This board used to be a refuge for me...........

[springhill]

After the 2000 election, when I found democratic underground I was so thankful. I so needed to hear from people like me who were so distraught and disgusted. It was so comforting to come and talk with people of like minds. Yes, there were differences of opinion on issues, but that I could handle. Now when I come here, I find no comfort; the hate that is regulary handed out is just more than I can handle these days. And the sad thing is, I don't think there is any going back from this. There are just different people here now, and frankly I don't like a lot of them very much. No, this is not a swan song, because I still check in every day to see what is going on, and there are still some things I can learn, but it is not the same; so sad.

[rsmith6621]

1. Blame it on Hillary

.....

[LeftCoast]

6. What an annoyingly ironic post.

[HughMoran]

36. Interesting that all I see is "ignored"

This seems to be the only solution IMHO.

[saracat]

7. It used to be some nasty Hillary people but her oppositionhas turned even nastier and

there is more than emough blame to go around.

[Bluebear]

10. We could blame you, too. Wouldn't want you to feel left out~!

;)

[question everything]

14. A perfect example of the OP means (nt)

[Quantess]

22. Everyone knows you are stupid.

[BeHereNow]

45. Why would you post something so mean? Calling the poster "Stupid?"

I think you just enforced the op's observation of
how DU has become like listening to Bill O'Biley
Why don't you just tell the op to "shut up, shut up, shut up!"

But I see you haven't been around DU long enough to
understand that quote or actually contribute any
comprehensive understanding as to what the OP
or I am talking about.

With responses like yours, I'd say I
agree 100% with the Springhill.

Perhaps you can find a Bill O'Biley message
board where your insults will fit right in?

I sure wouldn't miss you around here.

BHN

[Quantess]

49. I apologize. I am sorry.

I got drunk last night. Drinking and posting don't mix.

[BeHereNow]

53. Ah, yes, I agree with the don't-post-while-drunk policy- thanks for owning up.

I suspect many of us have made that mistake in the past-
myself included. Very few fess up or apologize.
Thank you for doing both.

:hug:
BHN:thumbsup:

[Iris]

28. It's been going on a lot longer than that, my friend. n/t

[Quantess]

50. I'm sorry for posting that last night.

I was drunk and I shouldn't have posted it. By the way, I'm not favoring Hillary Clinton, I am more of an Obama supporter.

I don't dislike you, and I don't want you to dislike me. Sorry!

[Frances]

2. Agree that there are some very obnoxious people posting

but I hope things will settle down as the nominee becomes clear.

I thought all of our candidates were good, so I couldn't understand why there was so much negativity, especially when we will need the votes of the supporters of all our candidates in the general.

It seemed to me that some DUers thought that when the Dem nominee was chosen, all would be over.

They seemed not to recognize that the Repubs will use every dirty trick in the book to defeat our nominee, whoever it is.

[aquart]

13. Doesn't matter. It won't work.

We could run a bright yellow rubber duck and win this year.

[Frances]

15. I am positive Obama would not agree with you

Did you listen to him define hope?

Obama says you can achieve--if you work hard.

I can only assume that you have not been through very many elections, or you wouldn't be so cavalier about defeating Repubs.

[girl gone mad]

21. No kidding. Beating Bush was supposed to be a cakewalk, too..

both times.

We have a good shot at this election, but anyone who thinks it will be easy is dreaming. Wake up and get ready for a long, hard fight.

[EstimatedProphet]

37. Absolutely, completely, totally untrue

We should be able to do just that. But just wait until November, and our glorious media has spun every issue into being the personal effort of a Dem candidate to try and destroy the nation. It's stupid, but it will work on American voters, because by and large they don't care about anything.

[seabeyond]

3. you need a little heart springhill.

it is what it is.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

4. The old-timers say it's just a phase..

I really hope so!


:hug:

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

5. "There are just different people here now"

Yes. Yes, there are. But I stay. I figure they will eventually give me a lapel pin or something. ;-)

[hfojvt]

19. but you seem unlikely to hit 20,000 posts before I do

and NewYawker99 no longer is around to do the celebration threads.

[orleans]

20. no longer around? where did NewYawker99 go?

on edit: i just googled and it looks like her last post was july 18 2007

and i found another thread that gives me a hint that there was a problem
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=245x47982

anyone know of an outcome?

