Can the Debbie Downers please END the ridiculous Debbie Downer posts. My god. ENOUGH.

[LBM20]

We are on the brink of winning back the US House and doing very well at every level all over the country. Anyone who insists on ridiculous and ultra-foolish Debbie Downerism needs to find somewhere else to Debbie Downer. We don't need it here.

Just vote, take people with you, and GOTV.

[violetpastille]

1. Which

Posts?

[LBM20]

2. Just look. People doing posts about how we are going to lose due to this and that and the other.

Voter suppression, low turnout, GOP's gonna steal it, "What if we lose the midterms?" on and on and on. Just look.

[JoeOtterbein]

6. Just edit your posts with links to a few of the posts you are referring to...

... and that should settle the question above. I know I'm curious to see some of the posts. I keep hearing about them, it should be easy.

[LBM20]

7. "How is everyone feeling about the midterms?" And he says he is "nervous." And "They are stealing

it right before our very eyes." Just read down the list.

[JoeOtterbein]

9. I'm sorry, I don't see your list...

...did you post them?

[LBM20]

10. Just please read the posts on the forum. Read down the list of posts. They are there.

[JoeOtterbein]

22. Just please post a few links so I can accurately see what you are talking about.

Should be easy.

[PubliusEnigma]

31. Joe, does this post concern you? Because it sees to.

[JoeOtterbein]

37. Because it means as much to me, as it appears to mean to...

...you because we both posted on and about the original post. Please don't forget, you could post an example link, or two, too.

[awesomerwb1]

51. Or you could simply taske 5 minutes to find them yourself?

[Meowmee]

47. I just read two of them.

And I didn't need anyone to point them out. There is another about my rep Zelden telling people once again the wrong deadline for absentee ballot or early voting, that one is not what I would call debbie downer though the others seem to be.

[obamanut2012]

60. Posting links is considered calling out

I know some, including you, are apparently doubting the OP, but they are correct. The posts are all over, just as they were in 2016, 2012, etc.

[Hekate]

17. I think that would count as a call-out and not be allowed. When the poster says "Look down the list"

...he means the list of OP titles in General Discussion. Just read down pages 1 and 2. It's been fairly persistent for weeks. ("We're all gonna die. " )

[Eyeball_Kid]

54. I'm one of those "Downers". And I'll tell you why.

The most important action anyone can take, right now, is to vote. And in my opinion, it's to vote Democratic. As many people as possible need to vote against the GOP.

It takes motivation to vote. For some, it takes raw fear. I don't care what it takes. The end result is the most important result in our social/political history. Right now.

For most of you, it doesn't take fear. You already have your reasons to vote, to participate in the franchise. When I write that we're heading for the completion of the Coup, or that we're an election away from the suspension of the Bill of Rights and the Rule of Law, I'm not whistling Dixie (and all of it is likely true). I'm speaking to the people who may be reading a post like mine for the first time, and may indeed respond by VOTING when nothing else does the trick. We're all different and we all have different ways of feeling comfortable with our behavior.

So if I come across a news article or a Thread or whatever, I may respond in the same "Downer" way. IMO, that's okay. If I can imagine a way into the conscience or cortex or brain of a person or two by using rhetoric of a particular slant, I'll do it.

[PaulX2]

3. Donate If You Can

And volunteer.

[asiliveandbreathe]

4. You are so right LBM20..I just returned from dinner with kiddos....and reading

thru the latest OP headlines..I am so disappointed with some of our DU members..thank you for saying it...

DEBBIE DOWNERS>>>just quit...

[LBM20]

5. Thanks. My god it is so RIDICULOUS! There are some who need to get on uppers!

[Kablooie]

8. The GOP has dominated Congress for so long it's hard to trust that it will change.

And when you hear that Trump's popularity is rising it's hard to pin your hopes on something that has been denied to Democrats for so long.

I sure hope the Republicans have shot their wad and are out of ammunition but now with Trump's openly facist demagoguery it feels like a new wave of right wing insanity is beginning to take hold.

It's so strange and scary that everything that should destroy him and would totally decimate any other politician, only makes him stronger and gives him more power.

