Holy moly...

[southlandshari]

If we are this divided and - more importantly - this disrespectful and flat out ugly towards one another on the same side of the aisle, what does that say about us as mature adults, much less a group of people who ostensibly want to work together to defeat a common enemy in a few short months?

Our collective anger, while justified on many counts, has not served us nor this country well at all the past eight years.

And it is doing nothing to move us forward today.

Wake up, my friends. No matter who you support in the presidential race this year, don't forget that none of us knows it all.

Shut up and listen to one another every now and then. We don't have to agree on everything, but how the hell do we know exactly what others think if we busy ourselves with pigeonholing, stereotyping and e-yelling at them 24/7?

:shrug:


Don't recommend this thread. Just read it and think about it. Reply to it, if it interests you. Ignore it, if not. Or smack me down if you feel I'm out of line. Just say something other than some nasty and generally unoriginal shot at someone else's candidate here. If nothing else, do that.

Please.

[Syrinx]

1. Agreed.

I'm not recommending, only because you asked.

Place is crazy.

Hi Shari! :hi:

[southlandshari]

6. Seeking common ground...

...but you've got to give me a few days to recover from your triumphant signing day last week!

;)

[Syrinx]

43. it's nice to best Auburn

... at something related to football. But I won't be happy until we beat you guys on the field.

Maybe by 2011?

:shrug:

Nice to make your acquaintance. :D

[Bluebear]

2. Hello old friend

[southlandshari]

8. It's good to see you, Bluebear!

Am I just missing something here, or have we gotten way off track amongst ourselves?

Regardless of the politics of it all, I hope all is well with you...

:hug:

[Bluebear]

9. It's a hot mess.

But everything is well here and I hope the same with you! Don't be a stranger. :hug:

[southlandshari]

26. delete - dupe

[southlandshari]

27. I'll say!

I'm trying to get around a bit more often these days...keep my seat warm, willya?

:D

[NMMNG]

3. Hey there

I haven't seen you in a long time. :hi:

[southlandshari]

13. Buffy!

I break the chains of work, school and motherhood every now and then for a few glorious moments of e-freedom!

When I do, you are one of my favorite people to lurch into around here!

:D

[ClayZ]

4. Loving Kindness

[southlandshari]

14. Your sigline

is dead on.

For what my old has-been opinion is worth.

:)

[sniffa]

5. I know everything

:hi:

[southlandshari]

16. I know even more than you....

And if you argue with me, I'll spill all your embarrassing secrets right here and now!

:evilgrin:

[Political Heretic]

7. Don't worry too much - anonymous internet always brings out the worst in people

Myself included - we're are all susceptible to saying / writing things or expressing ourselves in ways that we probably wouldn't dream of in real life. The internet can sometimes be used as an emotional outlet for pent up frustration, fear, anger - or whatever else. It's not always easy to see internet boards as connected to real people on the other end.

It's primary season. We democrats are passionate about this chance to bring sanity back to the White House that we haven't had in eight years. We're afraid of blowing it - yeah, I said it. What if we all go for someone who ends up losing. Most of us can't bear the thought of another republican term.

Adding to that, you can say whatever you want and by cynical or rude, but for a lot of people they have found candidates that have genuinely had the ability to inspire them in ways they haven't felt in politics for a long time. I'm not just referring to Obama. I'm referring to John Edwards, and I know that for some people, Hillary Clinton is that person as well!

This is a year in which many people who have been so disenfranchised from politics are starting to believe again that they're voice matters. You take all of that passion, that.... yes I know its become a dirty word..... HOPE...and blend that with the fear, and desperate need to end this republican nightmare and you get a heavily fueled environment that isn't always going to be pretty.

It'll all be ok in the end!

[southlandshari]

17. I'm not worried....

Just saddened by what I see here.

I really appreciate your thoughtful reply, Political Heretic. I hope our paths cross again in the future!

:hi:

[TexasObserver]

10. I've been to Democratic functions that make this look like Play School

Yeah, it's bad when the race gets down to two camps, and it gets ugly. Like always.

Most pain is imaginary and comes from a person having unrealistic expectations. Give up the expectation and the pain goes away.

[southlandshari]

18. Expectations

I agree with you about the need for folks to abandon unrealistic expectations of candidates (or anyone else, for that matter).

Expectations aside, when a race - whether local, state or federal, primary or general - becomes divisive on issues, every one of us still has the option of getting nasty or agreeing to disagree with respect.

Being respectful is not a sign of weakness. Choosing your battles wisely is as good a strategy as I've ever seen.

