking Clockwork! Tavis Smiley was out ratfucking in an ABC interview..

"Not all African Americans leaders are encouraging black voter turnout, however, even in the shadow of Ferguson. Journalist and pundit are more about election year politics than a genuine desire to change policies.Tavis Smiley said in a recent interview with ABC News that "if you're black or brown, other than helping to save the Democrats' hide," there are no good reasons to turn out to vote this November. Smiley claimed that Democratic appeals to black voters"

applegrove http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=5720321

Still bitter after all these years.

[Major Hogwash]

139. Well, fortunately, his audience is a bunch of sour grapes jerks that think he is holier than Obama.

They are just as fooled as Tavis is for believing that he still has anything substantial to say today about politics.
And that is the major reason that most blacks don't listen much to Tavis these days.

Both him and Cornel West have done more harm than good these last few years, and as a result, they don't represent the way the majority of blacks in this country feel about President Obama.
They probably wouldn't want to hear that, but it is true.
Jesse Jackson is still the strongest voice amongst most black people, in my opinion.

Also, Al Sharpton is coming into his own, and getting stronger every year.
When he said, "They are the ones with blueberry on their faces" talking about who stole the blueberry pie, he hit the nail right on the head when he was talking about Republicans.
This all took place at the same time when a lot of the Republicans were bitching about the high budget deficits, but they were the ones who ran it up when Bush was the president.

[Cha]

141. Yes, Tavis Smiley does have his fans who are all as sour graped as he is and believe the nonsense he

continually spews. Wonder if he's sitting home in the corner sucking his thumb when so many people are out Voting like Martin Luther King advocated?

[sadoldgirl]

127. This OP is definitely two days too early.

Naturally most of the so called liberals, lefties, "believers in ponies", and whatever names we have been given
here, expect that we would be blamed as usual on this site.

The problem with that is that we don't know the results of the election yet.

You seem to anticipate a bad result, which may or may not come true, thus you start the wonderful
name calling, which we normally find coming from the repugs.

Could you not have waited for two days?

BTW I voted already a week ago!

[FSogol]

129. Completely wrong. I expect to keep the Senate, increase our numbers in the House, and win

some governorships. If you look at my posts in October, I've been saying over and over that I felt many members of the GOP would be getting an Eric Cantor-esque surprise on Election Day. It should be obvious, but encouraging people to vote cannot wait until after election day.

I do not care about assigning blame after the election, I want big wins tomorrow.

You don't have to look for a hidden agenda in my post; the intent of my OP is to encourage whoever is reading to reject the reasons not to vote and to go vote.

[Cha]

133. "Ratfucking" is still "Ratfucking" no matter when it's mentioned.

[MisterP]

163. that's right: 1. it's doing pre-blaming, 2. it's also pre-credit-taking (if the election goes well,

they can say "you can't criticize my attacks and delirious ravings! I did my part and got us a Dem Senate by appealing to non-lefties!&quot
3. it's the classic witch-hunt: any criticism must be met with "I voted" almost as a sigline, just like how in 2002-3 all criticisms of the Iraq War had to start with "I'm not a fan of Saddam Hussein, but ..."--this is the sneakiest of them all, since it just butters everyone up, suddenly even DU having 100 posts starting "Saddam cannot be left in power, but ..." instead of 5-10 posts: if every criticism of the IMF Dems' mudslinging carnival has to have #GOTV at the end of it, the critical posts start looking like theirs and they get to look like people fundamentally striving towards the same goal--and to look like they really are fighting against an actual abstentionist crisis, since even their critics are using their pack identifier

[blackspade]

128. Um, no.

Message 2 and 4 are actually true.
However, that is not a good reason not to vote.
You should always vote, even if your choices are limited by corporatist and voting theft.
1 and 3 are corporate RW bullshit by the M$M.

[freshwest]

130. Good analysis. We can't afford to be fooled again. And again. And again. Since Nixon...

[DeSwiss]

132. If it weren't for your reminders I might have wasted time and voted!

- Thanks!

[Cha]

142. "So there's an Election tomorrow".. "Both Parties Are the Same"..

EarlG http://www.democraticunderground.com/1017224469

[FSogol]

143. +1 n/t

[Cha]

145. Love your OP.. FSogol.. Mahalo!

[FSogol]

146. Thanks. Good luck at your polls tomorrow. n/t

[Cha]

147. Thank you.. Same to you in

Northern VA!

