Short Term Memory Loss is Epidemic on DU

[ProfessorPlum]

I often wonder what it is like to wake up every day and be struck afresh by the fact that a certain Senator who is very progressive and works hard with the Democrats for progressive policies is not actually a member of the Democratic party.

Like Drew Barrymore in 50 First Dates, they awake this to factoid every day, and are so gobsmacked by it, they feel they need to post it whenever the Senator is mentioned. And sometimes when he is not!

The best we can do for our afflicted friends is to gently remind them that we all already know this fact, and that even though it seems like it is of paramount importance, the rest of us don't actually give a shit.

[Kaleva]

1. Auto trash by keyword works well for me.

When the key words are in the OP.

[ProfessorPlum]

4. I've used more of a "ignore this amnesiac" approach, which has quieted down much

of the daily discovery. but not enough

[Warpy]

15. I've done that since DU came back up after the election

It's amazing how many of them have been FFR and PPR. I deleted about 10 of them last week.

And no, I don't alert on threads unless they're truly egregious. I mostly just trash them, unread, if it's a primary rehash thread. Then I get called to serve on a jury over the resulting pissing contest, sometimes I just can't win.

My own rule is that if you can't say anthing nice about someone who works closely with the Democrats or who is a Democrat, then take it over to Discussionist. You'll find plenty of nodding heads and positive feedback to bile over there.

[ProfessorPlum]

17. a good rule

[Kaleva]

78. Apparently there's a lot of Hillary vs. Bernie fighting going on

I don't see much of it as I have the words Hillary, Bernie, Sanders auto trashed , along with Mensch and Taylor, but the auto trash feature doesn't check for the key words in the body of an OP. Only in the title. Also, many of the juries I serve on are about the Hillary - Sanders pissing contest.

[EllieBC]

107. What is FFR and PPR? NT

[Warpy]

108. Flagged for Review and Posting Privileges Revoked

The former gives a chronic offended a long time out and the latter kicks him/her over the goalposts, out of the stadium.

[EllieBC]

109. Thanks!

Is there a thread here with all the acronyms?

[tymorial]

51. Yes it does work rather well

I feel bad using it sometimes but quite frankly I grow tired of the variations on theme and constant repetition.

[brush]

98. The memory will come back if a certain someone thinks he'll get to run as...

again as a Democrat.

That won't happen.

[stonecutter357]

116. +1000

[Leith]

2. Thank You!

He has caucused with the Democratic Party, voted with the Democratic Party, and worked towards the same things.

Yet many people here rant that he does not put the letter "D" after his name.

That says one of two things:
1. Labels mean more than anything else to some people.

or

2. These posters are here to disrupt and drive that wedge between allies.

Which is it?

Whew! At least one thread sure to raise pointless bickering that I won't be called to jury duty for!

[ProfessorPlum]

3. Those are the only two explanations I can think of

oh, and short term memory loss, of course

[Skittles]

10. 3)

General disgust at the opportunism displayed when someone becomes a (D) ONLY when it is convenient.

[ProfessorPlum]

16. the point is proven

[Skittles]

23. you are not fooling anyone

[tomp]

114. Would you have preferred he run as an independent in the general?

But the professor is right. The label seems to be primary for you.

[tiredtoo]

55. Yep N/T

[bettyellen]

27. THIS!

[NurseJackie]

31. ###

[CherokeeFiddle]

61. Only when convenient

Wow.

[snort]

93. Tribalism.

The enlightened feel they are above it.

[Leith]

106. I'm Not Any More Enlightened Than Anyone Else Here

In fact, I learn new stuff every time I log on.

I'm just sick and tired of the bickering. Both Hillary and Bernie have had good messages, both fought for what they believe in against insurmountable odds, and they have the deep scars to prove it.

I refuse to take sides because I decided to follow one or the other. I follow ideas and ideology, NOT personalities. I see excellent qualities in both Sanders and Clinton and maybe a few minor things that I don't like so much, but not enough to throw either in the trash heap.

It's long past time to unite against the real enemies. Let's get off each other's asses.

[Catch2.2]

95. Well said

Well said!

