That's it. I am officially sick of the Dean vs. Kerry flame wars.

[Sagan]

You people are like children.

How will you feel when the media whores start writing articles about the "splintered and directionless" Democratic Party?

You Deanies, would you rather have Bush than Kerry?

You Kerryites, would you rather have Bush than Dean?

Both of you, your inability to discuss issues on their merit without resorting to childish insults just opens the doors for the ecstatic freepers to come in here to sow discord. You have lowered the level of discourse SO FAR that I can't even spot the freepers in the Dean/Kerry flamewars.

And yes, I mean that as an insult. Flame me if you want. Myself, I would be happy with any of almost half of the Dem field getting the nomination.

Tell me why you LIKE your candidate. Don't tell me why you hate another one.

A lot of you are lucky I wasn't made a moderator last time around.

[poskonig]

1. It will all be over once Kerry loses New Hampshire.

:evilgrin:

[Abe Linkman]

3. Name one thing (specifically) that Dean will do to make life better for us

Dean is Clinton, and Kerry is too. Don't expect much change from the status quo if either of them is elected President (and is declared the winner of the election, then inaugurated).

[poskonig]

4. Civil liberties, fiscal policy, foreign policy

The differences that count between Dean and Bush are extremely clear.

If Bush remains in office, we'll get two are three more Scalias on the court and we're doomed for decades.

[Upfront]

13. Dean Will

Beat Bush! Would that work for you?

[stickdog]

14. Universal healthcare (NT)

[Karmadillo]

2. Why must you insult

children? I was a child, I knew children, I know children and they rarely stoop the level of discourse to be found on many of the Dean/Kerry threads.

[salin]

5. To some, bashing is "open discourse"

I hear you Sagan (the one with whom I am often confused ;-) ), but I think that those to whom you direct these comments are not listening. I think they (and in fairness there are also some in the Kucinich and Clark camps) honestly believe that what they say is true and thus it is "honest discussion" not gratuitous swipes. Which in turn puts the fans of those just having been swiped at into a self-righteous position of "I had to defend my guy" by returning a swipe.

Sad thing it isn't like sibling quibbling. It is full frontal partisan bickering that is, I believe, harmful to us all and feeds those who really do want to foment partisan war (eg our readers and their leaders from the far right). We give the wedges that they will use as they see these wedges early on could cause problems within the ranks for whatever candidate becomes the primary winner. Then they will use those wedges to depress the overall voter turnout.

Ah, but for some, it is just far too irresistable not to engage.

[never cry wolf]

6. Here, Here!!!!

We are more than 4 months from the first primary!!! Settle down!!! Please all reread "I love the candidate!!"

Go ahead, do it now and then go sit in the corner and repeat Anyone But Bush 500 times!!!

[Old and In the Way]

7. I agree.

Saddens me to see some of the really disgusting character assassinations that are being posted. I don't know why we aren't accentuating the positives for all candidates and leaving the smearing to the Pros....the RNC.

[SoCalDem]

8. I am not sick of them, BECAUSE I NEVER click on ANY thread that

has a candidate's name in it :):):)

I am a happy camper.. I will gladly support whoever becomes the candidate, and realize that EVERY candidate we have is 100% better than the president we have :)

[AquariDem]

9. I too tend to stay far, far away

from them :) At this point, I would rather have any Democrat win than Bush, much as I would rather have Davis for governor than Ah-nold.

[JustJoe]

10. What % of backers of any candidate

participate in any bashing? I bet it's a small minority.
It's kind of like when you hear booing from an audience
it seems like everybody is booing but when the camera
turns on the audience it's one out of fifty who
are actually booing.

[tokenlib]

11. As long as we all remember...

...Bush and his policies are the enemy, and Bush is the target, we would all be a lot better off.

[prolesunited]

15. This is what is at stake

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=258868&mesg_id=258868

Let's rewrite the saying, "I have seen the enemy and it is us." My mantra is: "I have seen the enemy and it is Bush."

I concur wholeheartedly, sagan. And part of me wishes you were a mod because there are a few that I would like to see disappeared.

[oasis]

12. DUers should let Karl Rove spend Bushes $200 million bashing Dems.

[NNN0LHI]

16. I am beginning to wonder if the basher of any Dem candidates...

...even voted for a Dem last election. You heard that here first.

Don

[gulliver]

17. Dean and Kerry are setting a bad example for us.

I don't care who started it. Both of them need to shut up about the other one. They should be competing by slamming Bush as hard as possible and comparing damage.