This forum is disgusting

[Levgreee]

I started browsing about a week ago, along with comments on political articles. It is disturbing how bitter and biased people are towards members of their own party, and sickening how ignorant and frivolous some of the attacks are.

I am 22, have voted once for Dems so far, and at the moment plan on voting Democratic far into the future. However, from what I have seen so far from Democrats, I feel I would need to say I am independent, to distance myself from so much negativity.


Disclaimer: currently I support Obama, but I will,admit that I would readily, and quickly(and may), change to Edwards, Clinton, etc. if I thought it was the right choice.

[fenriswolf]

1. come around here when its not filled to the gills

with people trying to wean votes for their candidate or filled with people trying to stir up crap. When not in an election cycle this really is a great place for intelligent discussion.

[Levgreee]

12. The thing is, election time is when intelligent discussion is most necessary

It's when peoples' patience is tested, but also when they have to show their true dedication to being informed, well-meaning supporters of democracy.

I have yet to see one(well, maybe one) thread actually discussing critically the positions of the various candidates.

[fenriswolf]

I know I post a bunch about kucinich

some are lip service but their are some good threads that have actual intelligent converstaions, some are eaten up with one line haters or lost in the mix but their here. trust me i wouldnt hang around here if i only had he-said she-said bs. just don't let the small stuff get you. forget about that and remember your better then that and find people to talk with you intelligently about the differnet policy points of candidates/ votes/ what have you.

[HCE SuiGeneris]

46. You are not looking too hard if you have only found one post.

Ignore the poo-slinging threads. Concentrate on OPs/threads that merit your attention. There are many of them.

[goldcanyonaz]

2. I think there's a lot of sexual frustration on this forum, present company included.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

6. wo0t

:applause:

[goldcanyonaz]

9. If it made you laugh, then it's all good.

[sufrommich]

19. LOL!!! nt

I always enjoy your posts goldcanyon.

[goldcanyonaz]

23. Thank you!

[TheWraith]

33. If only it were that easy. NT

[natrat]

38. yea, there should be a porno section in the special interest forums :)

[Vanje]

58. Hey!

I resemble that remark!

[mathewsleep]

3. there are plenty

of people here who are sane. if you wade through the shit, you'll find some gold here and there.

[quinnox]

4. Get use to it

DAMN, its been going for this for a long time now. Some Obama supporters are waaaay over the top!

[mathewsleep]

10. this is

kinda what the op was talking about.

[Mythsaje]

5. It gets rowdy here around the primaries...

I'm told that it was just as bad, or more, or less, in 2004. I wasn't here yet.

Had you found DU a year ago, you would have seen a far different place. And it will (most likely) return to that again.

[Spiffarino]

31. I came on in 2004

I don't remember it ever getting so personal or inflammatory. This has stopped being a nice place to look in.

[Webster Green]

7. It's primary season..

It will pass....B-)

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

8. There are decent folks here

but, sadly, their voices are often drowned out by those who would rather argue and be nasty than do things that are constructive.

[MadBadger]

11. It may be disgusting, but after browing for only a week, you have no right to judge.

Oh, and welcome to DU.

[MethuenProgressive]

25. I'm surprised it took a week.

I log on for a few minutes sometimes and then log back off after a quick glance. Sometimes it's just not worth it!

[Spiffarino]

37. I've been posting for almost four years

I think I've earned the right to judge.

This is without doubt the worst I've ever seen it. Perhaps there is some attempt by RW operatives to disrupt the place and fuck it up for everybody, but more likely there's a preponderance of strident jerks who've decided their candidate trumps all others.

[Name removed]

45. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[oasis]

13. Try the DU Lounge: Open 24 hours.

:grouphug: Lots of agreeable folk and other goodstuff.

[MethuenProgressive]

27. And the DUzys!!

Gotta read the DUzys!