;)

[Guava Jelly]

11. How about if I just fucking say

THANK YOU!
I totally agree :applause:

[southlandshari]

19. Works for me!

:toast:

[Auntie Bush]

51. Works for me too.

That's all I really every wanted. A place to post our thoughts on our candidate of choice and instead I fell into a den of wolves and as a mother...had to come to the rescue...then fell for Hillary hook line and sinker. After awhile one takes on a very protective attitude. I really think this place is detrimental to Democrats during primary season. It only makes us enemies. I would have rather had rules that said...
NO NEGATIVE POSTING. Say something positive about your candidate or STFU.
Let the Rethugs do there own research. Why did we have to give them all the fodder here on DU?

[southlandshari]

53. Well said...

And for what it is worth, I am interested in hearing - and respecting - your views about Clinton, even though I am a very passionate supporter of Barack Obama.

;)

[DS1]

12. Hi

:hi:

and, yep!

[southlandshari]

20. Hi yourself

It is really, really good to see you.

:hug:

[DS1]

21. and with that

I'm going back to bed

:boring:

[southlandshari]

24. Wimp

:eyes:














































:popcorn:

[NastyRiffraff]

15. I agree about the over-the-top nastiness

Argue about the issues: fine. Enthusiastically support your candidate: Good for you. But please, can we stop with the misogyny, personal attacks, and outright hate?

I think one reason this has been far worse than 2004 is that the primaries have gone on so long, and will go on longer. That's a good thing, because more people and states have a say in who the nominee is. Unfortunately, it also means that there's more time to trash a candidate whose not your choice. And it's a viscious circle; attack, defend, counter, etc. etc. (I've been guilty of the snarky defense myself.)

About my candidate, I can almost predict the nasty replies as soon as something is posted about her.

[southlandshari]

22. Well said!

The real nastiness in 2004 came after the election. And we've been fighting ever since.

:(

[Perry Logan]

23. Given half a chance, we will do the Repiblicans' work for them.

Repiblicans. Republicans. Whatever.

[southlandshari]

25. Perhaps

All I know is that I can't find one decent conversation in this forum that doesn't involve the kind of sterotyping and sniping that I used to associate with folks at other sites. Not DU.

:(

[leftofthedial]

28. Oh shut up.

You're spoiling all the fun.








;P
:sarcasm:

[southlandshari]

29. Dayum!

My inner redneck was about to come out til I saw your sarcasm tag!

:D

[southlandshari]

30. Dupe....again

I'm getting fumbly-fingered in my old age, I guess.

:blush:

[ChiciB1]

31. That's For Sure... But For Me I Think We Missed A Good Chance For Unity Already! n/t

[southlandshari]

32. Ok, I'll bite....

Care to elaborate on the missed opportunity of which you speak?

:)

[ChiciB1]

34. Not Really, If You Don't Know Already... There's Enough Blood Being

spilled here, and I AM not one who is willing to go tit for tat, simply because someone "baits" me. It's just a comment and some know what I mean.

My answer would ONLY get me a reply as to WHY YOU feel I'm incorrect.

[southlandshari]

38. I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about

My reply to you was not intended as hostile in any way. I honestly didn't know what you were referring when you mentioned a missed opportunity here at DU. I don't spend much time online these days, and haven't posted in the political forums here in months.

I don't bait people and I don't take bait thrown my way. I'm sorry if I somehow gave you a different impression of me.

:(

[stillcool]

33. it goes on and on...

with the same acerbic vitriol being expressed by the same posters. It is not conducive for any type of discussion. The only purpose is to defile anyone that does not support a particular candidate. However positive a thread, whether it be pictures, polls, endorsements, whatever...the attack posse has to trample through, making comments engineered to produce a certain reaction...and they get it. I am guilty of responding to such tripe. I need to stop getting down in the gutter with these fine folks. It serves no purpose but to prolong the life of some very ugly sentiments expressed by some very hateful hearts. Regardless of how many people I put on Ignore, there is some new poster that comes along to take their place. Why is that?

[southlandshari]

39. I hear you

I support your goal of staying out of this particular gutter with perpetual haters.

There are far more entertaining gutters to get into, know what I mean?

:evilgrin:

[hfojvt]

35. it's the GD way

It is only in the slow times that GD is not torn apart arguing about Kobe Bryant or Tookie or Israel or smoking or immigration or Leopold! or whatever, until the excitement dies down. With the long primary season, the excitement sorta never dies down.

I think it will die down shortly after somebody clinches the nomination. If it's Hillary, the HHHers will lie low and/or be supportive until after the election when there will either be celebration or weeping and gnashing of teeth and rending of garments.

This will last until mid-January when the calls will begin for the new President to be impeached! If not sooner. IIRC people were calling for Pelosi's head on a silver platter in December 2006. The beat (down) goes on.

[southlandshari]

40. You forgot the South bashing

that comes after November 4.

