Took less than 5 months for DU to go 95% Negative

[Johnny2X2X]

Every other post is about Joe Manchin. The ones not about Manchin are defeatist posts about how the Reps have overturned Democracy in the states. It's the most negative I've seen DU since...ever.

We made it through George W Bush here together. We made it through 4 years of Donald J Trump together on DU. But now Joe Manchin and some voter suppression has launched us into a never ending downward spiral of negativity?

Listen, Joe Biden is President, he's already got a massive list of accomplishments. He's setting the country up for success as he turned the economy around and has brought the Covid pandemic almost to an end. There is a lot to celebrate right now, we removed Trump and Joe has spent the last 140 days righting all of Trump's wrongs.

Is Joe Manchin an issue? Sure, we have razor thin margins in the Senate, a moderate who supports everything we want to do, but won't end the filibuster to do it is a pain in the ass, but Joe is on our side, make no mistake about that. Without Manchin, nothing would have gotten done to rescue the economy. Vaccines would be way behind where they are because of what he helped get done. Mitch McConnel would control all of the Federal judgeships without Manchin. Manchin is an ally.

All of the voter suppression laws Reps are passing are disheartening, but they will backfire on them as long as Dems don't let voter apathy set in. And the courts are not going to let them overturn the will of the people. I honestly think there are trolls here fueling negativity around this, those laws are designed to make Dems think fair elections are a thing of the past. Trust me, Dems are fighting this everywhere, we will continue to have free and fair elections. Let's rally around this and get out the vote.

Right now, great things are happening in our country. Despite a couple really big things being stalled, dozens of smaller bills are getting passed through both chambers and making it to Biden's desk. I still think an extremely progressive Infrastructure plan gets passed that will make American Families and Climate Change the core of the bill. This is a great time, tons of progress is being made. WE WILL WIN!!!

Keep Delivering for the American People, don't let the Reps get what they want with voter apathy, and we will sweep the elections in 2022. The only thing that can stop us is ourselves.

[Orrex]

1. Bookmarking

So that I can come back to this thread in Nov 2022.

[samsingh]

2. Exactly. The repugs are taking away voting rights everyday

repug legislatures are giving themselves power to decide which votes are counted and which thrown out at THEIR discretion.

While some of the leaders hold firm on principle, Democracy may be taken away from all of us.

[Orrex]

13. Democrats are trying to hold Republicans within the rules of the system

Republicans (and their enablers) are actively working to destroy that system.

[samsingh]

25. the repugs are succeeding

i remember in 2016, many people can't saying 'we have this, stop whining and being sensationalist'. Apparently we didn't have it, because of many repug's illegal games. Nevertheless, we lost the office and so many people have died because of the traitor that took it.

[certainot]

53. the only advantage republicans have is their rw radio advantage and democrats ignore it,

allowing the cons to take free potshots at our reps and principles all day and spin everything the way they want, then democrats critique dem inability to get anything done, letting the cons and their trolls get democrats not to vote.

democratic and media leaders and analysts and dem orgs and city-dwellers miss the boat and analyze and critique politics like studying fish without water. so while those locally coordinated radio stations play a huge part in selling voter suppression (dems importing aliens to vote for them by the millions) and all things republican and getting individual legislation through and electing fascist/dittohead state legislators, progressives/students/activists in those states complain and whine dem reps are useless (global warming, single payer, debt relief, guantanamo) while letting at least 87 major universities support at least 260 (prob 100s more) of those same stations with sports broadcasting.

these discussions are useless until americans stop letting 1500 US and russian think tank-coordinated radio stations short circuit democracy and undermine any fact based discussion with unchallenged repetiition

[sarcasmo]

99. One side plays by the rules and the other side doesn't.

[calimary]

121. That's IT. Right there.

Some strategic and tactical changes are URGENTLY needed.

[Demsrule86]

59. Right...allowing Trump to win because 'but her emails' by some on our side in 16 was a really bad

idea. But the moderate Democrats didn't do that. And thanks to them we got the House and Senate back. And if we lose power this time because we can't do certain things with our small majority instead of fighting for more Democratic House and Senator members...increasing our majority, the GOP will have a much easier time cementing their power than in 10 and 14. God knows how long it will last and if our Republic survives.

We need to support and vote for every sitting Democrat including Sen.Manchin. And I for one am sick of the Manchin bashing. This is Democratic Underground and Manchin is a Democrat in a very red state. Unless we start following a 50 state strategy as Howard Dean did, I don't know how we increase our majorities or even hold them. We need to put experience political leaders who have demonstrated that they know how to win in charge of elections. We also need to shore up our weak Democratic state Parties.

[Johnny2X2X]

74. Hear here!!!

Manchin is a moderate Dem, he still supports 99% of the Biden agenda, he's just not willing to do away with the filibuster to get it done.

I realize this site is pretty far left, but do people not realize that there are Democrats who post here who agree with Joe Manchin? I don't, but I know much more moderate Dems than I in the real world.

[onecaliberal]

138. They agree with killing democracy when 78% of his constituents support the legislation?

Find that incredulous.

[Prof.Higgins]

141. You're spot on, Demsrule86! Many cogent points in your post. n/t

[ananda]

66. This is it exactly, in a nutshell.

!!!

[wnylib]

123. Just wondering what will happen in those states

if the Rs follow through and overthrow the results of an election. What will the citizens of the state do? Stand by and say nothing? Protest and get arrested, beaten up?

Could turn physical before it's over.

Meantime, do we really need to promote defeatism among Dems? No matter how bad it gets, we will stand by our democracy in the voting booths, and in determination not to give in and give up.

[AZ8theist]

28. Same here...

While the OP posted in a good faith belief, all I can think of is this:

[TheBlackAdder]

39. Perhaps he wants to be rememberrd in history, whether it's positive or negative attention.

.

I'm sure Nazis love Neville Chamberlain, so not everyone would hate him.



.