[hfojvt]

38. all I know is

she's not back. I gave her and Sapphire Blue well deserved hearts hoping they would get a PM and an email and stop by to say hi, or at least know that somebody remembers/misses them.

[butterfly77]

40. Did something happen with Sapphire Blue...

or did he or she just stop posting?

[hfojvt]

41. she definitely stopped posting

and had some health issues too IIRC, but that may have been chronic. I never delved into the details of that, but I definitely missed the great positive Edwards threads she used to post. I started to prepare a "has anybody heard from ..." thread, but got busy and then the hearts seemed like a way to say "Hi, I/we miss you, hope you are doing well."

[orleans]

48. her last journal entry--or should i say her most current entry

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/Sapphire%20Blue

[stillrockin]

8. Don't be sad. It'll settle down.

[calmblueocean]

9. I know how you feel.

I miss the old days. It might get better after the primaries are done, but it might not. We'll just have to wait and see.

[defendandprotect]

11. If the GOP steals the 2008 election, everything will seem normal again here --- !!!

[Beregond2]

12. Refuge...

All too true. But the tone was bound change when we went from fellow outcasts to people on the verge of regaining some power. Democrats are, by nature, passionate people, and never more so than when fighting for a candidate they believe in. I have no doubt that once the candidate is chosen, we will unite again. We will have a common enemy again, after all.

[SoCalDem]

16. Just take a deep breath, and allow yourself to take breaks..

We are like Yugoslavia.. as long as Tito was the unifying hate-magnet, everyone pulled together, but once he was gone, everyone started grappling for their own advantage..

As long as Bush was the object of all our hatred, we agreed..but now that he's definitely GOING AWAY..we have split into Serbia, Croatia, Kosovo, Herzegovina ..trying to convince each other that "our" person is the ONLY one who can save us..

Hang out in the Lounge some..and stay as far away from GD-P as humanly possible.. (I heard a rumope that a lot of the nastiest flamers were 86ed today)

[eridani]

17. This too shall pass n/t

[Buck Power]

18. This happens

at every progressive destination on the internet 'round primary season.

It'll pass.

Whether or not I can bring myself to vote for Hillary if she gets the nom is another story. McCain had better select Huckabee as his running mate or something or else I'm not sure I can be bothered to give a fuck about voting come election day.

Just don't see a big diff between the two.

[The Icon Painter]

33. How Strange

I have the opposite problem.

[Buck Power]

42. Then allow me

to point one out for you.

Hillary voted for the war in Iraq. Obama opposed it.

HRC can't even admit she was wrong. Pfffft.

Here is another "bonus" difference: Hillary voted to give George W. Bush the benefit of the doubt on Iran, too. Obama did not. Apparently, not only is HRC stubborn about admitting her mistakes (remind you of anyone?), but she doesn't learn from those mistakes, either.

[The Backlash Cometh]

23. I've noticed a drop out of posters I use to enjoy reading.

Since Edwards stepped out, those voices went silent and it just doesn't seem the same here. Worse, I don't seem to have all that much in common with the Obama-Hillary group.

I'm hoping that someone will PM me if there is a newsgroup out there that is better at talking about the things that we discussed before Edwards stepped out.

[salin]

24. I think many are still around,

and hopefully like last time, after the election some of the rampant "partisans" (in the sense of backing a specific candidate) will either calm down or leave when there is no more fightclub atmosphere, and the discussion folks (per issues) will once again get more read and thus the threads will last long enough not to drown/sink in the current nominee wars.

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

26. I hope so.

I miss Zombywoof. He was like the chaplain around here, after the 2004 elections. The chaplain from The First Church of The Holy Hugs.

[OffWithTheirHeads]

25. I agree and the posts above this prove it

There are some really ugly trolls infecting this place lately.

[Bandit]

27. I have to agree completely, I used to laugh a lot here

Now it is all so very bitter and hateful. I used to believe Progressives were above that sort of behavior. One reason Talk Radio is so Right Wing. Hate seems to sell for them but not so much for Liberals. I, like you, still check in here off and on but pretty much need a bath right after. I also don't believe it will ever get back to being enjoyable again. It has been infested..IMO it all boils down to Respect and DU seems to have lost any and all it ever had.

