Clarification, please, on DU policy re: Democrats v. Democrats

[No Elephants]

Do one or both of the following violate DU rules:

1/ describing Democrats generally, or those of us at DU, who criticize the Party or individual Democrats from the left as Republicans, Teabaggers, FREEPers or as much like Republicans, Teabaggers, FREEPers, etc.

2/ Questioning the motives of Democrats generally or those of us at DU who who criticize the Party or individual Democrats from the left.

The above may refer to a specific DUer or may be a general comment on a thread where the Party, Obama or some other Democrat is being criticized as being too far right.

If any of the above violates DU rules, I will alert. However, if it doesn't, I won't waste my time or that of the mods by alerting.

[Skinner]

1. Generally speaking, stuff like that is against the rules.

But there are a number of factors that will influence whether the moderators will remove such things.

If they are said of a specific DU member, then it would be removed.

If they are said as broad-brush statements -- ie: Everyone who does X is X -- then we would remove it.

But if they're vague, non-specific "some people here" type statements, then the moderators might not remove them.

[No Elephants]

2. Thank you.

Sadly, on reading your reply, I realized that you and I may be unwittingly mapping a safe route to Divisive Town, but, since we've gone this far, I have some follow up questions:

What if there are already several posts on a thread that, for example, criticize Obama or another Democrat from a left perspective, and a somewhata less left poster says something like, "obviously, trolls post at DU," or "I have to question the motives of people who criticize Obama?"

Wouldn't it be clearer and less divisive (and less unpleasant) just to stick to the rule about posting about substance, not about other DUers or about what other DUers are posting or supposedly thinking?

(Edited for typo first and then to add follow up questionsss.)

[Skinner]

3. In theory yes.

But in practice, we have found that that kind of zero-tolerance enforcement leads to situations where we're doing a whole lot of censoring that feels excessive and unnecessary.

Of course, trying to split hairs and find some sort of middle ground also creates its own problems. I guess the take-away should be this: If people post rude things about other people, they take their chances.

[No Elephants]

4. Thank you for your responses.