I'm sick of the liberal bashing going on here.

[Pab Sungenis]

Yeah, a lot of liberals sat out 2010. That's understandable. The Obama Administration wasn't giving us any reason to vote for Democrats, and Harry Reid's tolerance of Blue Dog obstruction made it worse.

If Obama had ended the Iraq War his first week like he had promised, instead of doubling down again, the peace contingent would have voted Democratic in 2010.

If he hadn't snubbed LGBT voters, comparing our relationships to incest and beastiality, they would have voted Democratic in 2010.

If he had closed Gitmo and ended warrant less wiretaps, the civil
liberties crowd would have voted Democratic in 2010.

If Rahm Emanuel hadn't said that liberals had nowhere to go, he wouldn't have seen them go home instead.

So who really deserves the blame? Look in the mirror, third way types.

[morningfog]

1. It is one return troll disrupting and egging everyone on.

Disruptors disrupt.

[MNBrewer]

12. Shameless self-promoting return troll at that.

from what I've gathered. Ignore is my friend.

[RavensChick]

163. Thankfully

I haven't used that feature. Once I see the thread is a troll trap, I don't even intervene. I click to another thread and keep it moving.

[Fumesucker]

17. No, it's a consistent theme here and has been basically ever since 2010

There is even a protected forum for such goings on.

[morningfog]

25. I don't disagree.

But, tonight's shit stirrer is the current mantle bearer.

[SidDithers]

38. Lots and lots of return trolls around here...

one, who has been banned twice, and once posted, and I quote:

"I'll say it right now.
Fuck the goddamned Jews.

Fuck 'em. "

Is happily posting away this very day, with a new DU name, after abandoning a different DU name in April.

Zombies. Zombies everywhere.

Sid

[morningfog]

60. Well, that's not cool either.

[rhett o rick]

65. And people posting hatred for the left. The "left" are Democrats Sid. What's the objective?

To split the party? To piss off the left? What's the objective Sid?

[SidDithers]

73. Not all of who claim to be the "left" are Democrats...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=profile&uid=260132&sub=trans

Sid

[rhett o rick]

77. Of course there may be fakes on the left. That isnt an excuse to bad mouth the left.

Those in DU that bad mouth the left need to be voted off the island.

[SidDithers]

79. Better Believe It!!...nt

Sid

[pnwmom]

100. I won't miss Safetykitten. Good riddance. n/t

[treestar]

161. Had nothing good to say about Democrats

Which is very suspicious to me and there are plenty still here.

[Jakes Progress]

137. True. And not all who claim to be Democrats are left.

[Bjorn Against]

2. Actually most liberals did vote in 2010 and they voted for Democrats despite their disappointments

It was the less passionate people who did not show up to vote.

[DonCoquixote]

6. ^THIS^^^^^^

The mushy middle was what the centrists were hoping for, and they sat out.

[onehandle]

15. Right.

It's the millions of Obama voters who don't normally vote who failed to show up.

Many voted in 2012, but will fail again in 2014.

They are politically inept.

[rl6214]

118. Sad to say but that is so true, they think they only need to vote during the "important" elections

[Salviati]

16. Exactly, liberal turnout was pretty darn close to what it was in 2008.

For those who keep trolling their blame for liberals, well that's what the ignore list is for.

This canard is quickly joining teacher bashing as one of the very few insta-invites to my ignore list.

[rhett o rick]

67. I was there and it was the left that did turn out. The wishy-fucking-washy

Centrists were the ones to stay home. They dont know if they are Democrats or REpublicans.

[JDPriestly]

72. Right. We know and knew what the alternative is and was. We are not fools.

And you can be sure. We never vote Republican. Never.

[Egnever]

3. Who is really to blame?

the people who sat out the election. Pretty easy to figure out, Obama wasn't on the ballot in 2010

[morningfog]

4. Point very well made.

[lostincalifornia]

7. well, they sure showed him then

[Pab Sungenis]

10. And why did some sit out the election!

Between 2008 and 2010, the LGBT vote shifted 15 points from the Democrats to the Republicans. Mostly because the non-self loathing LGBT voters didn't see much of a point in voting.

That amounts to a 1.5 point swing, enough to throw some close races.