[Blue_Tires]

5. If you don't properly understand the issue, just come out and say so...

[ProfessorPlum]

7. I think I more than understand it

I swim in its ocean. I bask in its rays. I lounge in its cushions.

[Jim Lane]

42. Unlike you, I do not lounge in its cushions.

Instead, I scrounge around between its cushions to see if any loose change fell in there.

So far I've found nothing of value.

[NastyRiffraff]

129. How very...poetic

or something. Useless, maybe.

[Lisa0825]

6. .

[world wide wally]

13. I soooo agree with you

This is the most stupid and self destructive BS going on.
Period

[onecaliberal]

74. +1000

[yuiyoshida]

103. I agree...

[Skittles]

8. LOL

there is memory loss, but you are referring to the wrong people

[ProfessorPlum]

9. LOL

[USALiberal]

35. No, but the ones he is referring to can't figure it out. LOL. n/t

[Jim Lane]

44. We've forgotten about all those attack ads Bernie ran about Hillary's emails.

You know, the ones that paved the way for Trump's campaign.

In fact, we've even forgotten that, if it hadn't been for Bernie and his campaign, then Trump would have campaigned solely on the basis of a reasoned, thoughtful presentation of a conservative philosophy of governance, a campaign utterly devoid of any personal attacks on his opponent.

Very sad, our persistent forgetfulness.

[CherokeeFiddle]

62. It was a primary, they aren't supposed to be nicey nicey

[ProfessorPlum]

130. brilliant

If only we'd had Trump's more thoughtful, gentle, nuanced campaign that Sanders robbed us of.

[Demsrule86]

11. I gently suggest, you listen to his comments about the Democratic Party on the Sunday shows.

[Demsrule86]

12. I would say this, I saw the Connecticut Yankee Post and for you to use this is really a horrible

thing to do..dementia is a terrible illness.

[DFW]

36. Well, you know, there IS precedent

Unfortunately, that was by the one you would think least likely to be chosen as our favorite role model, but you know, different strokes for different folks.

In other words, I REALLY hope the timing is an unfortunate coincidence. Like you, I find this more unfortunate than coincidence.

[ucrdem]

105. Accidental or unconscious, it is indeed in bad taste. Decency would indicate a self-delete.

JMHO.

[DFW]

112. You ask much. n/t

[Demsrule86]

117. It makes me sick that another DUer would do this to one of our own...use her

very personal post...which was heart wrenching.


https://www.democraticunderground.com/10029596970

[DFW]

128. I was more than a little blown off my seat, too.

These days, a lot of barriers are being blown away, and not just seawalls in the Caribbean.

[Arazi]

14. Or they're paid disruptors. They were used very effectively by Russian intel in 2016

I'm more convinced than ever, these folks are deliberately picking that scab open on a daily basis to keep us from uniting for upcoming races

[FuzzyRabbit]

20. Bingo!

[Ken Burch]

24. That's really the only explanation.

No one who wants their party to recover from a defeat would relentlessly post things that do nothing but alienate the voters we need to make that recovery.

[Jim Lane]

45. I respectfully disagree. I apply Hanlon's Law.

Never ascribe to malevolence what can be adequately explained by stupidity.

[Dave Starsky]

26. This.

We know they hang out here. We know they have pulled all kinds of shit, including crashing the fucking site last November. So why is it so hard for people to accept that this could likely be happening.?

[yardwork]

64. You mean like creating this thread?

[Madam45for2923]

18. People at TYT also remind people of it all the time. I see that you like them a lot.

Here they are talking about Bernie saying very nice & unifying things about us DEMS & our party!

Got to love them.

VIVA LA VIDA UNITED.

ProfessorPlum
0. Short Term Memory Loss is Epidemic on DU

I often wonder what it is like to wake up every day and be struck afresh by the fact that a certain Senator who is very progressive and works hard with the Democrats for progressive policies is not actually a member of the Democratic party.

Like Drew Barrymore in 50 First Dates, they awake this to factoid every day, and are so gobsmacked by it, they feel they need to post it whenever the Senator is mentioned. And sometimes when he is not!

