Where are the lefty bloggers when the chairman gets death threats?

[madfloridian]

When he gets called a coward. Where are they when do the same to our other Democrats.

We are dealing now with the fact that right wing radio hosts are openly doing death threats to the chairman of the Democrats. It is getting that bad. It will get worse. What is missing?

It really did not occur to me too much until this week. I checked out the right wing blogs, some with accusations of cowardly Dean, a few with almost death threats. The right wing blogs were ready with their ammunition when any of our Democrats spoke out, Kerry being a favorite target like Dean.

The righties are ready and prepared with ammo within hours to go on the attack.

Now, leaving DU out of the equation, because it is more a forum...

So the righties go on the attack, and suddenly here are the lefty blogs fighting back. Right? No. Likely scenario, but it did not appear to happen.

I did some checks through many linked from liberal blogs. I say liberal, but maybe supposed Democratic blogs is a better description. There was no defense when the attacks on Dean came, and I speak of the front page bloggers. I followed links at several sites, and still found no front page stuff.

So I saw none really coming out to defend Kerry when he was being misquoted about his Iraq plan, and none when Dean was being threatened and called names. In fact some of the Fighting Dems even spoke out against the chairman's statements. And a couple of well-known lefty bloggers go after Kerry as badly as the righties do.

So the right has the media, and the right has the attack dog blogs and websites. Our side does not appear to have that. Our bloggers and our websites were mostly non-committal or silent completely. To clarify, not talking about diarists, talking FP bloggers.

There was a segment at Newshounds about Reagan's threats, and one at Media Matters about Mankow's threats. But I kept watching to see our bloggers on our side defend the fact that the chairman had been threatened. I have seen very little.

So this means what? I don't know. I am concerned though, not just about the Dean statement on Iraq....but for any of our candidates or Democratic leaders in the future. It could be the result of bloggers being hired onto campaigns. Or being hired by the new media for the left...I forget the exact names. I think Democracy Alliance and NPI...which is Rosenbergs.

But how would it conflict to defend truth? It could be a lot of things, but it concerns me because we don't have left attack dogs when things happen to individuals like this. I only did searches on Dean and Kerry, and that was enough. There was nothing to counter the right wing sites.

I tried to word this carefully, because is not about Dean per se. It is about a situation that exists. Our bloggers sometimes seem to go after our own Democrats almost as much as they take up for any of them. I guess it is because we don't get talking points from on high as the right does.

[blm]

1. The media distorts and too many on the left let them get away with it.

It's that lack of commitment to truth that weakens the Dem party and the left in general.

The left media is weak from within and without because some of them don't bother to stick to the facts, themselves. Except for the those sites who actually MONITOR the corporate media and analyze it thoroughly.

I expect Media Matters to head this charge up, mf.

[madfloridian]

4. I expect them to defend when such happens.

I expect them to quit attacking specific Dems and start defending them. Like a certain blogger and Kerry. It needs to stop. I'm pissed today after talking to my Democrat/Republicans here in Florida about an issue.

I want to pull my hair out over the non-answers.

[blm]

8. Truth be told - the leftleaning media is powerless against the RW machine.

Unfortunately they are the ones who are supposed to be our front line for our team's quarterbacks.

Bush's front line defends against the truth about Bush better than the left can defend lies against Democrats.

[madfloridian]

11. But is it not being willing or not being able?

That is what is bothering me. I have been thinking about this a lot. Look at all the blogs linked from Kos and the DNC and here. I did not see a single one say anything...they could have and I missed it.

I think they are able to do a lot more.

[blm]

16. I think most are ineffective because they won't RISK their own necks out

there in defense of the truth let alone the Democrats.

Who suffers? Our entire team, and in effect, this country and the rest of the planet.

[davhill]

2. Blogs are better at playing offense

We need to keep up the pressure on Bush-Cheney and not worry about every little freeper attack. Stay on message. Dean and Kerry can take care of themselves. Swiftboating will continue no matter who says what.

[madfloridian]

3. No, we need a defense team as well.

We need a defense team, and Kos needs to back off Kerry. It is making me mad when he does that. We don't need that.

[leftstreet]

5. Right wing psycho THs should be ignored, not legitimized

Most of their nutjob listeners probably agree with the absurd suggestions and threats. To respond gives it legitimacy. Death threats are not mainstream, and the loonies calling for them should be marginalized.

Ignore it and let the verbal attacks escalate to the point the listeners finally become embarrassed by their whacked out heroes.

[madfloridian]

6. Please tell me I misread that.

I hope I did.

[leftstreet]

12. I don't know

If you refer to the thread title about responding to "death threats," there's no logic in legitimizing vile, insane crap like that. You don't get mad, you roll your eyes.

[madfloridian]

14. Well, you roll your eyes, and I will ask questions.

:hi:

[NYCGirl]

7. Isn't that what Kerry's campaign people thought about the SwiftBoaters? NT

[leftstreet]

9. The SwiftBoaters called for a Kerry death threat?

:shrug:

I was talking about the lunatic "death threat" crap, not Kerry's (non) response to the swiftboaters.

[madfloridian]

13. Here is what she meant..

She meant we can not just take it and take it. She was not crticizing anyone, she was stating a fact.

There are times you must stand up and holler.

