I know that a candidate should not be judged by his supporters...

[WillParkinson]

and that's a very good thing. If I were to judge a candidate by the people who support him or her, I'd likely sit out this election entirely.

Some of you are, by and large, interested in intelligent discourse. Those people I applaud. The other people who like to post negative comments...just because it's not their candidate? Wow. You're not helping your candidate by acting high and mighty or snarky.

I don't care who gets the nomination. I'll likely vote for whomever it is just because they'll be the lesser of two evils. However it seems that some people really don't care for their candidates what with the way they behave to people they'll have to make nice with to ensure their votes in a few months.

Don't burn your bridges, folks. It'll make it much harder when you need those people.

[NJmaverick]

1. WOW! Where did you find such a super broad brush to paint everyone with?

I never have seen one so wide before!

[DrDan]

2. well - I for one agree with the OP

In the many elections I have seen, I have NEVER seen the divisivenss of this one. And I have NEVER seen Democrats acting like this. I am NOT proud to be a Democrat right now - not because of the candidates. I think both have something to offer. But because of the rancor of the supporters.

[MonkeyFunk]

4. He said "some people"

What's so broad about that?

of course, it DOES include you, because you're one of the biggest haters on the board. You spend all your time and energy attacking good demcorats, trying to tear them down and destroy them. That's not what DU used to be about.

[NJmaverick]

7. No wonder why you are backing the wrong candidate, you ONLY see what you want to SEE

Well I am going to make you see what you don't like to see


The poster wrote this:

If I were to judge a candidate by the people who support him or her, I'd likely sit out this election entirely.

[Name removed]

13. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[NJmaverick]

16. You know Rove, Limbaugh and Bush share your opinion of Obama suporters

I wear their and your disdain as a badge of honor. I look at the character of the person you think would be a great President and all I can do is proudly smile, as I must be doing something right.

[MonkeyFunk]

19. Well the right wing shares your opinion of Clinton, too

and they thank you for doing their work.

[NJmaverick]

20. ahhh WRONG! Rush told everyone to vote Hillary

got another story you would like to sell?

[MonkeyFunk]

26. and you think he did that

because he really likes Hillary Clinton? Don't be daft.

[NJmaverick]

27. So you are saying it's actually YOU that is doing the work of the right wing

by trying to keep Hillary in the race. Interesting....

[MonkeyFunk]

30. That's ridiculous

why not try to have a reasonable conversation instead of playing these juvenile games?

Do you honestly believe that Rush Limbaugh likes and supports Hillary Clinton and wants her to be President?

[NJmaverick]

31. You just said Rush wants people to support Hillary, to keep her in the race

Which part is ridiculous, that Rush is part of the right wing, or that supporting Hillary is what Rush wants people to do?


PS- If you actually want reasonable conversation, as you CLAIM, try to stay away from comments like this one you made:


"Thankfully, I believe Obama is much better than his supporters here, who I largely consider to be a bunch of lying, hate-filled ignorant douches."

[Faygo Kid]

38. Obama supporters are a "bunch of lying, hate-filled ignorant douches?"

Sounds to me like you're bitter.

Nuts, too.

Oh well. Have a nice day.

[LowerManhattanite]

40. Good thing you didn't say that a large portion of one candidate's supporters...

here are a “bunch of lying, hate-filled ignorant douches.” or anything like that. :(

[tabasco]

42. Wow, you sound so bitter.

Lay off the Hatorade.

[merh]

11. So does attacking Bill Richardson fall into the negative attacks

on dems that should be avoided?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=5923907&mesg_id=5924068

Just wondering where you draw the law, what distinctions you make regarding the attacks - who made them and against what dem?

[MonkeyFunk]

12. Who are you, fucking Tim Russert?

Ask Cboy if you're interested in what he posted.

As for me, I've never started a thread tearing down a candidate. Never. Not even the candidates I really disliked.

[merh]

17. My post was specific to your post and your attack on another.

If you fault the other poster for all the negatives they purportedly post about dems, do you also fault cboy for his attacks on good dems in his OP and that post I provided you?

Where do you make the distinction?