The best we can do for our afflicted friends is to gently remind them that we all already know this fact, and that even though it seems like it is of paramount importance, the rest of us don't actually give a shit.

[Eliot Rosewater]

29. Dear god, when will people figure this shit OUT!

I am saying nothing, however, last time I criticized Cenk here i was silenced.

[NurseJackie]

30. All that unity! Ooooh... it tingles me!

[MFM008]

125. Today's fact?

Swimming pools on the Titanic. ..remain full.


Sorry. Couldn't resist.

[WinkyDink]

19. That certain Senator probably awakes with the very same gobsmacked reaction! "WTH am I not a

Democrat?!"

[ProfessorPlum]

33. This made me laugh

[beastie boy]

21. Have you tried asking Bernie?

It seems like he wakes up every day and reminds us all he is not a member of the Democratic Party. And we are struck afresh with his stubborn refusal to join it.

[FuzzyRabbit]

22. Which is more important,

the values and goals and policies a candidate espouses, or the D after the name? To me, party label is not the most important thing.

[TexasBushwhacker]

79. Yup, when it comes to his voting record

Sanders votes with the Democrats more than some of the folks with Ds after their names, like Manchin. According to GovTrack's ideology score, Elizabeth Warren is #1 most progressive with Sanders and Markey tied for #2.

https://www.govtrack.us/congress/members/report-cards/2016/senate/ideology

[Mr. Evil]

25. I really don't give a shit what letter follows his name.

As long as he keeps promoting good policy and legislation, I'll keep paying attention.

[packman]

32. I like Bernie as a guy and as a progressive

Hell, even if he was (hard to believe this fantasy) a Repuke, I'd still respect him and his progressive policies.

[mucifer]

34. Divide and conquer is what the republicans and russians want. You are playing into it.

[ProfessorPlum]

37. Yes, fighting against the dividers

Helps the dividers. Logic much?

[mucifer]

88. Huh? I'm saying we should work together for common goals. The democrats, the democratic socialists

all of us with common goals.

Starting thread like this doesn't help IMO.

[NanceGreggs]

38. LOL!!!

No one is "gobsmacked' by the fact that Bernie isn't a Democrat. He himself has made that point over and over.

If anyone is "struck afresh" by anything, it's the insistence that Bernie should not only be treated as a member of a party he has steadfastly refused to join, but that he should be dictating what that party should and shouldn't be doing.

Some say the (D) behind a name doesn't matter. And yet it mattered A LOT to Bernie when he wanted to use the Democratic Party's resources to further his own political ambitions - which he fully admitted. He couldn't wait to get that (D) attached to his name when it served his purposes - and couldn't wait to rid himself of it the minute he lost the nomination.

"After everything I've said about the party, I would be a hypocrite if I ever ran as a Democrat."
- Bernie Sanders

[vkkv]

56. Not so funny, Nance. If only Ralph Nader HAD RUN and lost as a Dem in the 2000 primary

instead of as a Green Party G.E. candidate, eh?

Wow, that would've changed history.

It's impossible to know of Ralph's voters made the difference in Florida. Michael Moore thinks they did.

Perhaps if "a certain Dem" ran as an Indie in 2016 and split the ticket three ways... Would HRC be Pres? Doubtful.

Uh oh, now I'm touching primary discussion rule-breaking.. 'oh darn'.

[NanceGreggs]

68. Which has what to do ...

... with what I posted?

You seem to be ignoring the fact that had Bernie run as an independent, there wouldn't have been the huge rallies and the media attention that led to them. By Bernie's own admission, that was WHY he wanted to run as a Dem, because he never would have gotten the coverage he needed had he run as an Indy.

So "splitting the ticket three ways" would never have happened, because the big rallies would never have happened, the outpouring of donations to his campaign never would have happened - which means the print media ads never would have happened due to lack of funds.

You forget that millions upon millions of voters never heard of Bernie Sanders until he ran on the ticket of a major party, which is why he needed to run as a Democrat. He pointed this out himself many times.

Refighting the primaries? I don't see how analyzing Bernie's strategy is refighting anything. It is simply a matter of fact that without the resources of the Dem party at his disposal, Bernie's "indy" run would have lacked the publicity and money necessary to mount a feasible campaign.

