Amazing! So far DU is Polling Negative on Cindy Sheehan like the Bush Polls! 21 % Anti-Sheehan...

[KoKo]

Now...these are preliminary numbers since the final tally isn't in yet...but I've been watching this DU Poll since it was first posted earlier today...and it's amazing how well DU correlates in opinion polls of how Americans feel about Bush & Co...and how it translates to our OWN DEM (admittedly Unscientific Poll of Democratic Undergrounders views on Cindy Sheehan).

Reading "DU," this weekend I would have gotten the impression that Sheehan was DEAD MEAT... long time DU posters even saying "Don't let Door Hit your ASS ...GOODBYE."

YET...the DU POLL ...so far...seems to say Sheehan is very POPULAR STILL HERE ON "DU?"

What's going on here? :shrug:

There's still time to VOTE on this POLL if you think I'm misrepresenting it. MAKE YOUR VOICE KNOWN!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=986803&mesg_id=986803

[hlthe2b]

1. Ahem... only 420 votes total... how is that representative of DU?

at all?

[KoKo]

2. It's Memorial Day Weekend and many are on Vacation and busy wiht Family...

so not everyone has had chance to vote. I said it was "preliminary" in my post. Give it some time to see how it goes...but it's interesting so far.

[John Q. Citizen]

3. It's a trend....

[newportdadde]

20. It could be very representative we have no real way of knowing how many users DU has.

[hlthe2b]

22. We know there are more than 104,000 registered users...

and far more lurkers. That N=420 equates to only 0.4%, based on registered users.... Definitely no way to say THAT is representative even if the poll were random, which it clearly is not.


Just saying... a few intentional disruptors or others with an agenda can skew it very easily.

[valerief]

4. The poll is being freeped with the anti votes. nt

[buff2]

5. There are a lot of sick people in this group

It's really embarrassing to read a lot of these threads knowing we are supposed to be on the other side of Freeptard Republic,but some of the people in here are no damn better than they are. They are as vicious as freepers and you all know who you are. It's a disgrace.I have to skip over a lot of the garbage that's posted in here,it's so disgusting and outrageous.That's one reason I don't spend a lot of time here.

BTW......I would NEVER say anything bad about Cindy. She has worked so hard for our cause and lost her son over the little bu$h kid and his wanting to play war games.

How many people in this group would spend hours,days,weeks, months and YEARS on the road protesting that insane bastard and his nazi policies? While everyone here is snug in their cozy little beds at night she has slept outside in tents in all kinds of miserable weather.

God,there are a lot of ungrateful selfish cold hearted people in this group. Yeah,I know....this post will be deleted before anyone can finish reading it. It won't be the first time my posts have been zapped for expressing my opinion.

[derby378]

6. Don't bother - the poll's locked now

I applaud Cindy's efforts. And if all goes well, ginbarn and I shall see her again this August at Camp Casey.

[FloridaJudy]

8. Please offer her best wishes

From the majority of us who refused to join in the Cindy-bashing. I think it's sad that this woman who has already endured so much was savaged by a few DU's (and who knows how many trolls). If she's ticked off at the Democratic Party, I can certainly understand that: I think a lot of us felt betrayed when our Congresspeople caved. I personally intend to stick around and be the persistent gadfly at their picnic, but Cindy is certainly entitled to a rest now.

But don't let her think that she doesn't still have friends here.

[Elidor]

7. Locked

I was going to cast a vote in favor of Cindy.

I think most of us still understand where she's coming from, regardless of our differing opinions on her actions. She may be off the reservation, but she'll continue to fight the good fight. I wish her luck.

[elocs]

9. I was just going to vote for Cindy also, but found it locked. ??? n/t

[NastyRiffraff]

10. I didn't vote in that poll because...

The poll answers were black or white, saint or sinner, American heroine or "attention whore." I think of Cindy (as I think of almost anyone) as somewhere in between.

[spoony]

14. Great point.

I didn't vote in that for the same reason. Polling is all about the questions and options, and those were awful.

[leftist.]

11. Locked?

Her ass isn't even nice?! Seriously people ... one person does NOT define a party.

God DAMN!

[windbreeze]

12. Unless we've walked a mile in her shoes...

we have no right to criticize her or find fault...I can't imagine having lost my child in an illegal war...I can't even begin to imagine...and to think, there are over 3400 sets of parents in the same fix...we all handle grief differently...some do one thing, some do others...Cindy did what she felt she had to do..and all she asked was that we try to understand where she was coming from...I admire her..I wish I had her guts...I don't know what the answer is, when it comes to leaving the Democratic party because you are disillusioned...you can't change a thing, if you throw in the towel...I wish she would make a decision, after she's taken a much needed and deserved rest...she still hasn't given herself time to grieve properly in private...
wb

[calimary]

13. Agreed. HEARTILY agreed.

She actually tried to do something. It strikes me as much the same as when everybody dumped on the Clintons, and Hillary in particular, for jumping into the health care crisis. It was either - what NOIVE!!! Who the hell does she think she is??? And then - they didn't do anything, they botched it, they came up with a shitty solution, blah-blah-blah. Hell, AT LEAST THEY TRIED TO DO SOMETHING. They at least took a swing at it. Everybody else up til then gave it lip service and a whole lotta nothing else. They at least TRIED TO DO SOMETHING. So did Cindy Sheehan.

