Note to posters bashing liberals, stop telling the rest of us what to think.

[AlCzervik]

ibtl.

[Cleita]

1. Thanks. n/t

[monktonman]

2. I thought we were all supposed to be liberals

after seeing some of the bashing here (coming from one camp in particular) I guess once again and as usual, I was wrong.

[Junkdrawer]

3. DU is where non-liberals come to sell liberals stuff...

Some are better at it than others.

[blondeatlast]

33. A Swap-Mart of ideas--and air-conditioned! nt

[burythehatchet]

37. nice

:thumbsup:

[TwilightZone]

6. Not all Democrats are liberals.

And, not all liberals are Democrats.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

8. This is an important point to be found at the About DU link.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/about.html

Democratic Underground (DU) was founded on Inauguration Day, January 20, 2001, to protest the illegitimate presidency of George W. Bush and to provide a resource for the exchange and dissemination of liberal and progressive ideas. Since then, DU has become one of the premier left-wing websites on the Internet, publishing original content six days a week, and hosting one of the Web's most active left-wing discussion boards.

[TwilightZone]

11. One can protest the illegitimate presidency of W without being a liberal.

I'm personally about as liberal as Gandhi.

My point, however, is that the Democratic Party is a huge tent, and not every person under the tent is a liberal. Good thing, or we might have difficulty winning national elections.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

14. I understand the party is a Huge tent and what I am saying is, none the less,

many people joined DU because it was a haven for progressive and liberal ideals and it seems that we have been bombarded with posters that definitely aren't liberal and progressive. The OP was about liberal bashing and I agree. I am reading things here that I would expect to be posted by bushbots on AOL message boards. Almost 3 years ago I left those boards for here, looking for a haven of like minded people.

[TwilightZone]

17. "Liberal bashing" is a pretty vague term.

Does that happen to include bashing Ralph Nader? Is that OK? He's a liberal.

"Like-minded people" - if you visit a site with more than 100,000 current and past members, chances are that you're going to run into people who don't share all of your beliefs.

[Zandor]

13. Don't forget this

Members are expected to be generally supportive of progressive ideals, and to ***support Democratic candidates for political office***.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/forums/rules.html

[TwilightZone]

15. The latter perhaps being more important than the former.

We can't strive for a more progressive agenda if we don't get Democrats elected in the first place.

[Zandor]

16. Well said n/t

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

18. I have not forgotten that but this is primary season and I have some Democrats I

support and others that IMHO would be disastrous. When I have expressed my opinions in a civilized manner, I never expected anyone to rabidly go for the throat, which is happening now.

[TwilightZone]

21. It's the nature of the beast.

It's human nature and the nature of politics. The '04 primary season looked just like this, perhaps worse.

And, in reality, it's not just the "liberal bashers" that "go for the throat." The vitriol is pretty evenly distributed, as far as I can see.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

29. I came here right after the '04 election and so I didn't get to see this.

As to the viciousness of the attacks being evenly distributed? I don't see that.

[TwilightZone]

34. People rarely see in themselves what they see in others.

People who support Hillary likely see DU as one big Hillary bash.

People who support Obama likely see DU as a bunch of Hillary supporters targeting their guy.

People who support Kucinich might see DU as a bunch of Democratic imposters with a few "real" liberals thrown in for balance.

People who support the other candidates probably think their candidates don't get enough attention.

People who support anyone other than Hillary often see DU as a bunch of people declaring Hillary's "inevitable" primary win.

They're all right, and yet they're all wrong. It's parts of each of those perspectives and many more.

My candidate was Wes Clark, who, of course, isn't running. I haven't chosen another candidate yet, and perhaps that gives me a relatively objective (I use the term very loosely) viewpoint. I see loads of vitriol, and it quite certainly isn't quarantined to the supporters of any particular candidate.

It's interesting that you chose to quote me the rules, but left out the part about supporting Democratic candidates. That act is a demonstration of what you may think DU should be - you probably believe that the primary role should be a platform for liberal and progressive ideas.

Others may quote the other portion of the rules and indicate that they feel that that portion is more important.

I think both portions are important, but I also believe that we cannot push for a more progressive agenda unless we ensure that Democrats get elected. All of the talking in the world is meaningless if we don't regain control of the government.

[mdmc]

9. Liberals? God no! We are progressives!

Pro Iraq war (until it became unpopular), pro drug war, pro free trade, pro welfare reform, pro-dlc, pro patriot act, pro-wal-mart progressives... Just like the next President of the USA!

[superkia]

30. Ive noticed that one camp in particular is very condescending to others.

Almost feels like a Republican candidate is being pushed here on the site.