[LBM20]

12. What will it take for you to SNAP THE HELL OUT OF IT?? My goodness, please, take an upper.

[Kablooie]

20. I'm afraid I'm naturally pessimistic because I hate being disappointed.

And I love pleasant surprises.

[Haggis for Breakfast]

24. W hen voter suppression is no longer a thing to worry about

When older Black people are not yanked off buses on their way to the polls to vote,

When all candidates in all counties in Arkansas are listed on the ballot.

When Georgia (and other states) stops dumping people off the voter roles,

When votes that are cast for Dems aren't changed by the voting machine,

When voters in Texas (who haven't voted in two years) are still on the roles,

Until the vote is OVER and the tallies are COMPLETE (and trump does not refuse to acknowledge the will of the voters and allow national reps/sens to take their rightful place), I refuse to get complacent, which is exactly what the republicans are hoping we all do, I will continue to remain vigilant. That is NOT being a downer. It is being cautious and calculated. In this current atmosphere of trmp, I refuse to be anything else.

Lastly, it is wrong of anyone here on DU to tell others HOW to process the current political environment. Some of us have been more damaged by this administration's policies than others.

[sheshe2]

39. You responded to this article earlier.

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) thinks there is reason to doubt the predicted "blue wave" in next month'
The Hill:

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) thinks there is reason to doubt the predicted "blue wave" in next month's midterm elections, saying control of Congress will be decided by a few tight races.

“I know a lot of people talk about this blue wave and all that stuff, but I don’t believe it,” Sanders told “Rising” Hill.TV co-host Krystal Ball during an interview that aired on Monday.

Sanders said he believes that the outcome from Nov. 6 will be a “very, very close” situation, and predicts that only a “handful of votes” will determine whether Democrats are able to regain control of the House or Senate.

“We have an entity able to stand up to [President] Trump or we don’t,” the former presidential candidate said.

Sanders, who is rumored to be eyeing a 2020 presidential bid, made the comments while on the campaign trail stumping for Iowa Democrat J.D. Scholten. The first-time candidate and former professional baseball player is currently running against Rep. Steve King in Iowa’s fourth congressional district, which includes Sioux City.

Not a positive message from Sanders. I may have missed it, did you call him a Debbie Downer to "SNAP THE HELL OUT OF IT" and suggest he takes uppers as you are telling people on this thread?

LBM20
12. What will it take for you to SNAP THE HELL OUT OF IT?? My goodness, please, take an upper.

Please stop.

[cwydro]

62. Thank you! +1000.

And what is up with the OP encouraging drug use lol?

[pangaia]

43. Sonne people have a different view than you do.

...and have very serious concerns considering, for one thing, all the cheating that has an us going on.

I have those same concerns.
And don't call me Shirley. I mean Debbie.

[applegrove]

32. Thank you for your insight. Time to ride our wave of fear and anger

to meet and surpass what Trump is trying to build up on the other side. Only in our case our reasons for anger and fear are justified. The other side is all about false conspiracy theories.

[Ms. Toad]

11. If I searched for half a second, I'm pretty sure I could find posts nearly identical to yours

in late October/early November 2016.

And we know how that turned out - it was really helpful to hound people who accurately observed what was happening in the presidential election were hounded into silence. Who knows how many people took the posts treating trump as a joke candidate seriously, and didn't make the effort to get to the polls.

It is too soon to have forgotten the lessons of 2016. A blue wave is anything but certain - and it is dangerous to pretend it is.

[LBM20]

16. Not saying it is certain, but do irrational Debbie Downers who need to be on uppers need to

bring others down with endless, and I mean ENDLESS, Debbie Downer SHIT. And SHIT it is.

We are not telling anyone to be complacent. We are saying VOTE and GOTV. But for christ sake, we have SHIT going on about how we are going to lose, its gonna be stolen, and on and on and on. Just go VOTE and GOTV. And stop the wet blanket irrational Debbie Downer SHIT.

[Ms. Toad]

18. Pretty much the same response that was given to anyone who dared suggest

Clinton was not going to win.

[doc03]

25. +1000

[qazplm135]

27. Did the pessimism

Somehow work to prevent the results of 2016?