[Johnny2X2X]

48. The dead enders are the Neville Chamberlains

Nevil Chamberlain was a defeatist, he thought he was powerless to fight the Nazis so he appeased them. Which side is pushing that right now? The side who thinks all is lost? Or the side who thinks we will fight, fight, and fight some more on the way to victory?

[Butterflylady]

58. Than maybe you shouldn't be here.

[SharonAnn]

105. Manchin is a Conservative, not a Moderate.

[Autumn]

3. Keep Delivering for the American People" Not to sound negative but how?

I don't think we are stopping ourselves. We showed up to vote. We have the White House, we have the House, we have the Senate. Who is stopping who?

[HUAJIAO]

71. We don't really 'have' the Senate.

For some things, yes.
For other things, no.

[StarfishSaver]

79. This

This reminds me of those who now claim that Obama "total control of Congress" in 2009-10 when in reality, the Democrats never had a filibuster-proof majority and thus were pretty much in the same situation that the "Democratic Senate" is in now.

[Autumn]

95. Yeah we do. We have the Senate and Democrats control the agenda. It worked for years that way

for the Republicans. Now we hear that it doesn't work that way. If I had a nickle for everytime I heard that I'd be sitting on beach drinking margritas somewhere.

[Ferrets are Cool]

104. Thank you!!

It works for Repugs, but somehow it NEVER works for us.

[StarfishSaver]

4. Thank you

And much of the negativity is in the form of direct attacks on Biden and his administration for not righting all the nation's wrongs in the first quarter of the first quarter of his term.

[North Shore Chicago]

5. Hopefully,

your positive take on our current state of affairs will be contagious.

[Sherman A1]

6. Your opinion

[gab13by13]

7. These are way different times

than the George Bush times. Whistling past the graveyard is not a strategy. Truth telling can be a scary but a necessary thing.

I know reality when I see it. I live in Pa. and every 2 years more people vote Democratic and every 2 years Republicans win more seats because of gerrymandering. I vote religiously every 2 years knowing that my candidate is going to lose. That isn't being negative, that is being honest and truthful. The thing is that Pa. is not done gerrymandering. So yeah maybe Democrats can outvote Republicans by larger margins next year and watch Republicans pick up more seats.

[exboyfil]

8. 95% seems high

It has gone how I would have expected. It would be far worse if we had lost just one of the Georgia races.

[Wounded Bear]

24. 75% of statistics quoted on the internet are created as they are typed...

[BGBD]

75. 82.4% of people believe them

Whether they're even accurate statistics or not.

[PatSeg]

37. Yes, I pretty much have expected

it as well, probably because I've seen it before and it certainly isn't as negative as primary season at DU.

I think after we've endured republican abuse of power for long periods of time, we have a hard time shifting gears to a more positive frame of mind. Obviously we still have problems and we always will, but I think it is a good idea to emphasize the positive, while still being aware of the work yet to be done. There will always be Joe Manchins and Mitch McConnells - elections don't magically transform our world into a progressive utopia.

[jaxexpat]

67. There have not "always been Mitch McConnells".

It's the fact of his exception that makes it untenable to credit Joe Manchin with more than "place-holder" status. He and the lady in Arizona are not trustworthy. Thus, we do NOT "have the senate" in any really useful fashion. Bipartisan bills that support cute kitten videos do not keep the government out of women's control of their bodies or prevent the bastardization of American history taught in public schools. Nor do they counter the treasonous rhetoric coming from those congress creatures who play loose and fast with truth and democracy as if they were last year's cell phone.

Comment for the original post: Go ahead and criticize realists all you like but the US is now 2 nations living a stress laden cohabitation and sharing the one bathroom. That's the fact. Those dumb bastards aren't going to come around, hell they're shamelessly PROUD of their shameful ignorance. And it's on us to "live with it" lest we hurt someone's feelings so bad they won't vote or hurt Joe Manchin's sense of self importance? FYI: It's a known fact that 97% of statistics are 50% wrong 60% of the time.

[PatSeg]

77. I pretty much agree with what you say

The point is we cannot live the negativity parts 24/7 without acknowledging positive progress. Well not if we want to maintain our sanity.

And though there may not have been people exactly like McConnell, the point was that we've always had self-serving, destructive political figures to contend with. I'm not suggesting that we ignore them and stick our heads in the sand, but on the journey, it is beneficial to acknowledge any progress that we are making. I remember eight years of Obama being torn apart from the both the right and the left, often ignoring his accomplishments at the time. I fear that the same could happen again with Biden.

Yes, there is still much work to be done, though there will ALWAYS be more work to be done. I would never suggest a "live with it" mindset, but it is important to remember who the people are that are fighting with us and support them whenever possible, even if we don't 100% agree with them. I am not putting Manchin in that category, though I am begrudgingly grateful that his seat allows us to maintain the majority in the senate. I sincerely wish we had a more solid Democrat in that seat, but I remember similar Democrats during the fight for the Affordable Care Act. They are gone now.

[jaxexpat]

142. I'm with you and we seem eye to eye.

My aggravation stems from the antipathy I feel when I encounter criticism blithely leveled at realists because someone chooses to broadcasting Pollyannaism is a legitimate position, indeed a counterpoint, when listing serious points of fact.

It is never unwise to recollect the blessings of a great day but it is pointless to deny night's victory at it's conclusion.

[luckone]

9. " some voter suppression" ..OK obviously trivial in your world so you can dismiss

Please understand not true for others

[Fullduplexxx]

10. A little cheerleading never hurt I suppose

[sop]

11. Tell that to Rachel Maddow...every time she looks into the camera and asks WTF is Garland's DOJ

doing to fight all these Jim Crow laws being passed at the state level, limiting our fundamental right to vote.

[gab13by13]

14. Limiting our right to vote can be overcome,

that is not the scary part. Republicans are putting themselves in charge of running the next election. If that isn't grounds for concern then god help us.