There is a huge distinction between challenging the substance of a post and attacking a poster, there are too many here that do not recognize that, they think they have the right to attack and insult others.

[MonkeyFunk]

18. I make the distinction

by noting that Cboy has started one thread critical of Richardson, and he explains why. That's in opposition to literally hundreds, maybe thousands, of threads viciously attacking Clinton. They attack her looks, her laugh, her wardrobe, her hair, her daughter. They include horrible photoshops and bad pictures, they portray her as a witch, a monster. They call her a bitch and a cunt. They lie about her every day.

So when I something approaching equivalence regarding Bill Richardson, I'll speak up.

[merh]

22. There are hundreds of threads attacking Obama and his family.

They have been just as horrific as any that have attacked Clinton. They lie about him every day and used horrible photoshops and mean words and portray him as some type of monster. There will be hundreds of threads attacking McCain. Your point is what exactly?

Attacking the poster is what some folks are good at and they try to justify the attacks as defensive attacks, when in reality they are just attacks.

[MonkeyFunk]

28. No, they haven't been as horrific

not by a long shot.

It's not even close. How many threads have you seen demanding that Obama be kicked out of the party? That his supporters be kicked out?

[merh]

32. And for many of those that have faced the attacks because they support

Obama the attacks made on them and Obama have been just as vicious. You have gone after me alleging I have mental health problems as have others simply because I have challenged the substance of your posts or the double standards your posts reflect.

Do you view Hillary's support of McCain over Obama as being contrary to the interests of the party?

Do you consider her comments about "white america" as appropriate and not divisive? What about her elitist comments or her class comments?

Do you recognize that those she has associated herself with and that have endorsed her have been destructive to the party and party concerns?

Do you think she has run a good, positive campaign?

.

[MonkeyFunk]

37. You're wrong

and this is why it's hard to argue with the Obama fans. They present lies as the basis of their arguments and then want me to respond.

She didn't support McCain over Obama. Her comments about "white America"? What exactly were they? I heard her discuss the demographics of the race, but I don't know of any comments she made regarding "white America".

I think her campaign has been as good and positive as Obama's - which is to say a fairly typical political campaign. I don't think it's been notably dirty in any way. I believe you guys twist anything and everything and put it in the worst possible light. You believe every bit of speculation and innuendo and then turn it into the gospel truth. I think you blame Clinton for absolutely everything that happens, and entirely absolve Obama of everything.

If CNN does a story unflattering to Obama, it's Clinton's fault. It's downright silly.

[merh]

43. Do you deny she said

"I know Senator McCain has a lifetime of experience to the White House. And Senator Obama has a speech he gave in 2002,"

Is that not saying McCain has more experience than Obama, thus supporting McCain over Obama?

And you don't think her comments about getting the white votes are racist in any way? They aren't honest, Obama wouldn't have the lead if white folks hadn't voted for him, now would he?

A positive campaign? "Obama is not a Muslim... as far as I know" The smear fliers that alleged that Obama was more anti-guns than she is. The 3:00 a.m. phone call ads. The attack ads with Osama in the images. The horrid attacks on the hope (watching that little stump speech still makes me cringe.) The negative emails circulated by her campaign forwarding the bogus right wing attacks. Her advisor and husband supporting the Columbia trade positions while she campaigned against it? I could go on.

I blame Hillary for running a bad campaign, full of negatives and ill prepared for anything beyond February 5.

[MonkeyFunk]

46. Yes, she said that about McCain

in demonstrating why she'd be a better candidate against McCain in the GE. It wasn't an endorsement of McCain - that's silly. She's trying to run against him!

Now what were her comments on "white america"? You put it in quotes as if she made some statements regarding something called "white America". She was discussing demographics - there's nothing racist about that.

As for "as far as I know", you guys conveniently ignore the 4 OTHER times in the same segment where she said Obama wasn't a muslim. It's just more dishonesty from Obama fans.

[Politicub]

14. It's considered broad by poster #1 because

it covers him/her and the truth hurts.

And I think it covers some of my behavior, too, but today I'm committed to voting for the dem nominee in November. I'm impressed with both Obama and Hillary, and thankful that we started with one of the most impressive slates of candidates ever. Compared to the dregs that the GOP produced, the dems are light years beyond.