[vkkv]

72. ""had Bernie run as an independent, there wouldn't have been the huge rallies and the media

attention that led to them"

You do not know that, no one in their right mind can say that. The continuation of your argument based on that ill-conceived notion is moot.
Ralph Nader rec'd over 100,000+ votes in Florida. Bernie was far more respected and well-known than candidate Nader, in relative times.


You wrote:: ""You forget that millions upon millions of voters never heard of Bernie Sanders until he ran on the ticket of a major party, which is why he needed to run as a Democrat. He pointed this out himself many times.""

Yes, millions, so what? And - No, what he admitted was that to WIN and NOT split the ticket ( remember? He didn't want to do that), he needed the Dem machine behind him otherwise he would have been just another spoiler/Nader. This is why it was an absolute for him to switch to Dem party.

""Refighting the primaries? I don't see how analyzing Bernie's strategy is refighting anything. ""

That is what I'd hope, but DU rules are DU rules and there is a DU rule about arguing over the primaries.. crazy, huh?

From my In-Box::

One of your posts has been removed:

It was judged to have broken this forum rule:

Don't keep fighting the last Democratic presidential primary

yeah yeah yeah..

[NanceGreggs]

77. Yes, I DO know that.

It's common sense.

Had Bernie run as an independent, the media would have treated him as "that crazy, wild-haired old man from Vermont who thinks can he beat the nominees of the two major political parties".

This was exactly the reason Bernie himself gave when asked why he chose to run as a Dem rather than as an indy.

When I say millions of voters never heard of Bernie, I mean many, many millions. And were it not for having the publicity garnered by running on the Dem ticket, they still wouldn't have heard of him to this day.

If you think those huge rallies would have happened had Bernie run as an indy, I can't help you. People don't show up for someone they've never even heard of. People don't contribute to the campaign coffers of someone they've never heard of.

Yet again, I'd point out that Bernie himself admitted that he never would have had the publicity he needed to run a viable campaign had he not run as a Democrat.

[ProfessorPlum]

59. Sanders also helps the Democratic party

by giving them some progressive policies the get behind. Generating some excitement. etc.

Otherwise, why did the Democratic party allow him to run for the nomination? If it was a one way street of all benefiting Sanders and hurting the Democratic party, then they are too stupid to get out of bed in the morning.

But I don't believe they are stupid. They knew that his run would generate a lot of popular interest for the party.

It's a symbiosis. And it's working well for everyone involved. Except here, it seems.

[vkkv]

63. Good points. nt

[mcar]

84. The Democratic Party was already behind progressive policies

Do we really need to keep pushing myths? There is another thread, just today, that shows proof of that.

[mcar]

67. He's the "leader" of the party, according to some

And some wonder why the reminder is necessary.

[LiberalLovinLug]

39. Thanks professor

It reminds me of this insightful book by Dr. Seuss.

[left-of-center2012]

40. "the rest of us don't actually give a shit"

[Omaha Steve]

53. Bernie was NEVER a D

Why do you think he was?

OS

[lapucelle]

71. Because he said he was.

COOPER: "You had said that Hillary Clinton is a progressive on some days. Is that fair? Because there are some Democrats who -- I mean in your heart are you a Democrat?"

SANDERS: Sure. I have made a decision to run for the Democratic nomination to be president of the United States. I was for 16 years in the House Democratic Caucus, for nine years in the Senate Democratic Caucus.

Right now I am the ranking member of the Budget Committee, appointed by the Democratic leadership and membership. A couple of years ago I was very proudly the chairman of the Senate Veterans Committee. So of course I am a Democrat and running for the Democratic nomination.

http://www.cnn.com/2016/02/03/politics/democratic-town-hall-transcript/

[Omaha Steve]

80. Be sure EVERY single time some DUer says he was never a D you post this

Thanks for clearing it up!

[lapucelle]

85. He told Chris Hayes in May 2017 that he is no longer a Democrat.

"Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said Tuesday night that he still does not consider himself a Democrat despite taking part in a Democratic National Committee (DNC) unity tour with the party's new chairman, Tom Perez.

