DU and FR mentioned in news story about Internet grassroots politics

[dumpster_baby]

This news story details the right vs left political grassroots battles on the net which have taken place on sites like FR and DU, and what tactics are used ("enemies lists" and lawsuits).

Some excerpts:

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Grass-roots political Internet sites have been springing up since the 2001 terrorist attacks. Those on the right vilify anyone who does not support President Bush and the Iraq war as communists and un-American, while those on the left use common curses to describe people on the right as fascists.
....

Altogether, the Internet chatter is part of the partisan echo chamber of talk radio and political cable television shows that some experts believe has intensified the polarization of America's electorate. Polls indicate American voters are at their most divided in a decade, with a partisan split on national security at its highest level since the late 1980s. A Pew Research Center poll conducted earlier this year also found the number of people who get presidential campaign news from the Internet grew from 9 percent in 2000 to 13 percent this year. The number of people getting campaign news from traditional sources such as television networks and newspapers has declined as much as 10 percent.
....


"The people who tend to go to these sites are people whose views are pretty well entrenched," Gimpel said. "It's likely to enhance polarization. It's likely to enhance extremism. But it's not likely to create many converts."

...
Postings on the FreeRepublic site often urge readers to call the employers of liberals to report their anti-war sentiments. Doug said he was motivated to post the enemies list because his son-in-law is in the Navy and one of the signers of the anti-war petition identified himself as being in the U.S. Coast Guard.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>


Du is mentioned in the sidebar on the right:

"Liberal: Democraticunderground.com -- Those who use the site are called DUers."



More here:

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/front/2650296

[NMDemDist2]

1. well that may go a ways to explaining the level 2 shutdown

thanks for posting

[lovedems]

2. That article does a great job of showing how bad the RW sites are.

They didn't refer to liberals as calling people traitors or communists but the worse liberals did was boycott advertisers on Limpballs!

Doug from upland. That guy is an idiot.

snip
Doug said he was motivated to post the enemies list because his son-in-law is in the Navy and one of the signers of the anti-war petition identified himself as being in the U.S. Coast Guard.

"That man had no right to have these feelings if he was in the military," Doug said.

His photograph is posted on the FreeRepublic site, but he did not want to be interviewed using his last name because of concern that a liberal backlash would harm his business.

"They're foul-mouthed and vile and they call for violent behavior," Doug said.

[GiovanniC]

4. I Love How Doug

Thinks he has the authority to decide what feelings people have the right to have.

[lovedems]

5. He is a dangerous idiot. His patriotism is whack.

I saw a freeper thread yesterday where Doug had a script ready for a RW documentary. You know, the Saddam/AQ links! He just needs a corporate backer! LOL! :crazy:

[proud patriot]

3. Woa both DU and TBTM are linked ...

Woo Hoo :D

[wildeyed]

6. Notice what a hypocrite Dougie is.

He doesn't want to be identified in the article because he wants to avoid persecution for his political beliefs, but he has no problem invading other peoples privacy and persecuting them for theirs. And calling people's employers to report them for their political beliefs. That's so nuts!

[PaDUer]

7. Does anyone live in or near

Upland, CA? We know his name is Doug, and anyone can always find out who this whackjob is!

[Jackpine Radical]

8. That strikes me as an egregiously bad idea.

I MIGHT consider sinking to their level if there were some desperate, or at least sensible, reason for doing so. There is not in this case.

[wildeyed]

9. It is a bad idea,

but what a coward this man is using an anonymous internet forum to post people's full identities. I mean they have no way to answer, which I guess is the point. Dougie has a right to his beliefs, even if they are stupid, and if he would stand up and debate his views I might have a teeny-tiny bit of respect for him. But to hide behind anonymity while persecuting others is vile. Just another example of RW hypocrisy in action.

[PaDUer]

10. Hypocrisy in action is correct..

these are the guys who wanted * his war, but you don't see them enlisting and are bitching 240 at their base..What an interesting next few weeks this is going to be.