Reply #20: I agree with much of what you say, nomaco-10 --

[DeepModem Mom]

I agree with this, in particular: "DU is much more read than many here think. It's a double edged sword, if we 'put our best foot forward' then there are those here who will feel stifled by feeling that voicing their dissent is their 1st amendment right and wishing John Ashcroft would 'die on the table' is exercising that right." And ulTRAX is right about DU's potential, which I think would be enhanced if DUers kept their "eyes on the prize" (getting George Bush out of our White House) by using some judgment before they post. I think we owe it to the DUers whose research and writing is making a difference not to undermine the credibility of this site.

I agree also that the primaries changed things here. We lost the mutual support and camaraderie we found through our opposition to a common enemy, George W. Bush and the right-wing extremists who put him in power. We made enemies of fellow Democrats. Now many make an enemy of the man who will be the Democratic nominee, John Kerry -- the only hope we have of defeating George Bush, and coming back full circle to DU's inception, at the time Bush took the oath of his stolen office.