[oasis]

53. I love DU. The heighth, width, breadth and depth of DU.

:loveya:

[The_Casual_Observer]

Duplicate posting

[The_Casual_Observer]

14. Politics isn't a very friendly business.

[Akoto]

15. I am 23 and will tell you ...

First of all, this site is in NO WAY representative of the Democratic party. It's a comparatively tiny group of people, some of whom happen to be very vocal about their opinions (sometimes to the point of causing offense).

It's also worth noting that this place always gets this way during primaries and other major elections. Things get heated because people think they have the best way of doing things, or you get trolls who try to start trouble in their candidate's favor, or whatever else. Most of the time, it's not like this here.

[ileus]

16. preach it to 'em brother.

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

36. ileus, you are the preacher.

Remember that.

:toast: MKJ

[ElsewheresDaughter]

17. self deleted

[MethuenProgressive]

18. Welcome to DU!

Please don't ever think a forum populated with anonymous typists represents the norm of Democratic Party members or a candidate's supporters. Connect with real world volunteers - even if it's just small local races, visit local HQs, and if you can go see the candidates in person. And have fun!

rec#5 to the Greatest Page!

[NMDemDist2]

20. politics is a contact sport

hang on to your innocence as long as you can though...

:hi:

[virginia mountainman]

21. Yep.....Sometimes it gets mean..

At least your not a Rural person, who collects guns.......


*Groans*

[Spiffarino]

42. Oh yeah, I forgot about the "Gungeon"

If you think guns aren't necessarily a bad thing, it can get very nasty.

OTOH, it's worse on the General boards right now. Some people have lost their grip on tolerance.

[mathewsleep]

22. it's called

keyboard courage.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

24. Don't be depressed. Be aware of what happened....

... Republicans have had a stranglehold on the U.S. since Reagan, and much of the Democratic Party went centrist and even right wing. The majority of Democrats are not centrist or right wing, and we've seen how much the right wing ideology has hurt the weakest folks in the U.S., how much it has hurt the general economy (tho the mega-rich are doing wonderfully from Reagan to the present), and how much debt and trouble our country is in. That's what right wing policies do. Many Dems are fighting the centrist and right wing Dems to get them back where they belong, which is the liberal left Democratic Party. They never should've leaned towards the GOP at all. So yes, there's lots of arguing, fighting, etc. Ultimately, we'll all vote for the nominee for president, but that doesn't mean we may be satisfied with the nominee. Too many of us are no longer willing to settle for right wing and centrist policy. It destroys our country.

[Spiffarino]

50. You're on to it.

The new Gilded Age began with Reagan and found its greatest champion in Bush the Lesser.

We can blame Republicans all we want, but they never would have been able to pull it off without the consent of a certain number of Democrats.

[sueh]

26. Hang around, Levgreee. It's primary season. It will get better soon.

and Welcome :hi:

[Hersheygirl]

28. I know your pain.

I have been coming here for a couple of months now and am astounded by what I am reading. At this point I don't know who to trust, but I know one thing, the candidates on our side of the aisle are by far better than anything on the other side and I will be happy to vote for whoever the nominee turns out to be, because I know they can and will win.

[Spiffarino]

44. Wow...

Don't post that as an original thread or you'll be attacked mercilessly. I just felt the wrath of DU for daring to utter such apostasy.

[Cha]

29. Thanks for posting your

views as someone new to the sight, Levgreee. In the 2004 primaries there was much animosity, too, but this 2008 has gone to a whole another level.

Thanks for being interested enough to investigate the candidates and Welcome to DU!

[uppityperson]

30. Who says those posting negative stuff ARE dems?

Don't assume that.

[TheWraith]

32. Welcome to DU, from a long time poster who feels the same way.

I hope you see this: I'd send you a private message, but you can't get them yet. Believe me when I say that it's NOT usually like this. In fact, this is the most horrendous I've ever seen this place go, an order of magnitude beyond even the nastiest infighting of the 2004 primary season. I posted a similar sentiment here just a little while ago:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x4132722

That said, please don't let a dedicated core of hateful fanatics sour you on Democratic politics. Usually this place is, if not peaceful, than at least civil. It also helps to remember that being an online forum, it concentrates some of the most radical elements out of proportion to their real size and influence.