[gab13by13]

12. The people who scare me

are Democrats who say everything will work itself out if we just get out and vote. I see what's going on, I live in a gerrymandered district in Pa. where a Democrat stands zero chance of being elected, if that's being negative so be it, it's the truth. I will never not vote and maybe one day I will be pleasantly surprised if a Democrat wins in my district. Just be patient I guess?

[uponit7771]

16. +1, Pax's statements this week ... PROVE ... that's not true and come from his own mouth

[sop]

20. Today's voter suppression laws will prove to be as effective as last century's redistricting.

Gerrymandering the shit out of the electorate hasn't worked for at large voting, so now they want to limit the basic right to vote. And when that doesn't have the intended effect, they'll be able to throw out the results wholesale.

[NewHendoLib]

21. THIS!!!

[smirkymonkey]

42. +1000

[uponit7771]

15. Really ?!

[FakeNoose]

17. Some DU posters are here to stir up trouble

I don't mean you, Johnny but I do mean several of the anti-Manchin posts I've seen in the past week. Contrarians and trouble-makers are trying to dampen our progressive spirit.

We can't let it happen. Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are the best thing could happen and they're on the right track. They need 100% of our support.

Voter suppression is evil in any form and we must fight it wherever it pops up. We need to be vigilant, we need to be positive, and we need to trust each other. The Democratic Party is the only hope to save this country and we're all in this together.

[Johnny2X2X]

23. I honestly think there are trolls here posting thread after thread of negativity

Are there challenges? Yes, there clearly are. Will the 2022 election be free and fair? Yes it will, these suppression efforts are nothing new, and the efforts in the states for Reps to seize control over the process are overblown and amount to little more than delaying tactics.

MSNBC isn't helping with their constant fear mongering.

And the redistricting that is happening this year is not going to make the map worse. Pennsylvania has a Dem governor who can veto maps, and a Dem Supreme Court who can rule for fair districts. Many other states went to bipartisan fair commissions, Michigan for instance. The worst gerrymandered states are going to be challenged to maintain such slanted districts given that the census data is coming coded with some uncertainty to make gerrymandering more difficult. We're losing 2 House seats just from the census, but the redistricting is not likely to flip any more and there's a chance when it's all said and done it's a wash.

And we have the Senate advantage with twice the Rep's seats up as Dem's. We're going to expand our advantage in the Senate.

And people don't even fully understand the laws Reps are trying to pass to take control of electors and the counting process. Do people even understand that there are no electors to certify in midterms? That all of this amounts to delays in results at most. But I'd bet half the posters here think that the Republicans have passed laws that let them just ignore the will of the people all together and have the state legislature declare the winner regardless of vote count. I spent a thread on here a while back arguing with someone who swore a law was in place that has not even been proposed yet.

Are Republicans evil and trying to undermine our elections? YES, they are, but that is nothing new. Are they taking it further than before? Yes. IS it a reason to give up? No, it's not. In fact I think the primary goal of all of this noise is to dishearten and depress Dem voters, to erode Dem's confidence in the vote too, and it's very effective at that.

[oldsoftie]

27. I've seen people talk about that "law" too

[StarfishSaver]

40. I don't agree that the suppression and redistricting are as innocuous or as easily overcome as you

believe.

But I aiso don't believe they are insurmountable or mean that we are doomed.

And you are right that the suppression efforts are nothing new. However, perhaps for the first time, a wider group of people are being affected by them so instead of these being seen as something that affects only "others" (e.g., Black and Brown people), lots of white people who weren't that concerned in the past about voter suppression are now feeling the bite and they're furious and frightened and NOW see this as a crisis of the first magnitude.

I keep reminding people that Black and Brown folk have been dealing with this for decades and we haven't given up and we also don't carry on about it like it's the end of the world. We just keep on fighting and keep on believing in our ability to force change and, in the meantime, we step up and deal with it. Others should learn from us on how to face oppression with fortitude, dignity and determination instead of freaking out, falling apart, and threatening to give up.

[Pinback]

109. Great post - thank you.

I agree 100 percent.

It’s embarrassing to see some progressives going all Chicken Little, when we need to be standing up for the legacy of John Lewis and so many others who spent their lives fighting odds that often seemed insurmountable.

[Demsrule86]

62. I think so too.

[BlueSky3]

98. MSNBC and other stations

are in the business of getting ears and eyeballs focused on them. When people are worried, they tune in. And the stations make more $. So it pays them to alarm us.

That’s not to say we shouldn’t be working as hard as we can to expand voting rights and eliminate these new restrictions. But does anyone here remember Tokyo Rose, the propagandist during WWII broadcasting sweetly to our troops on the radio, “Give up, boys...you know you can’t win...”? Those of us who remember her can see that people posting doom and gloom on DU without suggesting constructive solutions are not helping us.

[sarisataka]

18. F'n Democrats...

Why do we support them?

Last election we should have voted for ________(?- fill in person and/or party that would have been a better choice)

[Yes, this is sarcastic]

[mopinko]

19. nothing will top this place in '08. tho '16 came close.

the rest, i agree.

[Fullduplexxx]

61. 2010 was terrible all the we'll-show-them-by-not-voting posts

For gitmo and dadt

[doc03]

22. I hardly think DU has gone 95% negative unless

telling the truth is considered negative. The courts are not going to let them overturn the will of the people, not so sure about that.

[Justice matters.]

110. This.

Good luck to us with the 3-6 margin at the USSC...

[oldsoftie]

26. Lots of people arent happy unless they're bitching

You know how that goes

[ProudMNDemocrat]

29. The news in general and some posts here have been downright depressing....

Which has me binging on DOWNTOWN ABBEY on Netflix instead of having the TV on.

[CapnSteve]

30. Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

By giving into the negative we give victory to our enemies.

Enthusiastic and happy liberal; proud to be on the correct side, even when we lose.