I sympathize with her feelings - at least the discouragement and demoralization. It's easy to go there. I mean, look at last week! Exhibit A, if you ask me. HOW LONG have most of us here opposed the war, HOW LONG have we been ignored, demonized, called names, villified, insulted and threatened and laughed at? How hard did we work last year, to get OUR Dems back into the majority in Congress? How much time did we spend? How much studying, reading, researching, and sharing did we do? How much did we give - in time, money, energy, shoe leather? And for WHAT? For another big cave-in. That would leave ANYONE feeling disheartened. I vacillate back and forth between remaining fired up and staying in the fight, and being demoralized and discouraged and just wanting to throw up my hands.

She has sacrified the biggest and most painful sacrifice - her own son. Sacrificed to a war of LIES. I cannot imagine the pain. I don't even want to go there. Too horrifying. In my mind, that gives her a certain amount of immunity, if you really wanna know. The ONLY way to ensure that Casey Sheehan, and the other thousands who've been killed, did not die in vain is to STOP THIS FUCKING WAR, AND STOP IT NOW!!!!!!! IMMEDIATELY!!!!!!!! ANYTHING else is just jerking off. And wimping out. And sheer betrayal.

I stand with Cindy as another mother for peace. I cannot shout "ENOUGH!!!!!" loudly enough.

[Totally Committed]

15. wb...This is beautifully said, and I agree 100%!!!

I defy most of those who voted against Cindy on that poll to show how they, personally, have effected a nation and led a movement like this woman has. I defy them to tell us what THEY have sacrificed to do so. I defy them to say what they are willing to do CONCRETELY to fill the large and gaping void that she has left in the anti-war movement.

None of us are saints, and I believe Cindy would be the first to tell you she isn't one either, but to say the things about her that I have read one this board in the last couple of days is so off-the-board out of line that I am practically incredulous. (If for not other reason than she is a Gold Star Mother and this is Memorial Day Weekend!)

Want to turn on someone??? How did YOUR Congressperson and/or Senators vote before they went home for Memorial Day Holiday? Did they vote to defund or to extend? Where do YOU stand? (And I don't mean next to a hot grill waiting for the BBQ to be done, either...) Until you are ready to hold the CORRECT feet to the fire on The War..... *talk to the hand*....

Cindy has been and continues to be on the right side of this fight. She has stood out front and taken incoming fire. What have YOU done? Until you cite that... you have no right to criticize her for anything.

She has been an inspiration! She has been a leader! Knock this negativity about her off. It does not become us at all!!!

TC

[TwilightGardener]

16. I guess we can't criticize John Edwards. Or Joe Biden. Or George and Barbara Bush.

Because they have all tragically lost children, and even though they are public figures, this makes them above reproach, forevermore.

[Freddie Stubbs]

17. Using that line of reasoning no one should criticize Bush as they haven't walked a mile in his shoes

Perhaps it is not that good of a philosophy.

[renie408]

18. There is a difference between 'criticizing' and 'attacking'.

And perhaps instead of attacking someone based on solely on perceptions, we should stick to criticizing based on facts and the actual results of actions. I think the things that have people upset were not well thought out criticisms, but ugly attacks not even worthy of a gang on a playground.

As for losing a child, it doesn't give all your actions a free pass, but it should be taken into account when leveling said criticism.

[TwilightGardener]

19. The difference between "criticizing" and "attacking" is often whether or

not someone agrees with it.

[renie408]

21. That makes a nice one liner, but just isn't true.

Most people can tell the difference between someone saying, "I think that Cindy Sheehan got swept up in the media attention and lost some of her original focus." and "Cindy Sheehan is an attention whore. Good riddance, see ya toots, don't let the door hit you in the ass."

See?? I bet even you can tell the difference between those two statements. One offers a reasonable criticism and the other is a nasty, immature attack.

[TwilightGardener]

23. "Godd riddance, see ya toots, don't let the door..."--an attack?

Hardly. A fair response to "I'm leaving the party?" Certainly. Sorry the responses were not polite or deferential enough for your tastes, but that's hardly "You're ugly and your momma wears combat boots"-level stuff.

Edit to say: "attention whore" is not what I believe about her, and makes me cringe--but apparently the poster felt that. I leave that comment up to that poster's judgment and conscience, and to the moderators to let it stand or to remove it. Not my call.

[LiberalFighter]

24. I was out of town during the holiday.

Everyone should put themselves in her shoes. Wouldn't they be ready to take a long break?

[yurbud]

25. Cindy saw number of threads, that is easy to inflate by a few vs. number of members who support her