[Iris]

29. I hear you. I take lon, long breaks away.

And when I come back it's always a little bit worse.

[The Stranger]

30. The Democratic Base is very angry with its Congressional Leadership.

Extremely angry. They feel that their leaders, after being elected in no small part by the efforts of many of those who post here, utterly abandoned them and basic principles.

Worse, the Congressional Leadership has gone from protecting the Criminal Administration to being complicit in its actions. Inexplicably.

That anger finds its way, rather naturally, to these boards.

[AnnInLa]

31. I feel the same

Previously, DU was united in its opposition to bush, republics, and the RW. We even all got behind Kerry, tho he may not have been our first choice. Now, the level of discourse has descended to the level of freepers....don't know if some of this discourse is troll-related or not, but it is revolting. We have an embarrassment of riches in our Dem candidates for President. Is there any doubt that either Obama or Clinton (or Edwards, for that matter) would appoint Supreme Court nominees that would cancel out the opinions of Scalia/Thomas? Of course they would. Is there any doubt that either Clinton or Obama would end the Iraq war much sooner than any republic candidate? Is there any doubt that either Clinton or Obama would offer a much better health-care system than we have now?

DU is no longer the refuge that I thought it was. I have found other blogs and forums to have a higher level of discourse, (without the infighting and insulting posts.) I can only hope DU returns to its "old days" ways once our Dem nominee is chosen...can only hope we all unite, as before, lest the RW maintains control over our country and over us. Our poorest Dem candidate is so much more superior than their best republic candidate that I don't see any reason for such ugliness among us. IMHO

[Frances]

32. Wonderful post

I think that some of the people who say the most obnoxious things will leave DU once the primary season is over.

I also think these same people will be the ones who bash their candidate the most harshly if he/she becomes President.

Some people are just super anti-whatever types.

[amandabeech]

34. Would you please list the other places?

All I seem to find is more of the same.

[HughMoran]

35. I'm not sure what is going on either

It's like a changing of the guard - many long time DUers are feeling squeezed out.

[blues90]

39. It was not that long ago when most posts were about

The Iraq occupation and the BCF . I have noticed that even the few liberal radio shows I really liked have become nothing but callers either praising or bashing candidates .

Most people were on the same page with the issues now in what seems like a month all has changed to the primaries and all else even while it is still going on and gets worse is left behind in depleted uranium dust .

[MedleyMisty]

43. The ignore function is your friend

Seriously. I know people like to get all sanctimonious and holier-than-thou about it and say, "Oh gosh no, I would never put anyone on ignore!" but if you feel like the site sucks and that makes you sad, put the people who make you sad on ignore and enjoy yourself here again. Life's too short to listen to every a-hole and hater and let them get you down.

[donkeyotay]

44. Recommended. It's sad what's happened here.

I recall the rules actually mentioned liberal values like respecting the person even in disagreement. So, people would say things like, "I understand where you're coming from, but I think I feel like it might be like this..." So wishy-washy, bleeding heart liberal of us. Now it's "Eff you, my guy rocks, you suck." Feels like junior high. This too shall pass, I hope. This place has been very special to me, but it's getting hard to find the good under all the crap. I'm hoping it gets much better after a dem nominee is chosen.

[BeHereNow]

46. K&R.

I hear ya.

BHN

[OBrien]

47. a heart for you from me...I agree nt

[go west young man]

51. I see it as a sign of the times.

DU has become more centrist as has the Democratic party. They are essentially Republican light nowadays and DU has become popular with the DNC. They realized a lot of radical movement was coming from here after Howard Dean shot up in online donations in 2004. True it was a great place after the stolen elections of 2000 and 2004 but now it has lost it's edge. It's mostly political noise and distraction just like the MSM. Anything to do with 911 being an inside job is sent to the dungeon even though that "theory" would expose everything that has gone wrong in the past 8 years. The only thing going on around here now that is remotely interesting is the Sibel Edmonds case as that ties in with 911 through the ISI and a certain Pakistani general. The fact that the Dem congress we helped put in office has done nothing to stop the madness that has become the norm in the country also served to help deflate DU'ers balloons. Something is no longer here. It's called spirit. Now there's just political noise.

[LittleClarkie]

52. Primary season at DU. Not a pretty sight... site...

Welcome to Thunderdome.