But it will still be a tough fight in November, but I'm convinced we will be able to harness the energy of Hillary and Obama supports alike and turn it towards defeating the GOP.

[NJmaverick]

21. You are half right, the brush does cover you and your behavior

[Politicub]

23. There's been enough assholery on both sides to last a lifetime

And if you can't see that, then there's nothing I can type that will help you with self reflection. I'm sure your words are all rooted in truth and goodness.

[NJmaverick]

24. What I know is that "assholery" to condemn "assholery" is still just "assholery"

I simple have little use for that sort of hypocrisy. If someone is honest and sincere in their desire to improve the discourse, you start by setting a good example.

[hokies4ever]

41. There you go complaining again

you ever say anything positive?

[WillParkinson]

5. To paint everyone with?

Hm.

Some of you are, by and large, interested in intelligent discourse. Those people I applaud.
*Let's see. "Some" of you. Not everyone. Some. A portion. A percentage.*



The other people who like to post negative comments...just because it's not their candidate?
*The other people who like to post negative comments...again, other people. Not all. Some."

I didn't paint everyone with a broad brush. I'm saying that in a few months when the posturing begins it will be much harder to ask the supporters of the other candidates to work with you when some of their supporters have been so harsh.

[patrice]

6. Just because they have a candidate avatar, you don't know whether it's their candidate or not

It's the internet; people are more or less anonymous. There ARE many double and tripple agents. We don't know whom they are REALLY representing.

[DesertRat]

33. It's spelled Triple

I only point it out because you spelled it with 2 p's twice in this thread. :hi:

[patrice]

34. Yep! I get tripped up by that old "double consonant" after a vowel makes the vowel short rule.

Of course, the double consonant in this case would be the "pl", so it's triple.

Thanks!

:hi:

[DesertRat]

35. English rules often make no sense at all

I realize that everyday as I teach students who are learning English as their second language. :hi:

[patrice]

36. Some do, some don't. I used to teach grammar to highschool seniors.

I always relied on the logic as much as I could, especially for sentence structure, which depends upon the parts of speech of course, which, for the most part ARE defined by their functions, i.e. what a word does.

I wish we had a grammar group here on DU. It would be fun to take a stand against deconstruction and the topic has a GREAT deal to do with meaning and rhetoric, just look at who/what Noam Chomsky is.

[NJmaverick]

9. Did you not state

This????


"If I were to judge a candidate by the people who support him or her, I'd likely sit out this election entirely."

[WillParkinson]

44. And did you not read the entire post?

Yes, I did. It's a hypothetical. IF I were to base my vote on the reactions of SOME people (as stated in the post) I would sit out the election.

You will, of course, pick and choose the points you want so that leads me to believe intelligent discourse is not possible in this situation. In that case, I wish you and your candidate the best.

[patrice]

3. It's the internet. People don't post under their real names. There are MANY double & tripple agents

[mac2]

8. "agents"?

[patrice]

10. In it's general sense. As in "Cheney is an agent of destruction". nt

[Avalux]

15. There is negativity on both sides; just as in everything in life.

A lot of ill will has gone back and forth on this message board over the past few months and I would never attempt to assume all Hillary Clinton supporters are representative of those who are the snarkiest here. I realize most of those probably have an underlying agenda.

I don't think judging people is helpful in a supercharged election such as this one, especially in this small microcosm. It seems you realize that too.

[flpoljunkie]

25. Your closing admonition might well apply to the Clintons, as well.

[crankychatter]

29. this is not the three D world... it's a microcosmic website in the netscape

talk to your neighbors... open the window... unplug the gizmo box

anonymity is a two edged sword...

tha'z just the way it is...

get some skin...OMG... DU is mild... I have to remind myself all the time to tone down my act.

This place has rules and more civility than I'm accustomed to

[kwenu]

39. Everyone has had their full share in making snarky remarks so let's not get caught up in martyrdom.

Now that we have a presumptive nominee the only label that should matter is Democratic.

[Perry Logan]

45. Clintophobes are the scum of the earth. But not all Obama supporters are Clintophobes.