[treestar]

185. Yes and even if they thought so they could vote Green or the like

Those parties having some votes sends some message. The "stay home" idea is pure assholery. Have no say and just let us "corporatists" keep running things. And it's usually the same people using the "they are all corporatists" thing. They could at least write in someone who is not a "corporatist" and that is what they would do for real. Suggesting staying home is ratfucking, period.

[whereisjustice]

144. Bullshit. Nothing but an attempt to stiffle dissent and defer blame. The OP has recorded 5000

views. 5 fucking thousand. 99% of those views COME FROM PEOPLE WHO VOTE because people interested in politics are the only ones who will view this OP and they are proven to be reliable voters.

So - this OP as a method of solving the millions of votes needed? It's 100% bullshit.

On the other hand, liberals who regularly post here demanding representation in the Democratic Party, get called "rat fuckers".

We tried to warn you that an increasingly intolerant, conservative and authoritarian Democratic Party was a guaranteed way to keep millions of people away from the polls.

This season of censorship is fulfilling it's purpose, kill unrepresented liberal voices to prevent us from having any influence, no matter how insignificant.

The OP is angry for no reason. They got the Democratic Party they wanted. Don't call us rat fucker's because it isn't attracting millions voters.

Now we're called rat fuckers.

At least the OP didn't call us fucking retarded. Yeah, that happened, too. We all see how that worked out Nov. 2010.

[humbled_opinion]

148. Your post is unhelpful...

What are you going to do? Depress turnout? Depress people in general, did you forget that the majority of senate seats up are in RED states thats right the COAL burning, oil drilling, gun toting, bible thumping areas where the typical liberal progressive message doesn't sell very well.....

[whereisjustice]

152. So you think calling dissenters "rat fuckers" is a way to get out the vote? Sure, sure. just like

global warming is a hoax.

Democratic conservatives would rather lose the election than appeal to economic and social populism.

Calling dissenters "rat fuckers" proves this.

[whereisjustice]

154. Furthermore, it is EXACTLY your, "if you can't beat them, join them" attitude that is turning

the Democratic Party more to the right every goddamn day.

Instead of getting out front with a strong show of principals and values, it's not stop triangulation and micro management.

It's fucking stupid. It only serves to make the insiders rich with none stop consulting. Rank and file, and the nation are suffering because of it.

Democrats toting guns, kissing bibles, and calling liberals "rat fuckers" -that's what isn't helpful

[Phlem]

161. NS!

Why am I not hearing things like fixing economic in equality, Securing Soc. Sec accounts so that they are forever untouchable except only by the account holder, a new infrastructure for the next 5 centuries, self reliance instead of "having" to import all the things that are currently not made here, (shit I could go on and on) from the Democratic party?

Instead our high water mark is "we're not as bad as they are". Or your a fuck for not voting it's ALL YOUR FAULT!

Fuck.

And now we being told to sit down and shut up by hacks.

This is not leading, this is shoring up the spineless.



People who don't vote do not have a grasp of the political process, which I would imagine is a minority on a website like DU.

[humbled_opinion]

165. Purists will lose, I say it is better to win

and be in a position to fight then to lose because of some rat fucker attitude that doesn't do anyone anygood.

[whereisjustice]

187. fuck that lazy ass purity bullshit, it's a way to prevent change and defend

the real rat bastards who are fucking all of us.

You bitch about GOTV and then cheer on how comfortable you are with the policies causing the continuing slide of the middle class. The purity police sit on their lazy asses and shoot down anyone demanding better for a corrupt political system. One that gets worse and worse each passing day.

Nothing is too bad for purity police - bankers fucking us over, torture, fracking, social security on the table, fucked up health care syswtem - it's all just a means to an end.

I'm calling bullshit. The ruling on the field stands.

[humbled_opinion]

193. You lost your mind, your rants are no longer

coherent. I think you are a troll trying to start crap and depress voter turnout..... I don't care what you call it but if you don't go out and vote straight Democratic ticket then you are part of the problem.

EOM..

[AgingAmerican]

214. The unnecessary, gleeful frogmarch to the right is the problem

It is the best way to keep folks from bothering to vote.

[Phlem]

220. It's glaringly obvious.

What was this thread about? .....something about rats and intercourse?

[LondonReign2]

215. Fuck calling the people with actual principles 'purists'

If you want to BE a Republican so badly why not join that party instead of trying to throw out all Democratic principles in order to "win"?

