Why some Centrists may be afraid of us.

[The Backlash Cometh]

Take aside the violent rhetoric from the right. We won't and can't be painted by the same brush because violent solutions aren't part of our schtick. But what Centrist politicians may fear is that our discontent and commitment to seeking the truth may uncover corrupt political networks, which exist even in the Democratic ranks.

So I say, we watch very closely how hard the Centrists protest with their appeal to quiet the Left in this new move to tone down the rhetoric because they lose nothing by shutting us up. Many of us are here, Loud Lefties, for the very reason that there is some crooked business being conducted by Centrists in politics. And that includes some Democratic politicians and their campaign fund raisers.

The truth should never be silenced.

[Hello_Kitty]

1. K and R. It's why they are quick with the hippie punch.

What I don't understand is why so many DUers (who I assume are not wealthy DLC campaign donors) are so quick to join in. What do they think they're going to get from that? A cookie?

[The Backlash Cometh]

3. I suspect they may be blue dogs.

This conversation needs to go forward because there are some great points that are surfacing this morning in just the few threads I've had a chance to read. Like how disingenuous these politicians are when they have gun lobbyists hanging around their offices.

[SoCalDem]

4. There haven't been real hippies for decades..and they know it

and even when there were hippies, they were only hippies until they started having kids & realized they needed to grow up :) (99% of them)

[emulatorloo]

2. We can expose corruption with out employing hyperbolic rhetoric

I'm wilh Olbermann - I appreciate him pledging to take extra care to not engage in over-the-top hyperbole.

I also agree with him that there is no equivalency between the rhetoric of the left and the right.

The thing is, we are better than that.

( "Centrists" ?????????)

[The Backlash Cometh]

5. People willl have to point out what qualifies for hyperbolic.

Some exaggeration is obvious, but it should be defined because people might abuse the hyperbolic argument.

[Hello_Kitty]

7. Anything they don't want people to hear qualifies as hyperbolic

The truth is hyperbole.

[emulatorloo]

9. You are smart enough to know better than that

And you are smart enough to know your post is needlessly hyperbolic

[Hello_Kitty]

21. LOL. If you think my post was hyperbolic.

Might I suggest some nice smelling salts and a fainting couch.

Don't clutch the pearls so hard. You might get a cramp.

[emulatorloo]

28. LOL, you can't stop yourself can you?

:toast:

[The Backlash Cometh]

14. Exactly. That's why we need to stand our ground.

There are people out there who can't handle the truth. They will launch the accusation in the hope of silencing us.

[emulatorloo]

12. Fair enough

"evil" "secret plan to destroy america"

vs this guy is a corrupt and here's the proof.

I have to say that your characterization of some centrists are wanting the rhetoric tamped down so they can hide corruption does trouble me.

Given that Giffords is a centrist, and she argued for turning down the over the top rhetorical heat.

Do you know what I am saying?

[The Backlash Cometh]

16. I would say that the road to hell is paved with good intentions.

Giffords wasn't wrong if what she meant was toning down the threats that are meant to intimidate politicians. But I stop at that. Everything else she may have meant needs to be further defined. And I trust that someday, she will have that chance to explain it.

[Hello_Kitty]

22. Some people are evil. Some people do plan to destroy America.

Deal with it.

[emulatorloo]

38. (Self-Delete)

[randr]

6. The right knows that the truth can not be silenced

That is why they shout their lies louder

[William769]

8. Are you speaking of Democratic Centrists?

[The Backlash Cometh]

10. The media is just calling them Centrists.

These are the politicians who are only to happy too rule by the middle road and take campaign money from people who are victimizing us in our local haunts.

I would never identify one party over the other.

[William769]

11. Well then again the media has it wrong.

Go figure.

[The Backlash Cometh]

13. How would you describe them?

On MSNBC there was an email written by Gabby, saying that she wanted to see the Centrification of politics. Or something to that effect.

At this point, the world should agree that the violent rhetoric is right-wing. But I expect to see a push from Democratic Centrists trying to appeal to us to tone it down. They have a lot riding on it since this appeal is probably coming from their campaign fund raisers, many of them who feel us breathing down their necks.

[William769]

15. I disagee and will leave it at that.

painting with a broad brush never works.

[The Backlash Cometh]

19. I agree with you. There are probably a lot of good Centrists.

But they have a battle ahead of them because there are many more who are not.

[emulatorloo]

17. That's not 100% correct on Giffords email. Story here:

http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2011/01/wounded_congres.html

By Martin Finucane, Globe Staff

Wounded congresswoman sought Harvard official's input on cooling political climate

Arizona Representative Gabrielle Giffords wrote an e-mail Friday -- a day before she was grievously wounded in an alleged assassination attempt -- congratulating the newly appointed director of Harvard's Institute of Politics and saying she wanted to talk with him about ways to tone down the political debate.

Giffords wrote the e-mail to Kentucky Secretary of State Trey Grayson, who was named to the Harvard post on Friday. Giffords and Grayson had met when both were Aspen Institute-Rodel Fellows in Public Leadership in 2005, Grayson spokesman Les Fugate said.

