Sometimes I wonder why I post here....

[PresidentObama]

I'm being serious. And I know plenty of you feel the same way. Especially at this moment in time, when I see candidate X supporters chasing after candidate Y supporters with kitchen knives. It gets tiresome that we can't have a meaningful and honest debate about 2008 in this place. Hell, it seems sometimes it's hard to have a meaningful and honest debate at DemocraticUnderground period!!

I admit, I get caught up in it. But you know you do too!! It has the pre-school feel with everyone pointing fingers, and screaming out "HE STARTED IT!!!"

A lot of agendas, which is fine. But those agendas clash too often, and many threads are ruined by fights between certain posters. I've made my peace with those DU posters in the past I've had 'feuds' with.

Personally, I've made it my mission (not necessarily on DU--but overall, period) to make the 2008 race one we can win and be proud of. But all I see is people name calling, bringing up non-issues, lying, bashing, and adding nothing productive to the over all board.

So lastly, I want to say cool it everybody!! I promised myself I wouldn't follow the ever growing pattern of rants about how DU is non-productive sometimes, but here I am.

:hi:

[Quakerfriend]

1. I have to say, I feel this is mostly as result of a concerted effort

by the freepers.;-)

[knowbody0]

2. I agree

but IMHO, we are all desperate to not lose this next election, and want to support a winner with integrity and a global vision for world peace.

[PresidentObama]

3. Desperate to not lose the election?

Or desperate to make sure such and such's candidate is in the next election?

[knowbody0]

9. don't know about you,

but I am watching carefully. I find myself looking very critically at them all. Hillary is saying the WRONG things lately, Edwards seems less perfect. I really like Obama and I really like Clark, but how easily could the media destroy them? There's so much at stake, I question everything and trust nothing. I cannot get out of my heart that only the filthy rich can be elected.

[PresidentObama]

13. Clark is very impressive.

As is Obama. I wish Gore would run, maybe he will. I can only hope!!

[Mind_your_head]

16. First off.....DON'T let the media tell YOU who the Democratic runners are...

The election is still a LONG, LONG way off. REFUSE to be manipulated by the media who tells you that it's Hillary vs. Obama, etc., etc. You're being "led by the nose". They're gonna make you 'stake your position' (in your mind) and then you can't change it (b/c you've given so much of yourself to this candidate "worthy" or "unworthy" as he/she may be.....don't fall into this stupid trap.

Anybody who "works so hard" for a candidate this early in the game is a paid (in some way or another ;-) ) and I will take 'notice of you' as such for future reference.

We, the People.....take great care. Much is at stake. KNOW that more 'sly' (dirty) minds than yours are at work. Take great care and don't be too eager to 'fall in line' with a certain candidate w/o learning more of the facts/behavior/voting record of the particular candidate.

Peace,
M_Y_H

[wisteria]

6. We had two winners in 2000 and 2004.

The media, crooked Repubs,lazy Dem's and corporate America made sure that a Repub puppet made it into office one way or another. The Dem's always run great, intelligent and visionary candidates, unfortunately, these types of honest, free thinkers can't be controlled so ways are found to discredit them and make them lose.

[knowbody0]

10. sad and true

[Mind_your_head]

18. Maybe they're not as 'free thinkers' as they are purported to be

if they can't figure out how to dis-entangle themselves from just outright LIES! It should be relatively easy work, shouldn't it? Perhaps 'they' don't try as hard as they should? Perhaps if they tried, WE would listen and take them seriously.

There's a WHOLE WORLD out here just WAITING, WANTING to hear the TRUTH about things. Why should it take such 'courage' to present such truth? It should be 'natural', no?

[Kolesar]

4. I don't see it

Of course, I have not "picked" a candidate. Somehow it does not seem so urgent now that we don't have to knock bush* out of office (as in 2004).

[lancdem]

5. I get tired of people who like one candidate

constantly posting threads attacking other candidates. I like multiple candidates, and try to avoid promoting one by undercutting/bashing another. Passion is great, but ...

[TomInTib]

7. You are assuming that there will be a Presidential election in '08

Personally, I have serious doubts.

