Cheerleading, Professional Lefting, Lessers-of-Two-Evils, and Red State Reality (long)

[blondeatlast]

I live in Arizona—DU loves to hate it and deservedly so. The crazies run the asylum, simple as that. You know our sins against justice and humanity, I won’t recount them here. As God is my witness (an oath this Xtian takes seriously), I apologize from my very soul for my state. It breaks my heart because this has been my home most of my life and I love the desert, especially my gorgeous Sonoran.

But here’s the thing. I want really good Democrats to run. Democrats who will publicly announce that they would overturn SB 1070. That will come out in support of letting the Bush millionaire bailout to end. That want to see an end to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. That recognize the unique demographic of this area. Democrats that will support everyone’s marriage. That pledge to overturn the vile Right to Work laws.

The problem with that is—if they believe it down to their very soul, if they want it just as much as I do, and if they make it known, they lose. If they manage to get elected and act upon their beliefs, they don’t get re-elected and my state ends up with even more batshit nativist nutjobs than they had before.

That’s Red State Reality.

I don’t get perfection in this state. Many times, I choose between slightly-less-than-evil or hideous, virulent, vocal, appeal-to-the-hateful-basest-instinct of the most ignorant voters evil. I don’t think Arizona is unique in that, I imagine most red state DUers are faced with that choice, to a greater or lesser degree than us

So I cheerlead, because I want to see Democrats win in as many offices beyond my state as possible. I want to see the Feds keep my state in line because the citizens refuse to do it (and they even celebrate the fact). I need to cheerlead the President at the same time I take him to task over the wars and DADT and my particular issue du jour. My dear DUers, understand this: IT’S ALL I HAVE TO HOPE FOR.

I guess what I’m saying is that I fall squarely into both camps depending on the issue being discussed—I don’t have the luxury of looking beyond the parties and making my state and country a better place for all. I fully understand the frustrations of the ‘Professional Left’ while still fiercely supporting my Democratic Party as a whole. So I “whine” and I “cheerlead--often within the same thread.” I don't think I'm alone.

Full disclosure: I’ve been snarky and nasty and participated in the factional DU wars—but I’m finally seeing that it’s counterproductive. I’ve got allies on both sides depending on the issue and I’ve learned to let go of the stuff that will get us absolutely nowhere, like what other sites DUers choose to visit. I apologize and will try to restrrain myself, but I wont' promise to be perfect, I get caught up in the moment too.

Please, the next time you want to trot out one of those handy-dandy shorthand phrases for your fellow DUer, think of this post. It’s a hard time to be a liberal Democrat, but I’m still very, very proud to be one.

Even if I vastly prefer the :dem:.

[Fumesucker]

1. Well said..

I think there's plenty of divisiveness coming from all quarters, it's certainly not limited to only one subset of the political compass.

As much as I enjoy posting on DU I'm about ready to go on a posting hiatus in all but the specialized subforums that mostly avoid politics until after the election, it's just getting too intense here in GD now and I don't even want to think about GD:P.

[QC]

4. Yesterday I saw someone tell a Latina member of this site

that she was getting overwrought and needed to calm down over a margarita and some chips and salsa.

Unreal.

The divisiveness is out of hand, and it is not a matter of people disagreeing--which adults can do in a civil way--but outright meanness.

[blondeatlast]

10. "Outright meanness" is correct--and a tendency of both camps to

appeal to it. A precious, precious few DUers seem to continually post threads designed to foster the "us v. them" mentality.

There's at least three on the first page of DU right now and guess which threads end up near the top? :banghead:

[Fumesucker]

11. Perhaps it's just me...

But the OPs that seem to be the most acrimonious in the long run are those chastising others for a lack of unity.

Sometimes I feel like monkey #10,001..

[blondeatlast]

13. Not just you. Oddly enough, we may well be some of the most "unified"

folks on the forum.

[blondeatlast]

14. Yup. It seems like the more confused I am about where I "belong"

the more unified I feel.

[QC]

12. I'm afraid that mean has become the new normal.

Civil discussions don't seem to interest people anymore.

[blueworld]

6. +1 Well said. n/t

[FredStembottom]

2. Thank you, blondeatlast.

Important for someone like me to see. It's easy to be a Dem in Minnesota - despite the inroads that hostile, almost violent Right-wing loonies have made even here.

I would make one appendage to what you say above. As we approach this election, it is counter-productive to fight here at DU.

But after it's over.... please join me in pushing all Democrats toward the policies that empower, protect and serve the millions of average Americans - not just the privileged, monied few.

No harm in that!

[Desertrose]

3. Thanks from another 'Zonan....

I agree with your post on pretty much all counts.

:hug: from N AZ :hi:

[seabeyond]

5. thumbsup. thanks for your post blonde. nt

[PopSixSquish]

7. I Live in Georgia - Even the Soil is Red Here! (Red Clay for Those Who Don't Know)

My saving grace is that the Honorable John Lewis is my congressman. But we're also home to some real pieces of work including the ever lovely and talented Newt Gingrich. Even California where I lived previously, gave us Reagan, B-1 Bob Dornan and host of other right wing wack jobs.

I was completely stunned to see some of the responses to the Elizabeth Warren nomination on this website this week. Somehow the fact that she'd actually been selected to start up the agency which was her idea to begin with, had turned an intelligent thoughtful, long-time advocate for the middle-class into some simpering ingenue who was going to be intimidated by Tim Geither. Tim Geither? Seriously?

I cheer the administration and the President when they do something good and criticize them when they don't. But burning the village (ie not voting for Democratic candidates this November to teach them a lesson) in order to save it never works.

I'm currently unemployed for the second time in 2 years. 2 years! And I'm sure as hell not going to reward those who think I'm lazy and don't want a job, who would cut my benefits and those of working families, who don't even think our President was born in this country and think that a masturbation-obsessed, witch-craft dabbling, thief and babbling idiot deserves to be a Senator by not defending the President, the Democratic Party and not voting.

Yeesh!

[Peacetrain]

8. I know what you are talking about.. I like in

Steve Kings district in Iowa.. We are outnumbered 3 to 2 here and any democrats I can get help get elected.. I celebrate. Because they help move the ball farther down the field to the goal.

[EFerrari]

9. K&R

[blondeatlast]

15. Thanks to those who've responded. I think we need to have this discussion,

some of us are really in a fix every election.

I have to leave for an appointment so thought I'd give a kick before I go.

[blondeatlast]

16. k

[JoeyT]

17. K&R

From someone that lives in Alabama and knows exactly how you feel.

Hell I'd be happy to have politicians that didn't want to burn down every building that contains sex toys or slot machines.

[blondeatlast]

18. k