[Phlem]

221. It's the new black,

when a Liberal Democrat pushes back from conservative, Republican ideology, we're purists.

Insane isn't it?

[whereisjustice]

227. Yep, sure is. Incredible, actually. They should go to GOP

web site and demand they be more liberal instead of trying to tell us becoming Republican is the only way for Democrats to "win".

[Phlem]

228. Check it.

Another silence the dissenter tactic.
Playing ignorant.
Pathetic.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On Tue Nov 4, 2014, 05:05 PM an alert was sent on the following post:

It's the new black,
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=5758030

REASON FOR ALERT

This post is disruptive, hurtful, rude, insensitive, over-the-top, or otherwise inappropriate.

ALERTER'S COMMENTS

The "new black?" WTF?? This offhanded remark isn't the least bit clever, and frankly the sentiment is offensive. Please stop with the racial references.

You served on a randomly-selected Jury of DU members which reviewed this post. The review was completed at Tue Nov 4, 2014, 05:17 PM, and the Jury voted 1-6 to LEAVE IT.

Juror #1 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: The truth is the truth Don't be so sensitive.
Juror #2 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: No explanation given
Juror #3 voted to HIDE IT
Explanation: No explanation given
Juror #4 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: I'm not sure what the poster meant, and the alerter hasn't made clear what the racial reference is about; "the new black" us rapidly taking on a more universal, even generic, metaphor.
Juror #5 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: It does not mean what you think it means.

From Wiki:

Phrasal templates are akin to forms in which blanks are to be filled with data.

A word game that makes use of phrasal templates is Mad Libs.

The notion is used in natural language processing systems and in language generators, such as application-oriented report generators.

A neologism, "snowclone", was introduced to refer to a special case of phrasal templates that "clone" popular clichés. For example, "pink is the new red", Quiet Is the New Loud and the multitudes were spawned by "pink is the new black", according to the template "Y is the new X", which in its turn was a misquote of Diana Vreeland's "Pink is the navy blue of India".

See also: Orange is the New Black.
Juror #6 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: No explanation given
Juror #7 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: That's not a racial reference, it's a fashion reference.

Thank you very much for participating in our Jury system, and we hope you will be able to participate again in the future.

[whereisjustice]

231. Damn it. Very sorry. Don't want to drag you into this, but thanks for supporting my point...

you are clearly one of the good guys.

[Phlem]

232. Hey. No worries bud.

We all live on the same rock and most of us just want what's best for each of us w/o strings. I'm in this for the long haul because I love my wife and my little girl. Glad your on our side.

[Phlem]

155. First of all it's the truth and

second of all, this one post is going to depress voter turn out? I would consider focusing on the people who are actually rigging the election, the issue about losing 50,000 votes, and the politicians running from the ACA and Obama, than focusing on this infinitely insignificant post, cause that's really not going to get anything done.

"the typical liberal progressive message doesn't sell very well"

Really? I think your on the wrong website.

[Phlem]

157. "the typical liberal progressive message doesn't sell very well"

then why are you here?

Or do you come to muddy the waters?

[humbled_opinion]

167. Your inability to understand

that in order to accomplish anything you must have the power first, in order to get the power you must swallow your pride and need for purity in the party in order to get the attention of the brainwashed. Once you have their attention you can start to change their minds and show them the truth. That is what I expected President Obama to do and in many ways he has accomplished that. Don't your remember when he said about the ACA ...To his progressive friends this is the beginning and a means to an end with single payer.

Focus your antipathy and anger on the media whores who continue to brainwash average Americans into voting against their own self interests.

[Phlem]

204. I understand perfectly unfortunatley

Your focus on power first does not equate to accomplishing anything as we've witnessed for the last 8 years. Nice fantasy. Also the things that happen to get done, does not exactly equate to good things for the people. Again nice fantasy.

The best fantasy of all:

"That is what I expected President Obama to do and in many ways he has accomplished that."
I remember PBO and Rahm throwing liberals under the bus on Fox news, does that help get the vote out? Also Nice speeches do not equal action and lack of action does not equate to getting people to vote. This where one goes off on obstructionism.... but the plain fact is the general public doesn't either understand or care about obstructionism, they only remember the end product.

"Don't your remember when he said about the ACA ...To his progressive friends this is the beginning and a means to an end with single payer.
How's that going so far?

Party purity? What a joke. The 3rd way and neo-liberalism are conservative pro corporation ideals. Not agreeing with that ideology is party purity?

Nice story bud. Reading what you posted really makes me not want to vote, great job!