[leftstreet]

15. Agree. Holler about Swiftboaters, roll eyes at Limbaugh, O'Reilly

etal

[shance]

10. Thank you Floridian. I believe this is a primary reason our party

continues to hobbled and weak despite our successes. Our success depends on our ability to protect and stand by our leaders and each other, especially when people are being unfairly attacked for doing the right thing.

People want to jump on the bandwagon of someone elses success, but when a Democratic leader is unfairly attacked and/or threatened is when they need us the most. Its easy to support someone when they are being adored, the true character of someone is revealed by how they respond when someone is being attacked or unfairly scrutinized.

I agree that a lack of loyalty and seems to be our weakest link. A lack of spine is not simply a problem of our leaders, but of ourselves. It is what consistently contributes to our failures. If we are going to have good leaders we MUST protect and defend their integrity like we would our own.

That does not mean we cannot disagree with them. Of course we can. But we need to protect any person, Democrat or Republican or Buddhist* who is being assaulted, threatened or abused unfairly because they are telling the truth and saying what needs to be said.

Of course right now Governor Dean, for speaking the truth, is being attacked once again. How many of us would have the courage and the capability to do for this party what Governor Dean has done? You may like him, you may not, but you cannot ignore his tireless commitment to this party that most of us would have hung up on a long time ago.

Insane individuals like Michael Reagan at the least, deserve no place on the radio. His show should have been yanked immediately for making such threatening abusive comments. However, this is but one example of the right wings abuse and their own brand of "terrorism" on those who are speaking what they don't want to hear. Because they cannot tolerate hearing anything that may make them think. The bullying will only stop when we realize how vital and necessary it is protect those who are attacked by abusive individuals and when we don't tolerate it anymore.

[mmonk]

17. Some bloggers will respond,

but we need more. There simply is not a mainstream left leaning media to help out. Other "leaders" are probably too scared to speak out or figure it won't fit their own agenda nor benefit them.

[Sapphocrat]

18. Anybody remember FR's infamous Clinton death threat?

I know, it happens all the time over there, but this one was beyond the pale, even for the Freakers -- it had something to do with hanging Big Dog's corpse on the front door of the White House as a warning to others. I think the only lefty site of note that documented it was conwebwatch.

(And some folks still think we should allow these psychos onto DU so we can reach a middle ground with them? Sheesh.)

[Rebellious Republican]

19. Shh, don't look now, but their already here, those psychos, that is!

Yeah they are all over DU, oops, I see, you meant THOSE psychos. For a minute there I thought you were talking about me and my friends here. Yes and the Doctor says I am doing much better now. :evilgrin:

[madfloridian]

20. lol

hilarious.

:hi:

[Sapphocrat]

21. Put down the mouse...

...and back away from the keyboard... slowly...

LOL

[Rebellious Republican]

22. I understand what you are saying MF......

Well said, we should try become a little more united. However, I believe the GOP has their operatives running all over the place disrupting when ever and where ever they can. I am sure their are some here at DU that pose as Democrats, Greens, Indies, Liberals, Progressives, whatever. While not overtly disrupting they are just tweaking and twisting a little bit. From a spark a flame can be produced.

Grizzly Hug :hug:

[madfloridian]

23. All that you mentioned is going on.

And we need our bloggers and our media to be defending our Democrats when they are attacked and threatened.

A big hug back to you. :hug:

[blm]

25. No kidding. And DU is ground zero most of the time.

.

[madfloridian]

26. DU is ground zero for all our attacks on each other.

We have not healed from last year at all. Here we attack all our good Democrats, the right wing and the righty blogs attack them as well, and the lefty blogs are busy doing other things...

[madfloridian]

24. Congrats to the right and the righty bloggers. Is our side gloating yet?

I hear Dean had to sort of back down today. And where are the ones on our side defending him? I missed the interview, but I gather from what I have heard since that enough Democrats put the pressure on.

Hey, lefty forums and bloggers, why the hell do you think anyone will bother much anymore?

Someone goes out on a limb, gets death threats from at least two talk radio hosts, gets slammed around by his own Democrats....where were you?

I think the GOP and the Democrats who want to stay in Iraq just won again.

[fooj]

27. He didn't say anything that Hagel and Shrub himself hasn't.

It's BS!

[sojourner]

28. interesting responses....

1) we don't do defense (sounds a LOT like Kerry not fighting back against swift-boating)

2) going after death threats gives them legitimacy (and buying into the whole "War on X-Mas" doesn't?)

gimme a break!

When something like this goes down the rw-nuts go shitbonkers. We did too, once (or am I hallucinating?). But of late we seem complacent and content to chew apart those we disagree with and too ready to ride off tilting at windmills over Christmas vs. Holiday cards. Maybe its a bit of battle fatigue?

Take some holiday time and then get back that fire in the belly and iron in the spine. Go out and defend, DEFEND those who stand up for our voices.

edited for clarity

[madfloridian]

29. Front page Kos....this is exactly what I mean. My point is made.

There has nothing on the site of one of main bloggers connected to the left supporting Dean at all really. Today Harry Reid takes it upon himself to tell them to shut up. Diaried front page.

I hope Howard Dean and John Murtha keep talking, and I want Harry Reid to hush this time. We need this dialogue.

This diary made my point that not only is there almost no support for us from the bloggers....this is this antipathy. Kerry is a favorite target there as well. Tired of it.

This makes my point.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/12/8/16139/8493

[madfloridian]

30. Media Matters has the audio up now with article.

Maybe some in the lefty blogosphere might notice now?