'No, I'm an Independent,' Sanders said when asked by MSNBC's Chris Hayes whether he now identifies as a Democrat".

http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/329418-sanders-i-do-not-consider-myself-a-democrat

[lapucelle]

86. But then again his campaign told Bloomberg News

that he would be a Democrat for life.

http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/dem-primaries/277086-sanders-will-be-democrat-for-life-campaign-says

[lapucelle]

87. And then he told Chuck Todd yesterday that he is both

an Independent and a Democrat!

CHUCK TODD: "Speaking of the Democratic Party, you're, in some ways, the most influential member of it. Yet you're not technically a member of it. The filing deadline to file as a Democrat for the United States Senate in Vermont in 2018 is about three months earlier than it is for you to file as an Independent. It's in May. Do you plan to file as a Democrat or as an Independent, when you run for reelection in 2018?"

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS: "Well, I will do what I have done in the past. Let me just say something about this, the current model of the Democratic Party obviously is not working. Republicans control the House, the Senate. They control the White House. They control two-thirds of the governors offices throughout this country. In my view, Chuck, what we need to do is to reach out to Independents. There are a heck of a lot more Independents in this country than there are Republicans or Democrats. I am an Independent. I've always been a Democrat. I have worked within the Democratic caucus in the House and the Senate for over 25 years. I'll continue to do that."

https://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press/meet-press-september-17-2017-n802121

[Omaha Steve]

89. A Democratic Socialist with an Independent streak caucuses with Ds

Got it.

[lapucelle]

94. He forgot the "democratic socialist" part

when he answered Chuck's question yesterday.

Dang. No wonder everyone is confused.

[Omaha Steve]

96. See below

[lapucelle]

100. You remembered it.

I remembered it too and included it in my comprehensive compilation of affiliations and non-affiliations.

But it's not in the MTP transcript, and that's the most recent iteration of the situation at hand.

[lapucelle]

91. I think I figured it out.

He's an unaffiliated democratic socialist who doesn’t identify as a Democrat, but who has always been a Democrat who is also an Independent.

[lapucelle]

73. He declared as a Democrat on an FEC

candidacy document and then signed his name attesting to the document's truth and accuracy.

http://docquery.fec.gov/pdf/533/15031422533/15031422533.pdf

[lapucelle]

75. He also said the same thing to George Stephanopolis

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (I-VT), DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: "Well, let me -- let -- let me respond. I am proud of the fact that that I am a longest serving Independent in the history of the United States Congress. That's what the people of Vermont voted for. I made a decision in this presidential election that I will run as a Democrat. I am a Democrat now."

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/week-transcript-donald-trump-ben-carson/story?id=35044135

[Blue Ridge Virginia]

43. Thanks for eliciting another manifestation of the circular firing squad

which added another dozen names to my ignore list. WHEN, 2018, 2020, 2022, will the anti-Sanders brigade focus more on Republicans than a single Independent as "the enemy" of Democrats?

[MuseRider]

54. Up until Bernie

they were still crapping on Nader, and some still do. Nope, they will never forget. Just be prepared to deal with this forever.

[BlueWI]

83. Amen.

The future awaits. Will we STILL be looking at a Republican majority in 2018 and 2020? The dialogue on DU suggests that not a thing was learned about expanding the party's base, even after a disastrous election.

[Arazi]

97. Double Amen eom

[Iggo]

46. He was mean to Sec. Clinton.

That's all that matters.

[vkkv]

48. Funny! But true.. the primarys ARE OVER! We have more important things to AGREE on and

work to do.

[Arazi]

99. True dat and a major source of current discord

[George II]

104. Здравствуйте

[Podkayne K]

47. Why are you so worried about...

Angus King? He is an independent. He seems to vote correctly most times, and he isn't out there constantly and consistently bashing Democrats. If someone else is doing that, then they deserve to be called out and hammered for it every time.