[Cha]

162. Oh, are you touchy.. no need to be if you're not a "ratfucker"..

Still Bitter After All these Years.. Tavis Smiley.. "ratfucking"..

"Not all African Americans leaders are encouraging black voter turnout, however, even in the shadow of Ferguson. Journalist and pundit are more about election year politics than a genuine desire to change policies.Tavis Smiley said in a recent interview with ABC News that "if you're black or brown, other than helping to save the Democrats' hide," there are no good reasons to turn out to vote this November. Smiley claimed that Democratic appeals to black voters"

"Anatomy of a Rat Fuck".. applegrove http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=5720321

[whereisjustice]

188. By your standards, racial slurs aren't a problem as long as you don't appear too racial. And

NSA spying isn't a problem if you aren't doing something wrong. And militarized police shouldn't bother you if you aren't doing something that makes the police suspicious of you.

Fuck that shit.

[humbled_opinion]

194. Which Democratic candidates were

supporting all that lame shit your yaking about?

[Marr]

173. +1

[Major Hogwash]

176. Nobody called you fucking retarded!!

I certainly don't see anyone saying that to you in this thread.

[whereisjustice]

189. here you go, calling liberals "fucking retarded" was part of Rahm's GOTV campaign of 2010

brilliant strategy, wasn't it? History repeats itself.

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=Rahm+Emanuel%3A+Liberals+Are+Fucking+Retarded

[humbled_opinion]

195. No but you are

nuttier than squirrel shit...

[Number23]

217. + a billion

[SidDithers]

191. Dude. You were banned for 3rd party advocacy when you posted as scentopine...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=profile&uid=237557&sub=trans

Now, we're supposed to believe that you have the best interests of the Democratic Party at heart? Pretending to be a Democrat while advocating against them. There's a name for that, isn't there?

Give me a fucking break.

And to the jurors, I'll take the hide if you think it's warranted. But I get so fucking sick and tired of zombies pretending to be something they're not. Sometimes they need to be called out.

Sid

[stevenleser]

205. And there you have it. nt

[Number23]

218. And once again, Sid dons his TrollBuster cape and saves the day.

What always, and I mean ALWAYS, cracks me up about this is the handful of folks that are always high fiving the zombie trolls with the +1s and attaboys. Always the same folks who love them some Dem hating, zombie trolls.

Birds of a feather, and all...

[JI7]

219. and they claim to be about principles, conscience, and taking any other moral high

[whereisjustice]

229. Stop harrassing me. Stop personal attacks against me. Your emotional outbursts disturbing.

[ucrdem]

153. Oh heck yes. The LULZ just keep on coming too.

Stealth baggers, to your catapults!

[baldguy]

159. And it's well underway on DU.

[ucrdem]

160. You might say It's Official

[Marr]

170. Your post is an example of blaming liberals for losses.

It's tiresome and transparent and exceedingly lame.

[Major Hogwash]

175. They aren't liberals.

[NanceGreggs]

177. And your post ...

... is an example of declaring that others are not liberals unless they meet your definition of the term.

Not to worry. There's a lot of that BS going around lately - and it seems to be contagious.

[NYC Liberal]

203. But the people doing it are NOT liberals. Or even Democrats.

And additionally, not all people offering criticism are going what is described in the OP.

[Phlem]

206. agreed.

Look at all the ratfucking going on by the people supposedly calling it out. It's like watching the teaparty.

what an embarrassment.

[applegrove]

172. Makes total sense.

[djean111]

180. I know how to fix this!

Perhaps the Third Way folks can just assign some interns to do all of the posting here at DU!
Or, at least, examine every single post for cheerleading-icity.

I am curious - if Hillary has the nomination bestowed upon her, will hating on the TPP be rat-fucking?

[whereisjustice]

190. Wait, don't forget OFA interns... it's what they live for

[Phlem]

207. yes, bringing up issues equates to ratfucking now.

So get in line shut up and vote like a good citizen, and only for Democrats no matter how conservative and transparent they might be. now shut up and vote!

[sammy750]

181. Bills Filibustered in the Senate by the GOP.

All these bills were to help the college students, unemployed, women rights and the GOP blocked them in 2104. This is a party that wants to control the nation. Wake up voters.
Bill: S.2199 Paycheck fairness Act
Bill: S.2578 Protect women Health act.
Bill: S.2363 Bipartisan Sportsmen Act
Bill: S.2432 Student Emergency Loan refinance Act
Bill: S.2223 Minimum Wage Fairness Act
Bill: S.1845 Emergency unemployment Compensation Extension Act
Bill S1569 Default prevention Act.
All these bills and many more were blocked in 2014 by M. McConnell and the GOP. These bill were to help the nation and the people.