[Egnever]

20. Cause they were played

like fiddles.

Or do you deny the amazing progress on LGBT issues under Obama?

[Pab Sungenis]

28. Most of which came

after the 2010 losses. The Senate Democrats finally forced his hand on DADT.

[Egnever]

35. LOL

[Chan790]

48. No, they did come after 2010.

The product of the "evolution" of the President on LGBTQ issues. Prior to the first-midterm election, during his first two years in office...Obama's record on gay people rivaled the shitiness of Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter, both of whom did fuck-all for LGBTQ people despite lip-service. Clinton passed DADT and deserves a particular raspberry for it.

[ProSense]

54. DADT was repealed in 2010.

I remember the shit and ridicule the President got up to the day it was repealed.

Most of the people giving him shit claimed he wasn't serious, and Congress was absolutely not going to do it.

He fought hard and negotiated for that vote. It happened during the 111th Congress, under Democrats.

[TheKentuckian]

158. Post election

[DURHAM D]

102. This ignorant shit again...

Carter appointed the first openly gay person to ever serve in the WH and DADT, although it was not what Clinton campaigned for and not what he tried to get, was a far improvement over the policy at the time.

Argue whatever damn point you want to make about Obama but at least use something close to facts to base it on.

[Control-Z]

30. Wtf?

And this: "If he hadn't snubbed LGBT voters, comparing our relationships to incest and beastiality, they would have voted Democratic in 2010."

Show me that. I dare you. Show it. Link.

[leftstreet]

33. I think the OP meant the Justice Dept under Obama

Smelt v. United States - it was scathing

But I could be wrong

[zeemike]

97. What about the anti war, and the pro single payer vote?

And the ones that wanted Gitmo closed and accountability for the torture? Are they less in number than the LGBT vote?
And all of their concerns were taken off the table right away after the election by a democratic speaker of the house.
I don't know what the numbers do you?...But I would guess that they were the ones who stayed home in large numbers....while the Tea Party energized the GOP...and we did nothing to stop them...they were out there carrying signs and we just laughed them off.

There is not just one issue at stake here.

[pnwmom]

103. Off-year elections almost always draw fewer voters.

It's usually only the most engaged and, unfortunately, often the most angry.

[RavensChick]

162. Not this time.

If there's a surge in voter turnout next year, I won't be surprised. With all the shit slinging that's been going on for 3+ years now, the campaign ads will be more than the usual boring stuff this time around.

I'm getting ready in advance.

[Orsino]

148. There's blame enough to go around, to include pols who didn't win over voters.

We should recall the mass media outlets that deliberately misinformed voters, and the tens of millions who voted Republican. Then there was Republican gerrymandering and vote suppression.

Blaming 2010 on a few outraged progressives is as fatuous as blaming Bush on Nader.

[Egnever]

149. no argument here

and I never blamed outraged progressives I blamed people who sat out the election. I don't make any distinction to who they are.

[Scout]

151. yup. it's YOUR FAULT if you sat out the election

because there wasn't a perfect candidate.

[NYC_SKP]

5. I voted gladly and proudly and with neither hesitation nor reservation.

If some didn't turn out, it's entirely on them.

