Question for the Veteran DUers......

[mckeown1128]

After the 2004 primary wrapped up what happened. Did everyone start to play nice? How quickly did things get back to normal? I want to know what to expect.

[sandnsea]

1. Some of it never did

There are still riffs that go back to 2004, any time you see skull and bones or Dean could have won. But I'd say 90% of it cleared up within a few weeks.

[BlueCollar]

2. we all came back together

eventually...

No worries

[The Magistrate]

3. For Most, Sir, A Few Days Or Weeks Was All

[VolcanoJen]

8. That's as I remember it too, Sir.

:hug: The Magistrate :hug:

[GalleryGod]

12. I agree whloeheartedly !

:grouphug:

[AlCzervik]

4. it took a little while but after the swiftboats starting coming for Kerry many people

here were pulling for him.

[Lucinda]

9. That's my memory of it too

Though I still see skirmishes

[davsand]

5. The Nader / Green wars were way worse.

Primaries get ugly--be they local or be they in online forums--it is just the nature of the beast. Within a couple of weeks of the convention usually it settles down fairly well.

The Nader / Green wars, however, are still painful to recall, and every so often you will see a post about stuff from that particular time frame.

VERY ugly.



Laura

[VolcanoJen]

6. We came together.

I was a Mod during the '04 primaries. Unlike many DU Vets, I do recall it as being just this vicious and mean. Gawd, does nobody remember the "Deaniacs" and the "Clarkies" duking it out, for example?

Think is... it just went by so quickly. After Kerry's Iowa victory surpised many people on DU, there was resistance to Kerry and his supporters. But from there on out, he just steamrolled his way to the nomination and the vitriol just ended. We were SO anti-Bush, and had such a clear and dangerous and horrible opponent in the White House, it was almost imperative to get behind Kerry and start marching.

We didn't exactly kiss and make up, but we were loyal. Sure, we had problems with the way Kerry was running the campaign, especially during the swiftboating, and some vehement supporters decried any and all criticism. That part got a little weird.

But... we all came here and had our cryfest the night of the election. I remember spending that next morning on DU just sobbing, really, and it felt so good to be around friends who understood what the nation had just done, and how heartbreaking that loss was.

It feels worse this time around because there are SO many more of us, because it is lasting quite awhile, and because we had so many excellent candidates that just about everybody could find their own camp to get comfy in. But I really do think it was just as bad in 2004. And I really do think that after this nomination is set, we'll all be just fine, and work like hell for our nominee.

[mckeown1128]

14. Thanks for the info....

...the election was rough for many.

[scheming daemons]

7. A lot of Deaniacs had real problems for a few weeks....

....the whole way the media played the "scream" just rubbed us the wrong way. And at the time, the Kerry folks were beating it to death worse than the Clinton folks and the "handshake snub" the other night.

Endless threads by Kerry folks about the "Dean scream".... but after a few weeks, it subsided.

[TreasonousBastard]

10. Most of the trolls and sore losers will leave, but...

I suspect that, like last time, some will stay around and complain that the campaign isn't being run right. Undoubtedly, someone else would have run a better one.

We had all sorts of people giving Kerry a running commentary about exactly what he was doing wrong both before and after the election. Not that many, actually, but they did make a lot of noise. Same with the Naderites and Greens-- their huge noise made up for their small numbers.

[Armstead]

11. Normal? This IS normal

Serarch for the all posts over the years that said "DU used to be a wonderful place, but it has really gotten out of hand lately. I've never seen such infighting. This place has really gone downhill."

The number would probably be astounding.

[VolcanoJen]

13. And also mckeown1128...

... remember that DU was born on Inauguration Day 2001, and so many of us came together and found this place as a way to air our grievances over the bitter and stolen 2000 election. It was so wonderful to find friends and people who felt as I did.

Because of that, the DU veterans that have been here since January '01 are a bit beaten around, a bit raw around edges, a bit cynical, a little bit hopeful, and have borderline alcoholism. :-)

All that being said, I don't know where I'd be, politically, if it weren't for this place. And don't let the negativity get you down or discourage you in any way. Nobody can in-fight like DU'ers, but it's because we're so passionate, so involved, so invested in the stakes. We come off as obnoxious because this site draws the kind of people who always scoffed at the notion that it's inappropriate to discuss religion and politics. :-) In everyday life, it's so rare to hear anybody having real political conversations that leave the arena of the polite... so I think sometimes DU can come off as shocking.

But, every rare once in awhile, we pause and listen to each other. I promise! Sorta. :-)

[jimshoes]

15. After the primary wars were over, the

admins helped soothe things over by letting anyone who wanted to change their DU handle (a lot of folks had names relating to their candidate) and many took advantage of that and things did get back to some normalcy,(it's all relative though), but we survived and pulled together pretty much.