[monktonman]

35. Your not alone friend

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

4. Thank you! nt

[Hydra]

5. Ya, no kidding

I thought my vote and my opinions belonged to me. Apparently I have to do what they say if I want to avoid another republican pres and congress.

And the sick thing is that they refuse to vote for our candidates, even though they have a D after their name.

Anyone remember Lamont?

[aquart]

10. Yes. With a wee bit of bitterness.

[TwilightZone]

7. Are you obligated to listen?

It would seem that choosing not to listen to the bashers would be a pretty effective solution.

[seemslikeadream]

12. Being accused of pimping threads on Burma

is just..........

[OzarkDem]

19. There's been too much of it lately

and it makes one wonder why.

[mike_c]

20. agreed!

:thumbsup:

[Lone_Star_Dem]

22. Agreed,,,,but...

Isn't it cheating to claim IBTL in the OP. :rofl: :D

[AlCzervik]

23. probably but i figured this thread would get locked quickly.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

28. I don't see a reason to lock it

Post calling we "liberals" out are allowed to remain open.

This one should be fine, too.

It's like I've said before here on DU, what do these people hope to gain by telling people they don't have a choice, or that the choice has already been made for them?

All that does is make people angry and rebellious. It's really asinine, and I'm suspicious they're intentionally being divisive.

[YOY]

24. I've said it before, I'll say it again

We've taken if for years from Republicans telling us how we are the cause of all that is wrong with the world.

Despite not being all that left-of-center, taking a standard view of a rational political compass in civilized counties, I'm somehow treated as though I have tea with Stalin on Thursdays, eat Tofu and sabotage meat packing plants with the Animal Liberation Front on Tuesdays, and play a round of golf with Chairman Mao on Saturdays.

I, for one, am not taking it any more!

[AlCzervik]

26. yup, i remember when my views made me a democrat, now these same views

seem to make me a communist.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

31. I remember those good old days. The days before Liberal was made a dirty word.

Frankly, I believe that there are some younger posters who are what we consider just center of right, who really believe they are Liberals/Progressive because the party shifted so much to the right. It's all relative.

[YOY]

32. The amazing thing is just how whacked these "moderates'" political compasses are

and by "moderates" I mean our recent invasion of the party snatchers not real moderates.

They are not the majority despite what they claim to be.

A link sent to me by one of these "moderates" led to a story about Tony Snow's cancer on a site that called itself "moderate". Now, I don't want the guy to die (I'd like to see the guy get better and disappear from the public radar as his credibility as a journalist isn't s*** to me), but the majority of comments on the story were how they hope "he gets better and comes back to FOX News because he was so great on FOX news..."

Perhaps I am mindbogglingly wrong, but anyone who hopes that is not really a "moderate".

[Totally Committed]

25. Indeed.

Well said.

TC

[Warpy]

27. Seems to be a rush these days

of posters telling us we should accept any bullshit that comes our way if the orifice it came out of had a "D" attached to its name.

Sorry, folks, but that's not going to play well on DU.

[robinlynne]

36. There are 2 on this very thread. Seems like they should go work for the dem party

instaed of posting on DU. This is not the democratic party blog people. It is the "Liberal' progressive" "underground" democratic blog. If you want to just tow the party line without question, the DCCC will be glad to have you.

[Dr Fate]

38. Aint it great? The pro-Joe (I-3rd Party) "centrists" who were 100% wrong on Iraq tell us how to act.

Ahhh yes- those clear eyed pragmatists-those Joe Lieberman (I-3rd Party) supporting, Pro-Iraq War, Anti impeachment consert...er- I mean "centrists" just LOOOVE to strut around DU and tell everyone how to be good Democrats.

Oh no wait- I'm not being fair-they "used to" support the war and they "used to" support Joe (I-3rd party)- so I guess we should be fair trust them now. Not. LOL!!!

DU's Liberal bashers have been 100% wrong on Iraq and they were 100% wrong for supporting Joe Lieberman (I-3rd Party)- and pretty much wrong everything else. Yet they strut around DU acting like they have all the answers- what a joke.

[dmallind]

39. Nope

I'm a moderate, Centrist, call it what you will. While I don't live in CT so my support or otherwise is moot, I certainly wanted the primary challenge to succeed, and certainly did NOT want Joe to get elected anyway, and I was against the Iraq "war" from the get go. Impeachment? Would love it if I thought it had a chance, but without that chance it would smack of political desperation and empty theater. No doubt better-informed folks in Congress have actually counted the potential votes and decided it's a nonstarter.

Strange that people complain about "liberal bashing" then "moderate bash" tens times as much, and with far less accuracy. Remember the polls on who the most reviled part of the party was? It sure as hell wasn't the far left who won, let alone classical liberals.