[marble falls]

31. I am amazed with the speed at which DUers seem ready to turn our victory into defeat.

[Johnny2X2X]

41. It's a problem

So when Trump won, you had Dems talking about how bad things were, you had MSNBC talking about how bad things were, but you had FOX and all Republicans constantly talking about how awesome he was doing. Now Biden wins and you have FOX and Republicans crying about how horrible everything is non stop, but then you also have MSNBC and a large portion of Dems crying constantly about how we're all doomed. It's counterproductive.

Good things are happening everyday right now. Biden is fixing the Federal Government, repairing our relationships abroad, and working towards progressive goals everyday. We had a piece of legislation that Bernie Sanders called the most Progressive piece of legislation to be enacted in a generation go into effect. We're ending the pandemic.

Congress is passing bipartisan smaller pieces of legislation that are victories that I don't even think people are aware of here because it's all negative all the time. Yeah, we have gotten a $2 Trillion Infrastructure deal yet, but we have gotten several smaller things and I think infrastructure gets done and ends up incredibly progressive.

[PatSeg]

55. Unfortunately

cable news networks like MSNBC need controversy and negativity to maintain decent ratings. It is probably inevitable that they are going to focus more on problems than progress. Of course, that is better than the "heads in the sand" reporting we got throughout a lot of the Bush administration, when for awhile it was considered unpatriotic to criticize the president.

Like so many people, I am exhausted after four nightmarish years of Donald Trump. I still pay attention, but I cannot live and breathe politics 24/7 and still maintain a reasonably healthy lifestyle. Sometimes I have to remind myself that there are many competent and principled people working on some of these complex issues that can seem overwhelming. Meanwhile, it is important to acknowledge the positive progress that is being made, while accepting that we are not going to win every battle.

[Johnny2X2X]

64. MSNBC has gone 100% full Fear Mongering

They remind me of FOX News during Obama right now. They aren't lying, because MSNBC doesn't just outright lie like FOX does, but they're definitely spinning every bit of news to the worst possible scenarios right now. They're taking laws the Reps are trying to pass and misrepresenting them and then taking them to their worst possible outcome.

Right now should be a time they're focusing on the daily victories Biden is winning. That's what FOX News would be doing if Biden were a Republican.

[PortTack]

87. Agree! Someone posted "rantings for ratings" couldn't be more true!! Turn that shit off

[sheshe2]

127. That was me!

[StarfishSaver]

45. It's almost like some people aren't happy unless they're miserable

Even when a good thing happens, some folks here respond with, "Yes, THIS time it was a good outcome, but NEXT time, it won't be good ..." Eeyore posts.

[dianaredwing]

119. Smile

[Hortensis]

63. Helped along by malicious intruders here to demoralize and derail

discussion, incite divisions, etc. Every day the platform itself and the MIR teams of volunteer DUers weed out newly arrived hostiles, but I don't doubt some subversives have succeeded in infiltrating and becoming embedded in the community. Professional agents wouldn't find it difficult to avoid triggering detection.

[marble falls]

68. Bingo, bingo, bingo!!!

They leave a trail. There are tells. They do get caught. Some do sneak through. Admin catches an amazing number of them, I go through some of those ex-member's posts, and I am in awe of how well the perps plotted and though it may take a while, they are caught up.

[Johnny2X2X]

70. I see that too

DU matters. It matters enough that in 2016 likely Russian hackers took the site down on election day.

There is without a doubt an organized campaign to discourage Democratic voters right now and it's bled onto DU.

What we need is Dems to rally around the party right now and GOTV in 2022. Voter apathy and defeatism is the biggest enemy right now. I see most of the threads on here contributing to voter apathy and defeatism. If this continues through the midterms then the worst case scenarios will be in play.

[PortTack]

83. +1000

[kooth]

32. Thank You

I was feeling pretty depressed about the whole filibuster thing, then you posted. After speaking with my wife, and reading your post, I realized that I was starting to give up. Now I've got my head turned back around the right way and I'm looking forward to helping us to win even more seats! Thanks, Johnny2X2X!

[secondwind]

34. Thank you 1,000 times over!!!

[Joinfortmill]

35. Agree. And vote in all elections!

[FreepFryer]

36. AstroTurf Division does astroturf division (Nt)

[Aviation Pro]

38. As these draconian and onerous voter suppression laws wend their way through the courts

They will be overturned.

There are a lot of smart people working on this and they don't use game show theatrics to make their cases just focused purpose.

[Johnny2X2X]

44. Good point

And the response to that is usually, "But Trump stacked the courts." Most of this stuff will not reach the SCOTUS, There are almost 800 Federal Judges who are active, 71% of them were not named by Trump(he named 29%). 47% of them were named by Clinton and Obama. By the end of the year, more than 50% of them will have been named by Clinton, Obama, or Biden. Reagan, Bush 1, and Bush 2 did not name the types of loons that Trump did, and there's still 24% of the federal judiciary named by them.

And the state supreme courts flipped Dem in many states recently.

The courts held in 2020 and they'll hold in 2022 and 2024. Hell, none of Trump's SCOTUS named justices would even hear any of the cases Trump tried to bring to them.

And do people think the Democratic Party is just sitting on their hands? They aren't, we are fighting this, we will prevail. Democracy shall prevail!

[Treefrog]

43. If it's not a negative thread, it's a thread about the former guy.

People here seem to adore him and can’t seem to handle the fact he’s no longer president. He probably got more attention for his silly, doomed blog here than he did in any other media. One poster started like three threads on his blog alone....all on the same day.

[YoshidaYui]

46. Three words.

Get mad. FIGHT!

[Biophilic]

47. Thank you for this post. I have found myself coming to DU less and less.

As well as just skimming the posts/threads. It truly has gotten very negative. I think when trump lost and we couldn't rail at him day in and day out we looked for someone/something to be angry at. I think being angry at other democrats and especially President Biden is about as counter constructive as possible. Let's give him a little room and a little support to do his job instead of using all those tightly held frustrations out on our own people.