[Ms. Toad]

34. It wasn't allowed to.

Those on DU who saw Clinton's win as inevitable shut down (via hidden posts and public shaming) anyone who dared suggest that Trump might win. Those of us who saw the danger in treating Clinton's win as a foregone conclusion (or Trump as a joke) just stopped opening our mouths.

Had there not been such a toxic response to legitimate suggestions that Trump should not be treated as a joke candidate, or that a Clinton win was not inevitable, it is possible that the threat would have been taken more seriously.

[qazplm135]

38. Resulting in what exactly?

On a message board?

[Ms. Toad]

40. If you think it only happened on message boards,

then you are sorely sheltered.

Aside from which, this discussion is about what is happening on this message board now - and how it compared to what happened in 2016 on this message board. If you're not interested in that, why butt your nose in with snide comments?

[qazplm135]

48. Snide comments?

If I wanted to make a snide comment I would.

I simply asked questions and your responses were pretty much as expected. Vacuous and utility-free.

Interaction is pointless.

[Ms. Toad]

49. Yup. Snide comments. n/t

[sheshe2]

41. In real life.

Posters on a message board said their votes wouldn't matter as she was a shoe in and either did not vote or voted green and write ins. Why? Because they had an intense dislike of Hillary and believed ever piece of filth that was said about her. Pizzagate. Bengazi. Physically ill and dying. You name it they played it. They did this in real life. Then they voted for anyone but Hillary.

[Eyeball_Kid]

57. You're making my point in a unique way.

The folks whose views you characterize are the ones who may respond to a clear "negative" message. Two years ago, they assumed certain things about the election, then went about voting against their own best interests. I want them, all of them, to be focused like a laser on a Democratic win in the House and elsewhere. My message is, "Here's what's at stake, folks. Here's where we're going unless we get a massive turnout." It's scary and it's real. So we can be variously homogeneous with our rhetoric, or we can be varied. The means to an end are many. We SHOULD, IMO, try as many different approaches as there are world views.

[seaglass]

61. So out of context. After JPR people/trolls poisoned this website for over a year, why wouldn't

people distrust those who continued with the negative shit.

Both then and now there is always doubt, I don't see the benefit in wallowing in it.

[cwydro]

64. Spot on.

Each of your posts. Thank you.

And I find an OP telling others what they can and cannot post extremely annoying.

[betsuni]

65. LOL

[applegrove]

33. +100

[pangaia]

45. Yup...

[Hassin Bin Sober]

46. Yep. Nate Silver was called every name in the book when he said trump had a 1 in 4 chance

And that things were tightening.

“Fuck him look at the Princeton poll!!!” Was the response.

[eleny]

13. Dump the darned things

[fishwax]

14. you do you, LBM20

One thing I've learned from being on DU for eight election cycles now is that some people get motivated by thinking they're going to be part of a landslide and some people get motivated by thinking they're bringing it home for the underdog. So I say: let it all out, DU. Do what you have to get yourself psyched, and try not to piss on other people's parade while you're at it.

Most importantly, whatever you do on DU do this off it:

Just vote, take people with you, and GOTV.

[RussBLib]

15. it's corrosive

reality is one thing. endless worrying is another.

[Blue_true]

19. Thanks. nt

[GulfCoast66]

21. I come here for political discussions. Not Cheerleading...

Nor to make me feel good.

Am I cautiously optimistic, yeah. Kind of.

But I know the barriers we face with gerrymandering and voter suppression.

If we do not all vote we can easily lose this. Our record in midterms is not great and unlike with Bush in 06 the republican base is not demoralized.

That actually excites me to vote and donate more than I ever have.

But it is not defeatism to be intellectually and emotionally prepared in the case that we don’t win. Lord knows living in Florida I have learned to not ever count on winning. But that does not limit my excitement to win. I think we have the best chance to have a Democratic Governor since Walkin’ Lawton and I think the state of the State Party is the best it has been in 20 years. I am glad my choice in the primary lost because I now admit I was wrong and Gillum has a chance to win where I do not think Graham would. And he may well bring Nelson over the line.

