Larisa says STOP, and I say

[whometense]

you must read this DailyKos thread, which was posted around last night. This woman Larisa is something else. In fact, though some of the comments are good, you could just skip everything except for her original post and all her own follow-up comments.

Brilliant.

Just look at what she says about JK:

Ask yourself this very reasonable question: Nixon/Bush/ and co., have been the arch nemesis of this man for the last 30 years... basic character traits never change... some are heightened and others reduced, but they do not change... he may have not been clear in articulating his position on the war... because he was not sure how much of what he was hearing was true... did you actually see his debate on the Senate floor about the bill he first opposed but then passed? He talked for almost an hour on why he did not trust that this money would go to the soldiers and how this money was not being accounted for, but he hoped that the money did reach them... did you see that by chance? Have you researched his voting record, including his oral presentations, at all? Judging a vote by its cover does not all the truth make... he is a very passionate and reasonable person. So either sometime between the hours of 12 AM and 2 PM the next day he was cloned and became spineless or something happened to make him walk away... and if you have studied him, then you would know that this is not a man who walks away... yet you, without facts of any sort (something you accuse me of) are willing to fry him and smear him.

[ginnyinWI]

1. ooh I read that last night too!

She was really good! And I just love it when "insiders" know to be more optimistic and confident in JK than others! Just proves that those others don't know squat and should just be ignored! We're going to be shown to be right to maintain faith in our guy.

[whometense]

2. I wasn't sure how many people saw it

last night, and wanted to be sure everyone did. I hope it's not too repetitive. She was just totally on the mark, not only about JK, but also about how dems are allowing themselves to be manipulated and distracted by the GOP plants.

It was so refreshing to read something that positive!

[ginnyinWI]

3. no, it was right that you posted here

I don't even know which forum I was on, but found it by random chance. And even then I almost didn't go to Kos and read it, because there are so many Meanies over there! But I did, and read the whole thing. You didn't mention that she is not just a poster there, she is someone who writes for Raw Story.

I love it, too, when I read those postive things.

[whometense]

4. Thanks. I'm still not sure

of the protocol here all the time.

So here's what I did. There were so many people slamming her for what I thought was a great post that I was going to email her. And then I thought, is that too cowardly? So I posted a comment. And, as happens 100% of the time I post at Kos, I got jumped on. I argued back once, but when I went back to look at the response I realized it was a hopeless cause. There are people over there (and at DU too) who are filled with righteous anger and stomp around in their big angry boots feeling all powerful.

Life's too short to respond to that crap. But I'm still angry. I must now go and write 100 times on the blackboard, "I will not post at Daily Kos".

[TayTay]

5. I saw your post

Don't sweat it. You said your piece, it was well done. The naysayers just do what they do. Don't let it get to you.

As I said before, this is the down time between the election and the coronation. Don't let it make you bitter.

We believe. Remember that one and Keep the Faith!

[whometense]

6. Yes ma'am.

Of course you're right. :-)

Do those people have jobs? Just wondering...

[JohnKleeb]

7. Beautiful and true

[whometense]

8. My, my, my...

that entire thread appears to have been disappeared off the kos website..

Did I miss something?? I've been out.

[LittleClarkie]

9. Man I hope not

I just hot buttoned it yesterday. I hope it's still there.

Seeing that thread and you over there, I decided to join. Couldn't post yet yesterday though.

One thing I want you to remember about posting and naysayers. Don't forget that there are people who read but don't post. And I'm sure some of them appreciated your positive post. Don't go back and forth with them ad nauseum, but don't be afraid to speak your peace either.

[whometense]

10. Thanks a lot. :-)

It's ridiculously easy to get suckered into those stupid back-and-forths over there. I guess at DU too, but I've mostly avoided them here.

It's still gone. Larisa may have taken it down herself, so I shouldn't jump to conclusions. DailyKos, to my mind, appears to have almost completely reverted to the way it was in the fall of 2003, Kerry-bashing and Dean-idolizing. It's mean and it's personal.

I did fortunately save the thread - it just happened to still be open on my computer - so I have a text copy. If anyone wants one I can email it to them.

[LittleClarkie]

11. yes please

I also emailed her to tell her I appreciated her comments and to ask what happened to the entry.

Please use the email option to send me the thread, if you would be so kind.

Thanks!

[whometense]

12. I just sent it.

It was really long, so let me know if you can't read it, or if half is missing, or anything, and I'll figure out another way.

Let me know if you hear from her about the thread. I am very curious.

[LittleClarkie]

13. I won't go into everything she said

She was very happy to get email from someone who was not trying to tear Kerry or the Dems apart.

She said she deleted the original article because of the hateful comments it was getting. It appears she is as sick of the hate rants as we are. She doesn't sound like she will be hanging out in Kos much anymore, but will probaby hang out in the RawStory forum or somewhere else instead. I'll probaby wander over there and see what the climate is.

She said my attitude was a breath of fresh air. Funny, I was just thinking the same about her.

She said the one article still at her diary has good information that people should read that pertains to what's been happening with the elections.

[whometense]

14. Thanks for this!

I emailed her this morning, and also registered for the RawStory forum, though I haven't looked around there at all yet.

[TayTay]

15. Can someone PM me her e-mail

I didn't get it before the thread went down. I thought she was great! Her assessment of Sen. Kerry's life seems to be dead-on. (The rethugs have been after him since '71. I can't help but feel that the best moment of his life would be seeing these bastards fall apart and start serving some serious prison time.)

[whometense]

16. I just sent it.

Let me know if it doesn't arrive properly - I'm new at this ;-)

You're probably watching the game now, anyway. Talk to you later.

[TayTay]

17. Got it

Thanks! Will e-mail praise shortly.

[whometense]

18. I heard back from her too.

I invited her to visit us here if she needed the company of open-minded, positive-thinking Kerry supporters.

She appears to have had (unfortunately) ample reason to take down the Kos thread. And she said at the point she read my email she'd had three positive emails to over 200 threatening ones.

When I read stuff like that it makes me wonder. To comment negatively on a public post is one thing, but to take the time to email her...what's WRONG with these people? I sure as hell know I don't want to claim them as on my side.

And to bring this back to JK in a different way, it reminds me of what he went through during his VVAW days. Remember the scenes in Going Upriver when he went around talking to the protesting soldiers, calming them down and re-focusing them on what they needed to do to be effective?

Kerry parted company with them when the radical/violent elements of the group started pulling it in a different direction. Just so we remember (and I remind myself here, too) that the radical element is loud and insistent, but it is small and fringe.

[whometense]

19. Update:

Larisa and I have been exchanging emails. She's been struggling with the Kos crowd. Evidently, the last straw that caused her to take down the thread was some kind of picture someone posted of her committing suicide. Classy, huh?

She also suggested we take a look at www.cryptoheaven.com, which offers free accounts and would be freeper-free. As long as this group stays as is, it's probably not necessary, but might be something to keep in mind.

She also asked me to pass along her thanks for the support she's received from people in this group. She says it's made a big difference to her knowing she has some friends out there.