What is the real agenda of the GOP? It is to stop the government from working. With McConnell as Senate leader, he will repeal many of Obama works of ART. He will take this nation back 40/50 years in pollution, economy, jobs, health care, EPA, Education. McConnell is the real ISIS working with Boehner. So beware voters what you are asking for with the GOP leadership in charge.

[raouldukelives]

183. You left out the true ratfuckers. Those who invest & support Wall St.

It is the corporations that are dividing this nation. That are pushing for new Jim Crow laws and for more privatization of prisons and education. That are denying climate change and denying us safety nets. That care only about money and making more of it any way possible. Damn the consequences.
Those who provide material support & comfort to the greatest enemies of our causes are overlooked and those who post messages read by dozens on obscure internet message boards are clearly focused on as the ones to blame.

[whereisjustice]

192. wait - they said it was Glenn Greenwald's fault, you mean it isn't?

[Phlem]

208. This is so spot on but unfortunately they don't get this.

They are to busy beating people up in the party to be aware of issues like this that are to numerous to count.
Like I've said before, it's like talking to Republicans, the impenetrable wall of ignorance has been perfected.

[SidDithers]

196. DU rec...

And what a surprise. The perpetually outraged are outraged about this thread.



Sid

[SomethingFishy]

211. How many Democratic votes left your house Sid?

Only 5 straight "D" tickets left mine, an awful lot for a "perpetually outraged" Democrat.

But I digress, you are the better Democrat with... how many votes Sid?

[philly_bob]

200. Did you just call fellow Dems concerned about voting machine procedures Rat Fucks?

As a matter of principle, I don't use ALERT complaint procedure, but you're over-the-top, pal.

We read reports of voting machine misbehavior on election day because that's when we learn about them.

That said, I (and 99% of DU) will vote.

[stevenleser]

201. Kick nt

[MannyGoldstein]

223. You've raised the bar on irony by a full foot. nt

[Phlem]

226. giggles :) :) :) :) :) :) Perfect.

[AgingAmerican]

212. Nothing like an election day circular firing squad OP

....to get people out to the polls! Well played!

[Jamastiene]

224. Yup.

I voted despite the insults on DU. Funny how in a red state like NC, I just voted for my ex-mayor earlier this morning. He is a very blue Democrat who was excoriated by the Republicans for voting with Obama on the Medicaid expansion part of the ACA. Depending on which lying Republican ad you saw, Senator Hagan also voted with Obama either 95% or 99% of the time. The Republican leaning PACs claimed both numbers in various political commercials. Nah, liberal intestinal fortitude in a red state is impossible to run on, but my ex-mayor just did and Kay Hagan did too. I hope they both win.

I don't see how hating on parts of the Democratic Party and calling us ratfuckers is going to unify the party at all. I voted despite the insults being hurled on DU, because no matter what kind of hateful, party-dividing bullying nonsense is happening on DU, I'm voting.

[stupidicus]

213. that's nothing but nonsense

critics are on the job 24/7/365 before and after the election, just as the hippybashers are.

I know this because they've spewed the same thing after and prior to the elections, and all times in between. The only thing I haven't seen yet is the claim that this "debate" or exclamations like "both the same" only occurs in close proximity to the elections.

[Number23]

216. Sorry I missed this but K&R now

[rhett o rick]

222. This OP is nothing but a giant Strawman aimed at disparaging the Left at election time.

You failed to provide a single link to prove your tired allegations. This OP looks like an attempt to divide the party.

You are looking for someone to blame and you ain't got Ralph Nader.

[Jamaal510]

234. How did I miss this thread?! eom

[BainsBane]

237. They have made their contempt for the Democratic Party clear for well over a year now

and they got exactly what they wanted.


As for the people who keep insisting they and only they are the "left": repeating the term left thirty times a day doesn't make someone a leftist, particularly when their political concerns are fundamentally conservative--either focused entirely on the great man notion of politics or openly contemptuous of the concerns of the non-white male, working- class, and lower-middle class majority of the population. This OP doesn't attack the "left;" It attacks right-wingers who rat fuck. That some can't distinguish between the two tells me they have no idea of what leftist really is.