"After you get settled, I would love to talk about what we can do to promote centrism and moderation. I am one of only 12 Dems left in a GOP district (the only woman) and think that we need to figure out how to tone our rhetoric and partisanship down," Giffords wrote to the Republican Grayson Friday afternoon.

(ON EDIT FORMATTING)

Note: she's speaking about her district. She is talking about political rhetoric.

[The Backlash Cometh]

18. I look forward to the day that she gets a chance to explain her views further.

Thanks for the input.

[emulatorloo]

20. I think she was pretty clear on the need to moderate political rhetoric

when she was on Chuck Todd's show back in March.

[The Backlash Cometh]

23. Nothing is clear in politics.

Especially with something like this. People will take what she said and run with it to fulfill their agendas.

Look how much effort it took to clarify that "tone the rhetoric down" means toning down the violent references.

Nothing is clear.

[emulatorloo]

24. I'm not following you.

Her email talks about toning down political rhetoric

Her Chuck Todd interview was about toning down violent political rhetoric, speaking specifically about Palin's Gunsite map.

[The Backlash Cometh]

25. I'm glad that you honed in on that fact early.

However, the rest of us, who have been watching the media since Saturday, noticed that they were not as quick as you. It took them three days to get to where you are. But just because the main media heads finally got it, doesn't mean that everyone else has figured it out.

[emulatorloo]

27. Sadly I don't think most of the media heads have gotten anything

A couple here and there, the usual ones who get it.

[The Backlash Cometh]

30. Just the fact that "our side" is finally representing the views here on DU,

is reassuring. We're further ahead than we've been on past issues.

[William769]

26. I think the proper way to put is he's not following you.

It would make the OP insignificant.

[The Backlash Cometh]

29. Ah. Well, if he could see things behind the stage as I have the

unpleasant experience to see, it would be clear.

Why don't we wait to see what develops in the next few days and weeks? Maybe you'll see it as Centrists step us to take this to the next level and call for an era of compromise.

[Hello_Kitty]

31. Gabby Giffords is a lovely woman. Truly. I know her personally.

But she's not a saint who dispenses received wisdom from God himself. I find it creepy when political figures are aggrandized like that.

[The Backlash Cometh]

32. Thank you, Hello Kitty.

Your input lends a lot of weight to this argument.

[emulatorloo]

37. So now I am aggrandizing Giffords and think she is a saint?

by posting a link to her actual quote from the email and recalling her interview on Chuck Todd's show?

Seriously, you really can't stop yourself, can you.

[The Backlash Cometh]

39. You're taking this far too personally, I think.

Hello Kitty and I see how her words could be improperly used by those who seek another agenda. On the other hand, there is no telling if Giffords had the same ideas when she said, "...and think that we need to figure out how to tone our rhetoric and partisanship down."

Notice she wanted to tone down the partisanship down as well. So it may not just be violent rhetoric she was trying to affect. We just won't know until Gifford has a chance to elaborate.

This has nothing to do with you or your view. In fact, I thanked you for posting the information because I thought it was important.

[emulatorloo]

40. I feel that you and I are having a conversation, and a good conversation

I feel that Hello Kitty is responding with snark, dismissiveness, hyperbole, and derision. Take a look at each of HK's responses to me. They don't address any issue I bring up.

I've read enough of Hello Kitty's posts elsewhere to know that HK is a thoughful person, so I am surprised I guess.

EDIT: grammar and spelling as always

[The Backlash Cometh]

41. I may be getting into a tar baby situation here, so I won't comment further

than to say that I appreciate the contribution from both of you.

[emulatorloo]

42. I understand what you are saying, and I appreciate your efforts at "smoothing the waters".

and as I said I before I appreciate Hello Kitty's posts here at DU.

[Hello_Kitty]

46. I think she, and you, naively believe that you can negotiate with bullies.

You can't.

[yurbud]

33. exactly. I almost expected Obama to call us out by name after the shooting

[The Backlash Cometh]

35. I didn't want to bring up anybody's name, but,

yeah. He may not realize it but he should consider the fact that he is sometimes hosted in the households of the bigwigs in our local communities that are abusing their occupations in private and public sector, making the situation in Florida unbearable for the rest of us.

So he should get all the facts he can about his rich supporters before he stands up and calls us out on anything.

[emulatorloo]

45. The issue is talk radio, talk radio style cable hosts, and politicians

who use demonizing rhetoric. Media personalities who make money being divisive and Politicians who demonize their opponents/use violent rhetoric for political gain.

DU is not a radio show, or a cable host, or a politician running for office.

[yurbud]

34. between Wikileaks, Sibel Edmunds, and any analysis of how campaign donations and after office

jobs effects how pols vote in office, the cat is already out of the bag. Now we just have to figure out how to spay or neuter it, so it doesn't reproduce and dies a peaceful, natural, non-violent death.

[The Backlash Cometh]

36. Until we reach that point, expect them to throw everything at us including

the kitchen sink.

[Skidmore]

43. Who exactly is "us?"

[The Backlash Cometh]

44. As in, "many of us are here."?

Well, exactly, I'm speaking of people who found their way to DU because there was no where else to air the opinions they have developed over time due to the experiences they have endured. I began as left of center. I'm probably still left of center, but I'm also a Loud Leftie because there is no where else to air my concerns and I'm not too willing to give that up easily.