DU is now a lot like a sports team message board and from experience I offer the following

[NJmaverick]

Since it's inception DU has been about trying to end the destructive rule by the Republicans. Now we have finally succeeded in our goal (yeah us!). Now we have a solid Democratically controlled Congress and Obama as our President (that Obama is our President always brings a smile to my face). Now I have been active on Giants message boards for years (even founded and run one) and I have learned there are unwritten rules for people posting on them. I think these same unwritten rules would serve the poster here at DU, equally well.

1) Remember criticism of the home team and it's players (think elected and appointed reps) start out with 2 strikes against them. So one should be measured in one's criticism and thoughtful. In other words try to be very diplomatic in the language of your criticism, avoid hyperbole at all cost and try to be constructive rather than destructive. Remember these are the people we voted for, so try and give them the credit they are due. Remember it's very easy to play armchair coach or armchair President or party leader. It's much more difficult to do it in real life. By our nature, we tend to remember our successes and good ideas while forgetting our failures and bad ideas. Elected officials don't have that luxury.

2) If you are going to be critical, be critical of the actions not the person or persons behind the actions.

3) While it is good to be supportive of your President and elected officials, one must guard against homeism. That is tendency of overlooking your home team's (or government's) weaknesses while over emphasizing their positives. This often results in one being intolerant of negative comments make toward your team (or in this case your President or Congress). Remember no one is perfect, so you have to accept there are going to be weaknesses, no matter how good.

4) Try to stay open minded, open to critical thinking and respectful to others. We are all bound by our political affiliation, try not to allow our personal agendas to get in the way of this.

5) Don't let emotions get the better of you. Don't allow yourself to be swept up in either positive or negative emotions. Things are rarely as bad or as good as they appear. Try to be level headed and thoughtful in your comments.

6) Take time to enjoy and have fun.

[ixion]

1. I don't temper my analysis based on party politics, only on facts and actions

sorry, no double standard.

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12. +1

[Bake]

19. -2

Points taken away for self-righteousness.

Bake

[no limit]

21. Very informative post, thanks for explaining why we should give special treatment to democrats

But by all means, don't let me stop you from trolling.

[Bake]

22. -1

Special treatment for Democrats? Because this is, perhaps DEMOCRATIC Underground? Because circular firing squads do no good?

No, I don't advocate special treatment. Just sanity. And a lot less "holier-than-everyone."

Bake

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23. You contradicted yourself.

First you said that we should give special treatment because this is DU. Then in the next line you said you don't advocate special treatment. I know sometimes it's hard to keep your positions streight but to completely flip flop in the same short post is a little absurd. So which is it?

Let's maybe do an example. Let's say that Obama is thinking of making a guy that support torture and illegal wiretapping director of CIA. Should we just shut up about it since after all this is democratic underground or should we stand out and point out how absolutely insane such a move by Obama would be?

This might be too logical for you to understand, hopefully it isn't.

[Bake]

25. First off, Mr. Been-Here-Since-May-2008, take your attitude and shove it.

I've been a DUer since it began, and I don't appreciate being called a troll by a fucking snot-nosed newbie.

Second, my post was intentnionally contradictory, in the interests of irony. So let's take your example. Yes, if Obama appointed such a pro-torture person, etc., etc., he should be criticized.

Has he done that? I don't think so. What he HAS done is appoint DEMOCRATS - GASP! - to his administration. Now try to quit being such a worry-wart and at least let the man be inaugurated. Give him a chance before you start criticizing, and you might be surprised at the good things that come from his presidency. Or you can just continue being a dick. Whatever.

Bake

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27. Actually I've been here a lot longer than May 2008

I got my username changed in may 2008, before that I was here since at least 2004. Not that this really matters, I don't get what your registration date has to do with the point you are making. Seems like a lame attempt at distracting from the issue.

You said so above, you agree with me and the poster above. If Obama does something wrong he should be criticized for it (such as appointing John Brennan if he in fact does do this). Then why in the world did you write -2 above and then went on to call me names? If you agreed with us you could have just kept your mouth shut instead of looking for an argument. Because trolls look for arguments, which is exactly why I brought that up. How long you've been here has nothing to do with this point.

[NJmaverick]

26. This is the DEMOCRATIC Undergound

this is not the Free Republic, nor is it a general political debate site. As such there is no realistic way to think that the Dems are pretty popular around here. What to bash the Republicans/conservatives? That can be done in any manner and with as much hyperbole as one feels like.

Still I think bash is the key term. Throughtful critics are usually well received. Thoughtless or knee jerk bashing, on the other hand, is not going to be welcomed warmly.

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28. That's your opinion

you are right, this isn't free republic. You know why this isn't the free republic? Because if you disagree with the team you are free to say so without getting banned. So excuse me for not giving democrats any kind of special treatment. I care for what's good for the country, not what's good for the democrats. To be perfectly honest with you the democrats win by default, many of us here are not very happy with them at the moment for very good reasons. And we have been making our disappointment with them known for the last 2 years, electing Obama has nothing to do with it. So I don't get why these threads claiming we should just shut up are popping up now.

[cosmik debris]

2. The game hasn't even started yet. n/t

[NJmaverick]

6. True, but the season has

although to a hard corp football fan there is no offseason.

[elocs]

3. DU is an equal opportunity board. We will attack Democrats as viciously as Republicans.

Then when the Republicans take control again the lament will go up: "How, oh how could this happen!" (If the party in power does not govern like it is possible to lose that power, they will. Remember the all-powerful Republicans.)

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

4. Good Advice, But I Doubt It Will Be Taken. Many Here Aren't 'Giants' Fans.

They're 'GREEN' Bay fans, and will continue to stir up shit with their bullshit rhetoric as often as they can.

But nonetheless, a terrific post on your part anyway!

[NJmaverick]

9. Thank you!

[madinmaryland]

15. Don't forget there are COWBOYS fans here also!!

[NJmaverick]

16. there are? who would have thought?

O8)

[Bake]

20. Or Romo fans, anyway!!

:rofl:

Bake

[dipsydoodle]

5. In a nutshell

be constructive : not destructive.

K & R. :fistbump:

[NJmaverick]

10. Good point, I guess that would be a major theme

[dkf]

7. Baseball is a game. There is no real life impact because of a game.

Politics is not meant to be fun. Its deadly serious because our country's policies affect our livelihoods and the future our kids will have to live in.

Republican lack of criticism allowed George Bush to ruin this country. That is a travesty. We were screaming about George Bush ever since he got into office, but he kept on because he had a bunch of non-critical idiots who supported him no matter what.

It is our duty to care and to express our views. It is not our duty to be like Britney Spears and mindlessly support anyone.

[NJmaverick]

8. Life is fun, unless you take it too seriously

It was the Republicans forcing George Bush on this Country, that led to its ruin.

[Zodiak]

11. That was the killing blow, true

But the poison that killed this country was the dismantling of the New Deal and its regulatory infrastructure. These laws were put into place to rescue capitalism from itself after the last great depression. This trend started under Reagan and has been furthered by every President (to different degrees) we have had since.

[crispini]

13. k

[zagging]

14. Mission Accomplished

Words to remember, mistakes to avoid.

[babylonsister]

17. GO, GIANTS!!!!1!

:hide:

[NJmaverick]

18. Best team in the NFL!

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24. Maybe the luckiest team in the NFL. Not sure about the best

then again I am a cowboys fan, so what do I know. :)