:P

[tandot]

36. How dare you tell me...

...not to recommend your thread?

Well said. :hi:

[southlandshari]

41. LOL!

You got me!

:rofl:

[immoderate]

37. Your post is about a mere handful of people...

Of the 100+K DUers and the maybe 5-10 thousand who regularly post here, only a very few are involved in this stupidity. I hardly ever go to GD: P and I have a well tuned internal "ignore" reflex. It's only a post.

--IMM

[southlandshari]

42. Thank you for the information

And applause for your wisdom and serenity above the fray.

:)

[southlandshari]

44. I realize now that this thread was a mistake

But I really appreciate all of you who took the time to respond.

I'll let it go. I can see we are vastly outnumbered on this one.

[Bluerthanblue]

46. this thread wasn't

a mistake-

It is nice to read down through a post and see people greeting each other with kind words and friendly comraderie.

I'm glad you posted this post.

And glad I took the time to read it-

I agree with you comments about treating each other with more respect and kindness-

:hi:
peace~

[southlandshari]

48. I'm glad you took the time to read it, too!

And to respond to it.

I appreciate your words very much. You've made an old DU has-been's day!

:hug:

[cd3dem]

45. I feel my vote has been swiftboated by lies and the race card thrown in my eyes

[southlandshari]

47. I can top that...I feel my thread has now been polluted by meaningless political cliches

If you decide to reply to my points in the OP, agree or disagree, I'll be right here.

Otherwise, there are a brazillion other threads in this forum in which embarrassingly simplistic and stereotypical buzzwordese is the native language spoken.

:hi:

[cd3dem]

49. if Obama does not speak out about the negative smear of the Clinton's on race I cannot vote for him!

[southlandshari]

50. Is Obama a DUer?

This thread was about us. The members of DU. And how we treat each other.

My hope was that DUers might unite in treating each other with some measure of mutual respect here.

Perhaps we can discuss your specific issues with Obama, Clinton and their respective campaigns in another thread?

:)

[cd3dem]

52. the campaign is sadly not about the issues... and when that happened friendly discussion died...

[southlandshari]

54. Who decides what elections are about?

The way I see it, we the people are still in charge of our own elections.

If we choose to abdicate our responsibility and then cry foul when special interest groups and corrupt corporate media step in in our absence, who is to blame?

If as many of us tirelessly fought the real entities that subjugate our electoral process (along with most other important tools of our republic)instead of buying into the short-sighted stereotypes they peddle our way, we'd win.

Or we can play their game and get just as nasty and as hollow as the next lemming.

I choose to believe we are better than that.

[cd3dem]

55. the media picked out key words to make the Clinton's sound racist... and everyone fell for it!

Obama never spoke up and cleared the air... and so he is either calculating... or ignorant... neither of which I want to vote for...

our country will be better off with anyone but Obama!

[southlandshari]

56. Perhaps

he is neither calculating nor ignorant.

Perhaps he is very wisely choosing not to engage pigs in their own mudwrestling ring.

The "media" (and I use that term loosely) puts little emphasis on fact or fairness these days, opting instead for scandal and sensationalism, even if they have to invent it themselves.

I'm glad to see someone unafraid to refuse to play this game. I'd say the same thing if the roles were reversed between Obama and Clinton.

[cd3dem]

59. Obama did not speak out! He said nothing! Not to be above it! To gain votes!

Cannot vote for him!

[southlandshari]

63. Darlin'...

You're in the wrong thread.

But if you want to keep kicking this, I'm ok with that.

Hell, I'm about to lift my own moratorium on recommending it, for that matter.

See you around the forums!

:hi:

[EstimatedProphet]

57. What it says is that we're not all mature adults

It used to be much more civil here...remember the good old days?

[southlandshari]

60. I remember

Back then, we could resolve just about anything with a good old game of e-quarters.

:D




























:hug:

[Holly_Hobby]

58. Divide and conquer

Mission accomplished.

[southlandshari]

61. Sadly

I think you are right.

That said, what really bothers me, I guess, is that I see DU far more divided than ever, even as out in the real world people seem to be beginning to talk to - and LISTEN to - one another more than they have in a long time.

I wonder why that is. I honestly don't know.

Anyone?

[LanternWaste]

62. I have a sneaking suspicion that after we...

I have a sneaking suspicion that after we finally have a Democratic nominee, we'll return to our regularly scheduled programming, and begin to focus once again on the actual rather than convenient enemy (i.e., the GOP).

For the time being, I'll attribute the anger and hostility to (rightly or wrongly) misplaced passion and/or simple immaturity.

[southlandshari]

64. That's what happened in 2004`

And it did not serve us well at all.

Misplaced passion and simple immaturity are human, but not where I'd like to see us collectively set the bar of expectations, you know?

:)