[AllyCat]

49. We made it through those with disastrous consequences

that have never been rectified. Now we hold 3 of 4 branches of government and cannot fix basic things wrong with our nation because of a couple of assholes.

[Demsrule86]

50. Don't read them...same thing happened with Obama and the conservadems

like Blanch Lincoln and Mary Landrieu. You would assume our side would learn from the Obama years...where message voting lost us the House and the Senate in the end...but no. We have the smallest majority possible now. And some are still upset because we can't pass legislation outside of reconciliation. We always won with a big tent that included moderates and liberals without it, we lose. And the Senate seats we lost in the South are gone and who knows if they ever come back. Look at the math folks, we need moderates or the Gop will win back power and maintain it. No Democrat other than Manchin will hold the WVA seat in my lifetime.

[Johnny2X2X]

60. Yup

Without Manchin, Mitch would still be in charge in the Senate and nothing would be getting done.

[ShazzieB]

130. EXACTLY!

People need to stop wishing Manchin gone. Yes, he can be a pita, but ANY senator who replaces him WILL be a Republican. That means Mitch will be back in power again, and everything really WILL grind to a halt.

Whatever else is happening right now, McConnell not being majority leader is a bfd. When I get frustrated with Manchin, i remind myself of that. Thinking about how much Mitch HATES not being able to control every move the Senate makes like he used to always puts a smile on my face!

[moose65]

92. True

In some ways, we haven't learned anything as a party. In other ways, we have done great things.

Democrats royally messed up in 2010, although we did keep control of the Senate that year. In 2010, I don't think we expected the madness of the Tea Party (which, given Trump's supporters, now seems almost quaint). To see those crazy people shouting down sitting members of Congress during town halls - that scared me. But that was only the beginning.

Democrats were trying to play by the old rules, much as Manchin is now. But the rules have changed!

[bigtree]

52. just stop

...people are standing up for democracy and their rights as Americans, standing up against Joe Manchin who is deliberately standing in the way.

It didn't take a day at DU for the scolding to start against those with the temerity to defend those vital progressive principles. Imagine defending progressive principles on a progressive message board. Imagine that.

[pazzyanne]

54. Thank you for the pep talk, it is sorely needed.

Many of us are beaten down by the last 5 years, and seeing the same stretching into the future seems overwhelming. I've been involved in "the fight" since 1968 and I'm tired. The latest attempts at taking democracy away from us are meant to beat us down, and unfortunately they seem to be working. I agree that we need to celebrate the things that have turned around in the last 4 months, and I do. Joe Biden has been a miracle worker in such a short time. It is a pleasure to have competence at the top of our government. It does seem while we celebrate a victory, the republicans are working on jerking the rug out from under our feet. There does not seem to be a way to stay ahead of these natzis for very long. Fear of what is happening to this nation is draining us.

[sarchasm]

56. I always vote Democrat, always.

I'd rather vote for an unknown D than any R. It's the only real choice to get rid of the infection. Hopefully one day that will result in something positive in my deep red state. I'm supporting local, statewide, and national dems monthly.

I come on here daily to see if the arch of justice has moved in a positive direction, and feel it has somewhat, but the crazy seems overwhelming and frustrating, all the while trying to keep a positive frame of mind.

But it's hard...

[pecosbob]

57. 'a moderate who supports everything we want to do'

I must beg to differ. If that were so, no one would be complaining about him.

[LovingA2andMI]

65. Unless....

We are all speaking in glowing terminology, don't speak. That's the DU way!

[PortTack]

90. Out of all the posts here..who said that? Seriously

[ProfessorGAC]

101. Said By Nobody At DU, Ever.

[Cuthbert Allgood]

69. So are we just supposed to be like Trump supporters and only cheerlead?

Sorry. Not going to happen from me. Am I very happy we have Biden and not Trump? Of course. Absolutely. Do Biden and the Dem party, in my opinion, have to do some things differently? Yes. I can have both those things in my head. I don't need to have a Biden flag on my Subaru to be a solid Dem.

[NoMoreRepugs]

72. Apparently many here have no sense of TIME - 18 weeks to turn the biggest ship in the WORLD

and fix 10,000+ holes created by the totally incompetent rump clowncar is apparently more than enough time for some.

I'm getting a bathroom replaced - took contractors 3-4 hours max to totally remove (destroy) everything that was there - 7+ workdays for a crew to totally rebuild.

Get a grip people.

[MineralMan]

73. No, it's not nearly 95% at all.

We notice things, based on our personal opinions, and miss many other things.

There are some people posting about their frustration that not everything is going the way they think it should. Typically, such people have one particular issue they feel very strongly about, and if someone doesn't agree with them, they blow it all out of proportion in their posts.

However, there are always DUers who point out the reality to such people. There are also DUers who post regularly about positive actions and movements in a more progressive direction.

Manchin and Sinema, for example, have voted and will vote in alignment with the other Democrats in the Senate in the high 90% range. Some people forget that if either of them votes the "wrong" way on some favorite issue those people have. They pretend that those who vote differently than they want are against everything we stand for. It's simply not true.

Negativism is common on political discussion forums. However, so is the fact that others will step in and tell negative people that they are wrong.

[Johnny2X2X]

78. Can you imagine if we had lost the Georgia Senate races?

Those 2 wins were absolute game changers. The types of wins in a red state that could create a positive wave for 2022.

Agree on Sinema and Manchin. Am I disappointed in them on a few things? Absolutely. Are they allies in the end? YES!

Bottom line is that Dems need to rally around the issues for 2022, Reps are attacking our elections, if that's the rallying point that gets Dems to the polls in droves then good news. If that issue makes Dems think it's too hopeless to even bother to vote then we're truly doomed.

Again, look to GA in January. Georgia is what happens when Donald Trump isn't on the ballot, 2 progressive Dems win Senate seats against incumbents in deep red Georgia. Donald Trump isn't on the ballot in 2022, it's the Republicans, not the Dems who should be terrified of 2022.