[alfredo]

49. Short term memory problems? Blame it on the Kush consumed by DU members.

[Scurrilous]

52. Smarmy much?

[democratisphere]

57. More like total amnesia.

[applegrove]

58. Maybe Democrats would not have put forward a single payer health

care plan before Trumpcare would be forced to get 60 Senate votes to pass. You know... coordinate. Hold off for a few weeks. Plan. Now Linsay Graham has broke bad and loves Trumpcare.

[heaven05]

60. he's just a minor leader

of a minor faction/wing of the Democratic Party. What's the big deal....? You're right I can't give a shit about something like that and I don't.

[Curmudgeoness]

69. I will second all that you said. A Rec isn't enough to show my appreciation.

I cannot believe the in-fighting and hatred for a progressive here.

Thank you for saying it so well, because if I decide to post an OP about how I feel about the hatred, I would not be as kind...which is why I don't.

[NYC Liberal]

81. I don't give a damn what Sanders calls himself.

I have no respect for the man.

He has spent years trashing the Democratic party and attacking progressive Democrats (like President Obama and Hillary Clinton).

Yet all of sudden when he decides he wants to be president, he throws his principles to the wind and joins the party he believes is so corrupt and comparable to the GOP solely because he knew he’d never get the funding or publicity without doing so.

And then when he lost in a landslide, he went right back to being an Independent. Oh and barely lifted a finger to support the Democratic nominee besides a few tepid words of support and mealy mouthed condemnation of the detestable “Bernie or Bust” crowd.

[ProfessorGAC]

123. Oh Brother!

I expected a more open mind from you NYCL

[Eliot Rosewater]

132. That is how I saw it, see it.

[George II]

133. A couple of things about what you said:

First, he went back to being an independent a month before the Convention, and to those who will say that in Vermont there are no party affiliations, Patrick Leahy has been running as a DEMOCRAT since at least 1975.

Second, his first major campaign appearance in support of Hillary Clinton was after Labor Day, more than a month after the Convention. Apparently he had more important things to do.

[Gothmog]

134. Great post

[RandomAccess]

82. To the max

[zentrum]

90. Thank you Professor. nt

[UTUSN]

92. Could it be because he's the loudest voice of a party he's not even a member of?!

Not to mention that he gobsmack-SMACKS the party he isn't even a member of every day?!1

[Persondem]

101. Well, I don't give a shit that you don't give a shit ....

...'cuz if you really didn't give a shit you wouldn't have started this thread.

BTW it is DEMOCRATIC Underground ... not "politicians who use the party infrastructure when it suits them" Underground.

[chwaliszewski]

110. I like Bernie.

[a la izquierda]

111. Teehee...

I love this post. DU has become insufferable.

[Warren DeMontague]

113. yep

[Raster]

115. Yes!

[Trumpocalypse]

118. Stop being so defensive. nt

[stonecutter357]

119. fuck putin......

[IronLionZion]

120. When will someone remind us Trump used to be a Democrat?

Because Trumpsters say it whenever something terrible comes up from his past. Oh he was a Democrat back then. Those people don't have any values.

[Orsino]

121. Until he is tried, convicted and sentenced for the crime of primarying Clinton...

...his critical comments about the party will never get a fair hearing.

[disillusioned73]

122. K&R..

and sorry.. lol

?downsize=715 &output-format=auto&output-quality=auto

[Act_of_Reparation]

124. Short term memory is effective for up to 10 minutes.

You're talking about the plasticity of long term memory. Which is not unusual. Read anything by Loftus.

[ehrnst]

126. Lots of passive agressive flamebaiting going on, too.

[flamingdem]

127. LOL

You rock PP

What you see is what you get with Bernie and it's pretty consistent and honest.

[LostinRed]

131. As I began to read this I thought not this shit again

But nicely said. Count me in the don't give a shit group

[LittleBlue]

135. A coping technique. They thought an orange, daughter lusting, sexually assaulting

moronic buffoon would never win against someone they consider to be the smartest, most capable person ever. The more reasonable people said this would happen, citing polls showing likability and pointing out that she was beaten despite the long odds before. We were run off the forum.

They didn't listen then, they won't listen now. The new thing is that Bernie cost her the election. There's no point in discussion with that group, just use ignore liberally.

[ProfessorPlum]

136. good advice