[mzmolly]

34. "It is disturbing how bitter and biased people are towards members of their own party,"

Isn't it though? However, keep in mind a couple things.

1. Not all participants are Democrats and
2. We'll come together when we select a nominee. :hi:

Welcome!

[MADem]

35. Let me offer you a few suggestions.

Take these times with a grain of salt--a lot of people here are new. They come BECAUSE of the primaries, and they want news, information, links.

Once the primaries finish, and things settle down, it will become a bit more sane.

You will always have "Hector O'Rhetoric" types who are one-issue scolds. Also, if you aren't well to the left, politically, even if you are a solid Democrat, you may take shit every now and again.

This forum is not terribly typical of the party as a whole. It's more than a bit to the left, and louder. But it's interesting, nonetheless. It's also very sincere. And it's a wealth of information.

Lurk for now. You'll be happier if you jump in after the shit has hit the fan..er...a candidate has been nominated.

[OzarkDem]

40. Good suggestions n/t

[medeak]

39. We have THREE TERRIFIC CANDIDATES

and agree.... and btw...welcome from an oldtimer who misses the groovy old days on DU

[Usrename]

41. Of course people are bitter here.

We finally have a majority in both houses of Congress, and still we are loath to try and halt the blatant, in-your-face, criminal conduct of this administration, and NOW, to add insult to injury, we are eyeball deep in a grudge fight over whether we should maintain the status quo with Hillary or try and return the Reagan Golden Years with Obama.

:banghead:

Why wouldn't some people act bitter?

[natrat]

43. lot of it is over how fucked the democratic party has become at least in washington

[GoldieAZ49]

47. very brave of you

I have been reading for awhile, hesitate to say anything because of the hostility, I really like Obama, he is like having RFK & MLK in one.
I think the attacks on him have been unfair.

What other candidate has ever had to stand their ground against the other candidate AND a Former POTUS? If Hillary cannot control Bill now, how will she do it if elected?

[juno jones]

48. Give it some time.

If the election stuff is too much, just avoid those threads or ignore the usual supects. There's much more to do here: Keep up with current events, browse through other forums or go back and read the compiled journals of the members. There is a lot of good information here and some very intelligent people to converse with. Welcome.

[rug]

49. No, this is disgusting:

[LWolf]

51. A few thoughts:

If you think it is "disgusting," you have a few choices.

You can find another forum that is less disgusting.

You can refuse to join in the more rabid threads, and spend your time in the topic forums, or groups, where you are more likely to find substantive discussions.

You can post as many positive threads as possible, to try to stem the tide.

As far as "bitter and divisive" goes, I would ask you to look at the bigger picture.

Everything evolves; nothing stays the same. That includes any political party. The Democratic party is undergoing change. There is a pitched battle between those supporting more traditional democratic values and those supporting the shift to the dlc/centrist/3rd way party. If the DLC/centrist/3rd way group is the one to determine the identity, and the direction, of the modern Democratic Party, then much of the traditional base is disenfranchised. That traditional base can leave the party to the 3rd way folks, or fight to wrest control from the party leaders that have allowed the incursions.

You are 22, and entered your voting years in the middle of this upheaval. It's all about the identity and direction of the party. Are those being systematically disenfranchised bitter? You bet.

It's not "division." There is a growing chasm between wings of the party that a "big tent" band aid will just not cover.

[Captain Hilts]

52. I like all three candidates. nt

[madrchsod]

54. you noticed?

...but for a refuge from the storm, join in on the nonsense in the lounge

[D23MIURG23]

55. It isn't always like this.

Take a break and show up again when the primary season is over, and the mods have hosed all the shit off the walls.

:hi:

[Marrah_G]

56. This is probably the worst time to take a look at Du for the first time

[redqueen]

57. .

Welcome to DU.