[MineralMan]

80. Exactly. Georgia Proves That GOTV Works!

If people didn't recognize that from the Georgia results, those people will never get it at all.

GOTV Makes All the Difference!

[speaknow]

76. Might be setting yourself up for a big

disappointment. You make it sound like we put
the wrong Joe in the WH. Manchin voted over
38% for Repub bills. Joe refused to vote for
a lousy $15 dollar min wage hike, that message
is keep the poor, poor. Most of the money he
gets doesn't even come from his State.
As Pam Garrison said " We deserve better"
tell that to Manchin.

[NQAS]

81. No one is arguing that Biden isn't doing a great job

And I would say that his favorability rating on DU is close to 100%. Maybe more than 100% in the event of polling fraud .

The negativity toward Manchin and Sinema is warranted. Sure, they have issues with the voting rights bill. But the bipartisanship thing is just delusional, and questioning Manchin's Democraticness, intelligence, and sanity are justified. But I don't think that translates to negativity toward Biden or his administration.

[PortTack]

82. Thank you! Are ppl frustrated, yes, but for FFS quit talking about it and take action!!

I have posted and reposted about all the groups bringing legal challenges to the new voter suppression laws and 90% of the time I get nothing but push back. If X,Y,Z doesn’t happen we are f..ked, we’re screwed. This is the most defeatist attitude. Is the situation serious yes, do I acknowledge it, yes! All the more reason to stop talking and start taking action

I’ve been told I’m being sanguine, called naive like manchin, a pollyanna, told to go take more feel good pills all for posting things that can be done right now to push back. I post what REAL experts, not pundits and talking heads say but what attorneys fighting these laws say. I post articles that are taking material directly from the constitution and even that is not enough.

We should take our lead from the likes of Stacey Abrams, Beto O’Rouke, Amy Klobuchar, Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer, our President and Vice President, and other dem leaders that continue to work hard everyday..and support them.

So ..posted again want to stop talking and join the real fight...sign up and become a REAL warrior against the right wing tyranny

Fairfight.org
NoDemLeftBehind
Don’t Be A Mitch
DNC
ACLU
SPLC
Democracydocket.com

Volunteer, donate if you can...please get involved. The time is now..not next year...please.

[Johnny2X2X]

88. Thank You!

Now is the time for action. There are organizations rallying around this issue, thank you for provided links to some of them.

Democracy is not a spectator sport.

[Wednesdays]

115. Please post your GOTV info to its own OP

That way, it's easier to share, and people can bookmark it!

[BobTheSubgenius]

84. A tremendously positive post.

I commend you!

[3825-87867]

85. The only reason Manchin and Sinema matter now

is that both West Virginia and Arizona have Republiqan Governors.

[johnthewoodworker]

86. If you are stupid enough to think wealthy, Republican/Nazis politicians are worried about jail,

liberals, or Americans, I wish you luck. Trumptard and the others will suffer zero effects, but I guess I must be negative rather then right.

[housecat]

89. Excellent points. One year ago we would have gladly settled for:

1) Trump out and Biden in.
2) Barr out and Garland in.
3) Agency gutting stopped, and damage is being repaired.
4) Covid slowing, and millions vaccinated.

We're still dealing with Putin's hold on Congress, crumbling infrastructure, voter suppression, racism, and treason. We still have about 1/4 of the population either crazy and dangerous or just crazy. Democracy is under attack. But imagine if none of the above had occurred. If the glass is half full, let's fill it. Nobody said this would be easy.

[Budi]

91. K & R Thank You!

[treestar]

113. And we would expect the Senate to be 52-48R

We would never have expected 2 D GA Senators, 2 AZ Senators and the EC votes of those 2 states to actually go to the Democratic candidate!

[krawhitham]

93. You're shocked that DU goes negative as Democracy dies?

[Budi]

96. I'm shocked at those now concerned, had zero concern for ...

...the death of Democracy, back in 2016.

Now they're concerned?

[Crunchy Frog]

120. Where's your evidence that they weren't concerned then?

[Budi]

122. Has it "Exploded" enough for them? "Both Parties Are The Saaaame!!" they screeched

Not concerned at all ~

[betsuni]

128. Yes, "lesser of two evils" no big deal to "vote your conscience" third party

because Democrats are the greater roadblock to progress than Trump and Hillary "Warmonger" Clinton got paid for a speech and aren't I so cool and progressive belonging to the group smart enough to know that everyone's corrupt and both parties the same, here, I'll post the clip of George Carlin saying it's all a big club and you ain't in it again and quote MLK saying something about socialism.

[Budi]

136. Something about Defund !! Or else!

Defund! .. kinda backfired in VA last night.

Oh & btw, THANK YOU PRESIDENT BIDEN. Again !! ...

*Keystone Pipeline was abandoned today.
D.O.A.

SNIP
TC Energy Corporation (NYSE: TRP) confirmed Wednesday that after careful review of the available options and after consulting with the Government of Alberta, it has officially canceled the Keystone XL.

Construction activities were stopped back in January.

The project’s cancellation comes several months after President Joe Biden revoked the Presidential Permit for the pipeline on January 20 of this year, in what was mostly seen as a death blow for the pipeline.

The inauguration of Joe Biden as the 46th president of the United States took place on January 20, 2021

Jan 20th 2021, he cancelled the Keystone Permit.

Thanks Joe!

Oh ya, Has she issued a THANK YOU to PRESIDENT BIDEN yet?

Chirp...

[George II]

94. What's interesting is that Manchin hasn't even voted AGAINST anything that Biden promoted....

All this negativity is generated from media reports and "analysis" of interviews, not anything he has done on the floor of the Senate chamber.

[Fiendish Thingy]

97. If 95% "negativism" means only 5% Denialism, I'm good with that.

Across the nation, state by state, democracy is being dismantled.