I think there will be a "hand on the wheel" argument and a "temporary" suspension of elections at the highest (Presidential) level.

Of course, in the interest of democracy, etc., the rest of the elections will (hopefully) go on.

The machinery is already in place with the latest extension of the PATRIOT Act and the Military Commission thing.

[The Magistrate]

22. Flat Nonesense, Sir

Calling this statement panic-mongering would elevate it to a dignity it does not deserve.

[DURHAM D]

8. I know what you mean -

I have not picked my candidate yet but I am bothered by a lot of the bashing that goes on here. Its just not very democratic.

Some days I wish to myself "Gosh - could we have a DU forum just for the adults?" You know, a place where we can hear ourselves think.

[Bobbieo]

11. It almost seems as if the malcontents lie in wait on DU

to hit a target and start an argument. So demoralizing!!!!

[DKRC]

12. I come here for great info/links

I haven't been here that long, but I'm learning which names to scan for if I want a considered, cogent, well-written opinion on an issue I'm unfamiliar with; and, a link to the original source so I can make up my own mind.
Not going to waste keystrokes fightin with someone over a non-issue. I know who I'd like to see run & win, but don't get drawn into feuds over it. I've got a coupla repub relatives if I want to fight.

YMMV

[Old and In the Way]

14. I think it's different for me this time.....

I was a hardcore Kerry supporter. I really am ambivalent about the choices at this point. If Clark or Gore get in, I might get more enthused. Don't get me wrong, I'll vote in both the primary and GE...I'm just not going to get caught up in the fun and games at this point. It's counter-productive and a waste of my time at this point in the cycle. MHO, of course.

[flaminbats]

15. pointing fingers at finger pointers always works..

without hypocrisy, we are less likely to doubt the lies of others. without name calling we would worship others just as flawed as us. without problems and failures we would never have a meaningful or honest debate.

but taking a long vacation from DU reminds me why I regularly login.

[The_Casual_Observer]

17. Tons of people read this website & get ideas from the posts & replies.

You can make a difference on this goofy place.

[MadMaddie]

19. Kerry2008 you have made a valid point...and I will restate what

I have said in earlier posts about this topic...

We here at DU have a purpose and that purpose is to support Democratic values and Democratic Candidates.

Now we may not all agree on the specific candidate and that is okay. However, to trash running Democratic hopefuls as if they are Republicans is not "Value Added" as we say in the Project Management world it is a waste of time and energy. Get out there and support your Democratic Candidate and may the best Democratic woman or man win.

We must all recognize that the Republican henchman are playing the same game they played last time and that is:
1. Plant seeds of discord among the Democratic populace.(Us)
2. Try to pick our candidate for us.
3. And all other negative and nasty talking points they create

So to my point, everyone on DU will have to make a conscious decision that no matter who our Democratic nominee is we will support him/her until the end. If you search back in your memory you will find that those Democrats that decided to vote for Nadar.....(I will leave it at that)

What is important to each of you? Get a Democratic President in office and an overwhelming Democratic Majority in Congress so we can get his country back on track? Or....put another Republican in office which will be the last nail in the coffin for this Great country of ours.

Just sayin....

[benddem]

20. it is 12 months

till the first primary. So much can happen between now and then. I'm already sick of the election.
Willard starts running commercials today. That's enough to make me never vote for him if I was ever inclined. We need to stop these 2 year election cycles.

[closeupready]

21. I will say that the negativity gets real old sometimes.

It's one thing to come up with valid criticisms, another to find fault. In the first case, you are pointing out how abuse or neglect is causing harm. That's always appropriate, IMO. In the second case, you're grasping for something to point to and turn people off - the hope is that since our political system is binary, if voters are sufficiently turned off by one choice (Republicans), it helps make success more likely for the other choice (Democrats). I don't really want to get into why the second notion is false, but I just feel sometimes like if people directed their energy towards coming up with constructive positive ideas and taking the time to sell them, as opposed to tearing down the other side, esp. when its not warranted, more people would be drawn to Democrats.