But it is realism to me to admit the odds.

Sorry if that brings others down, but I assume y’all value honesty.

[JoeOtterbein]

23. Thanks.

You summed up my own feelings.

[doc03]

29. I agree with you, I feel the same. Back in 2016 we heard the same thing, we have this,

your concern is noted and so on. I think it is better to be cautiously optimistic over confident.

Democrats always win when we get out and vote.

[Squinch]

36. What you said.

[Raine]

59. Yes, exactly nt

[TygrBright]

26. Well, some of us who were Ursula Uppers in Nov. 2016 are a bit traumatized still. n/t

[marble falls]

28. +1kazillion. Keep your shoulder to the wheel and stop the defeatist whine.

[albacore]

30. I personally...

... ping-pong-ball all over the emotional scale every day. Several times a day.
I can understand how somebody might lose faith. I'm sure as hell we're OK...for a while....I'm filled with absolute certainty of the Blue Wave. And then Dumbshit will say something, and his moronic followers cheer, and I'm in the toilet. I go from Debbie Downer to Positive Patricia and back almost hourly.

I'm only 75, so I haven't seen it all.... but I have NEVER seen anything like this.
This election cycle has GOT to end soon. And it's GOT to end with the Dems in the majority in at least one of the Houses. Otherwise, this country is - perhaps permanently - fucked.

[LW1977]

35. K&R

Enough of this!

[KWR65]

42. My Cat fell in the pool. Then it died. WAHHH WAAA!

Last edited Wed Oct 24, 2018, 12:30 AM - Edit history (1)

[SWBTATTReg]

44. I agree. I've seen a lot of downer posts and it is disappointing to see these...don't we all ...

have enough to worry about? I know that being realistic is important too, but I have the utmost enthusiasm and optimism for this upcoming mid term elections. From a historical basis/perspective, the party usually in control loses seats, so we have that going for us. We also have a lot, repeat a lot, of enthusiasm and energy. I'd prefer to believe this message instead of the doom and gloom that the repugs are preaching to us because this is what they want. As we all know, what one wants isn't necessarily what one gets.

Take care, get your friends and family and go vote. It is that important.

[Meowmee]

50. I agree

Pessimism now is useless, if you wanted your pessimism to achieve anything it should have been done months ago by organizing people to register and vote etc. or whatever means you think would help. Now is the time to do whatever we can to help as many people as possible to vote and to hopefully win as many seats as possible.

[Glamrock]

52. Ahhhhhh

2016 all over again....

Sorry LBM. Not an attack on you. But people were warning during the last election. And the replies were similar to yours. There was also, "cool story bro! ", "she got this", and " thanks for your concern" with the obligatory eye roll emoji. Next day? "What the fuck happened! " I can handle the truth. We're down in some important areas with regard to early voting. Ignoring it ain't gonna change it baby. Take the truth and and use it to your advantage. Just imagine where we'd be if people listened when others were screaming, "Hillary we need you in Wisconsin or Michigan or Pennsylvania."

[betsuni]

53. "I know a lot of people talk about this blue wave and all that stuff but I don't believe it."

Like that? I thought that was supposed to be good, the "Michael Moore method" inspiring people not to be complacent.

[Cha]

58. +1! Exactly.. talk about a freaking "Downer".

[CaptainTruth]

55. I agree. GET OUT THE FUCKIN VOTE!

Was I clear on that?

[LW1977]

56. I'm Just tired of hearing about cat AIDS

It's the number one killer among domestic felines..

MEOW MEOW

[Vinca]

63. I prefer reading those posts in the original Russian anyway.

[BannonsLiver]

66. The DD crowd falls into three categories

Those who lack the will to fight, those who are trying to sew pessimism to suppress the vote and those who don’t know much about electoral politics, but fancy themselves as experts. I had my fill of all three by the end of August.

[kcr]

67. They're the worst. They're not going to stop.

And as you can see in this thread, annoying people don't like to be told they're annoying and will get defensive, and trolls are going to troll as always. Both will be annoying and crow with any loss about how right they were, too, so be prepared for that just in case. Just plain annoying all around.