With the filibuster intact, Dems won’t be able to “Keep Delivering for the American People”, and without HR1, Dems not only won’t “sweep the elections in 2022”, they will lose their majorities for a decade or more. (But don’t take my word for it, ask Schiff, Schumer, Klobuchar, Merkley, Clyburn, Warren, etc. They know.)

With the current anti-democracy movement in the Republican Party, the traditional, familiar, comfort zone paradigm of “we’ll work really, really hard, get out the vote, and win BIG in the next election cycle!” will no longer apply.

When state legislatures give themselves the power to overturn or block certification of election results, the focus of everyone’s limited energy and resources cannot be on an election 18 months from now, it must be on direct action, in the streets, NOW.

When the AA community was denied the vote, often through violence, in the 50’s and 60’s, did they pat each other on the back and say “stay positive! If we work really, really hard, and convince enough white people to vote in our favour, we just might win BIG in the next election!”, or did they go to Woolworth’s and sit at the segregated lunch counter? Did they boycott buses for months? Or did they March across that bridge in Selma? Yes, I know there were voter registration efforts that were met with violence, but that was an adjunct to the direct action in the streets.

If “negativism” means revealing the cold, stark political reality we find ourselves in, after an exhausting four years of Trump and the pandemic, I say bring on the negativism!

Denying that cold reality is a dangerous form of complacency.

[edhopper]

102. Thank you

the reality is the Dems will not be able to accomplish what they must as long as the filibuster stays and a few Dems like Manchin and Simena don't support the agenda.

[DENVERPOPS]

114. Couldn't agree more FT

I think people don't realize what the Dems are up against................

Ever since Ronnie was corruptly installed as President, we have been under a well organized and orchestrated attack by Repubs.

WBush and crew were able to accelerate their goals from all directions, and when Trump was elected the Republicans began a full roll out of their entire agenda.

Hillary said, during the debates: "There is a huge republican conspiracy" taking place. Every one laughed and poo-pooed her at the time.
I would love to see what all those who laughed are saying now.

The best description of the Republicans can be summarized in one word:

CABAL

"The contrived schemes of a group of persons secretly united in a plot (as to overturn a government)"


In my opinion, the dems are trying to fight a group of "guerrilla warfare" fanatics, using outdated and obsolete methods.......
Make no mistake, we are at war and every day we should use whatever tactics we can to stop their advancement. period.

This is it folks. The US and Democracy are on the line.

On January 6th, we came within a millimeter of the entire US government being over thrown. If the insurrectionists had been a little more organized, they would have succeeded........AND don't think for a second that they won't be prepared the next time.

[h2ebits]

100. Thanks, I venture to guess that. . . .

a lot of the negative responses to your post are by people who do not take any direct action but simply exist. Our democracy needs all of us to participate in it. It is not enough to just vote and complain.

I was told/asked many years ago, much to my embarrassment because I was sitting across the desk from the speaker, that it was really easy to criticize and much more difficult to offer constructive criticism. Followed by: So what constructive criticism did I have to actually improve things? What actions was I willing to take?

Each of us needs to think about this. . . .

[Ferrets are Cool]

106. 95%?

Please explain how you came up with that exact number. Oh wait, I can guess.

[Withywindle]

107. I get your point BUT

You're a lot more sanguine than I am about Manchin (I'm from Appalachia though not WV and cynicism is just in the water there, for good reason. When it comes to politicians who still deliver for the state, Manchin is no Robert Byrd) but overall your points are solid.

The thing is, though, I think we have to be allowed to express anger and frustration here. Carefully, never to the point of giving our opponents ammunition. But part of not being apathetic is letting our own people know what we want and when they disappoint us. Remember Obama saying to his base, "You have to hold my feet to the fire?" We need to do that. The Overton window is constantly being shifted to the right and we have to push against that by letting OUR elected officials, the ones WE voted for, know what policies we want and that we'll make some noise if it looks like they're not even trying.

The reason I am a Democrat isn't because I like blue better than red or donkeys better than elephants. It's not a sports team thing. It's because I think they're the party most likely to create policies that will make people's lives better. Over the decades this has proven consistently true. But I don't think our support should be unconditional and uncritical.

I absolutely agree with your point about the quieter smaller bills and what a huge improvement they are over the Last Guy. We shouldn't forget to celebrate that and show appreciation. And I get it when there are too many threads about one Senator who's pissing us off, it does look like a negative pile-on. But part of a healthy conversation is being able to express when something makes you angry.

[OneCrazyDiamond]

108. We are coming out 4 years of pure negativity.

It will take some time to shake it all out.

[StarfishSaver]

112. The people who expect Biden to turn this gargantuan ship of state around on a dime in

should at least make the effort to "shake it out" a little faster.

Because what I'm seeing are people demanding that Biden perform miracles overnight but when called on to do more themselves, back off by saying, "We're too traumatized to do that so quickly! We need TIME!"

[BradBo]

111. Exactly why I come to DU every single day.

They don’t pull punch’s. My right wing dipshit friends have no real idea how bad things are in this country. They just trash the homeless and think the Constitution is written for white folks.
DU shows what dangerous territory this country is in and its in the 95% negative territory.
Keep it up DU.
Here is the only argument my idiot rightwing friends have. OMG, look at the homeless, blame liberals, blame Obama, the Clintons, every white person move to Arizona. They know their beating a dead horse..

[RegularJam]

116. Boom! Yes! nt

[SpankMe]

117. In defense of the negativists

It's a common belief that threats from without are easier to defend against than threats from within. It is often said in various ways by various speakers that American liberty, for example, could only be threatened by forces within our boarders and not by any external force, like an invading army.

Well, A Democratic coalition unified against an opposition force, like Republicans, is something we can deal with even if we're in the minority. But when members of our own coalition weaken us internally against the oppression being proffered by our opposition - well, that's scary and worthy of criticism and negativity.

Yes, the fact that Joe comes with a "D" by his name means we get to hold the gavel and drive the agenda to a large degree. But, the man is preventing us from a full-throated delivery of the agenda we were elected on. And in doing so, he gives credibility to the other side. Since the other side has no credibility, this is a sin.

He needs to see a more mainstream Democrat run against him at the next election. We can't tolerate so-called "moderates" in a 50-50 senate.

[ShazzieB]

132. WV is too red a state for that.

The fact that there is a Senator from that state with a D after his name at all is frigging amazing. They'd be much more likely to replace him with a Republican than with ANY kind of Dem.

Might as well wrap the Senate up in pretty paper, slap on a big bow, and hand it to Mitch.

[Crunchy Frog]

118. Bookmarking for future reference. nt

[Galraedia]

124. I blame Moron Manchin

How are democrats suppose to feel when a senator like Joe Manchin refuses to protect their right to vote while the republican party is actively engaging in nation wide voter suppression? It's unacceptable.

[StarfishSaver]

126. I refuse to be demoralized by one Senator's behavior

[budkin]

125. Manchin and Sinema

That's why.

[mac2766]

129. But, isn't that America today?

I'm with you my man. The negativity sucks, but that's where we're at, not only in America, but world-wide. It's so much easier to find a problem and complain about it than it is to find a solution to the problem.

I asked a guy at work the other day to give me a solution to a problem instead of telling me what the problem was. He walked off the job. It's insane really. It's the epidemic of our time in reality.

[nolabear]

131. Fewer.

[ms.pamela]

133. 95 Negative

Maybe it is because we are very very close to losing our democracy and the smart ones who know anything about history can see what is coming soon very soon if nothing is done immediately.

[colsohlibgal]

134. But....

States arranging for their legislators to change an election result they don’t like seems like a worthwhile worry.”Cyber Ninjas” doing who knows what. Seeing Trump types wearing racist and anti Semitic clothing. This is largely two parties with one of them selling out to the dark side.

Wish I could be optimistic but like others it’s hard for me to do.

[LakeArenal]

135. Manchin put a Target on his back. He needs to feel the heat.

I don’t even think it’s that negative at all.
We are angry. It’s not like we are threatening him. Or building a scaffold outside his house. Anger isn’t necessarily negative. Where else can we openly voice our opinions without getting death threats.

[BootinUp]

137. K&R

[onecaliberal]

139. People died for the right to vote.

I will criticize harshly the people who try to kill the right to vote for black and brown people. As well as those who want to destroy democracy to enrich themselves and I don’t give a fuck what party they affiliate with. My father fought fascism overseas, and here we are being told to be patient with fascist in America. Just no.

[Prof.Higgins]

140. You speak truly, sagaciously & eloquently! McConnell would block all Cabinet confirmations

if he was still the Senate Majority Leader. The Environment Protection Agency, Dept. of Justice and many others could still be obstructing or "Moonwalking" President Biden's initiatives without all the brilliant Cabinet members, which have been narrowly approved based on Republicans mendacious attacks. Biden's first high Court nomination was approved a few days ago with a plethora of them going through the usual processes.

Voter suppression tactics will backfire, and even the ultra-conservative Supreme Court is unlikely to allow Republican controlled State legislatures to overturn the results of elections. The Democratic Party's as well as the Justice Department's Constitution lawyers will continue to win cases and overturn Republican anti-democracy voter suppression and intimidation.

Boundless appreciation to "Johnny" for calling out the recent DU penchant for underrating President Biden's significant achievements, which are all the more remarkable given the degraded and demoralized state of Federal agencies when he was inaugurated less than 5 months ago.

[Maine Abu El Banat]

143. Quit bitching

And start working. It's not going to be easy, but when has it been? Does anyone think a fired up liberal base will just give up on voting? No way, it will just make people more determined. I have faith!

[MOMFUDSKI]

144. repugs are the bullies

and the dems are handing over their lunch money on a daily basis. Simple.

[Roisin Ni Fiachra]

145. What is going to stop Republicans from closing most of the polling stations

in Democratic areas statewide, in purple and swing states? If they can, they will. We must end the filibuster and prevent Republicans from engaging in blatantly unjust and unethical voter suppression efforts wherever their shriveled little black hearts desire.

Based on what I have seen from Joe Manchin, I have no faith in him to do the right thing whatsoever, no apologies. Yes, the great things the Biden administration, and House are doing will bring in millions of more voters to our side. But if people don't vote, because they can't vote, then Houston, we have a very real problem.

If you want to see DU members stop worrying, convince Manchin and other moderate conservative Democratic Senators to end the filibuster. Casting suspicion on DU members for justifiably being upset about Republicans having unfettered ability to engage in insurmountable voter suppression is totally unfair and divisive, and if you are not upset about these voter suppression efforts, you are not paying attention.

What would be genuinely constructive is suggesting practical solutions and engaging in every effective tactic possible to prevent stop Republicans from making it impossible for Democrats to vote, by using the most heinous Jim Crow tactics ever.

It won't be apathy that loses elections for us, it will be the fact that Republicans make it impossible for Democrats to vote in blue urban areas.

Voter Suppression is a Key Part of the GOP’s Electoral Strategy

Republicans are closing polling stations in areas of high minority population growth.

Ask yourself a simple question. McLennan County, Texas, grew by an estimated 15,000 people between 2012 and 2018, “with more than two-thirds of that growth coming from Black and Latinx residents.” It’s the home of Waco and Baylor University.

Considering that population boom, why do you think the state closed 44 percent of the county’s polling places in that same time period?

The answer is obvious. Fewer polling places means longer travel times for voters and longer lines once they get there. This means fewer people in McLennan County will decide to go the polls and that more of them will grow impatient with the wait and leave without casting a ballot. It’s targeted voter suppression.

https://washingtonmonthly.com/2020/03/02/voter-suppression-is-a-key-part-of-the-gops-electoral-strategy/