Nothing less than the future was, and still is, at stake.



~~~

[Cha]

18. Thank you! Big Picture kinda guy like the President.. who as

we know had a few things to do from Day One.. concerning the spirialing down of the economy that the bush-cheney marauders left him and us with.

[sheshe2]

41. Cause and Effect.

He never jumps in blindly as so many wish. He thinks it out calmly clearly precisely!

[Cha]

50. Just imagine all he had to do, she.. it would be

mind boggling to anyone who wasn't there. PBO has vision and focus.. and he wanted a strong foundation for his building blocks. After getting the economy heading North.. his first order of business was Health Care.. and here we are after all the ACA has been through and still going through with those who don't want it.

And, here's a pretty healthy list of what the President's been up to since taking Office right up until Jan 1, 2013.. Always moving FORWARD..

Here’s a List of 212 Obama Accomplishments, With Citations!

http://pleasecutthecrap.com/what-has-obama-done-since-january-20-2009/

He's been anything but a "disappointment".

[sheshe2]

29. Kicking you post SKP!

I was right there with you!

[MineralMan]

150. I did the same, and I worked to get other Democrats to the polls.

2010 was a very important election, since state legislators elected that year would handle the re-districting after the census. Sadly, even Minnesota elected a Republican majority to both state legislative houses. In Minnesota, however, we have very good safeguards against gerrymandering, but the same is not true elsewhere in all states.

In 2012, Minnesota took the legislature back for Democrats. The Republican majority had passed some very terrible bills, including one to put a ban on same-sex marriages in the Constitution. We voted that down in 2012, and the new Democratic majority enacted marriage equality in this state.

Not voting because one does not particularly care for the President is a very stupid thing to do. It allows Republicans to gain additional seats in state and national legislatures. The Presidency is not the only office that is up for election. It is not even the most important office that is up for election. Every two years, the entire House of Representatives is up for election. How any Democrat could stay away from the polls is beyond my understanding.

2014 is just around the corner. Let's not fuck that election up. GOTV 2014!

[lostincalifornia]

8. curious, when did he say LGBT voters were similar to incest and beastiality? I missed that

[Cali_Democrat]

14. He never did. The OP is a flat out lie. n/t

[MNBrewer]

22. A legal brief put forward by his administration did it.

[Pab Sungenis]

23. Here.

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2009/06/obama-justice-department-defends-defense-of-marriage-act-that-candidate-obama-opposed/

http://www.creators.com/opinion/deb-price/gays-feel-short-changed-by-obama.html

[ProSense]

43. Where is the quote from the President? You said "if he hadn't snubbed"

The OP is simply disingenuous crap that shows some people simply don't want to deal with the facts.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023772601#post28

[lostincalifornia]

44. Now I admit, I am a little slow, but no where in those links did I see ANY reference to incest or

beastility.

I could understand disagreements with the President regarding the DOM act, but to put words that did not reflect anything that the President said, implies perhaps some hyperbole. Most likely I didn't read those links very well, and it was embedded in code.

[1000words]

113. Let me help you out:

From the second link provided:

"Then on June 11, the rage of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Americans began boiling over: The new president's legal team filed a breathtakingly hostile 54-page brief in Smelt v. United States that compared gay marriage to incest, trivialized gay relationships, minimized the sweep of the Supreme Court's two major gay-rights breakthroughs and absurdly declared DOMA "infringes on no one's rights." Hailing DOMA as "entirely rational" and constitutional, the brief said it preserves "scare resources."

=======================

No need to be a computer programer, just literate.

[Pab Sungenis]

133. From the first link.

The Obama administration cited Catalano v. Catalano (marriage of uncle to niece, "though valid in Italy under its laws, was not valid in Connecticut because it contravened the public policy of th[at] state&quot ;

[Whisp]

119. it's not there. try again. o brother.

[Cha]

9. Oh good .. you're admitting it. President Obama wasn't fast enough

for ya.. so you sat out the 2010 elections. Thank you for owning up to it.

[Pab Sungenis]

24. I didn't

but many did and I know why.

[BainsBane]

11. and who exactly identifies themselves as third way?

Not bothering to vote in midterms makes you more "liberal" than others? No, it makes you complacent.

[DonCoquixote]

13. one question

If he hadn't snubbed LGBT voters, comparing our relationships to incest and beastiality, they would have voted Democratic in 2010.

Where did HE compare it to bestality?

[leftstreet]

19. The beatings will continue until morale improves

[Tx4obama]

21. ...

[neverforget]

26. Who's to blame? Independents.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023763623

Democrats won women 49-48 percent and lost Independents 55-39. That's a drubbing. In the 2006 mid terms, Democrats won Independents 59-37.

[SoutherDem]

27. Not me!

I have voted in each and every election since I turned 18. And, just for the record straight Democrat, even though I live in a deep red state in a deep red district and my candidates always loose in the general.

[Douglas Carpenter]

31. when did President Obama compare the relationships of LGBT voters to incest and bestiality?

I am very critical of the Democratic Party leadership in general and President Obama in particular - I just have no idea what you are referring too when you said, "If he hadn't snubbed LGBT voters, comparing our relationships to incest and bestiality,"

[Pab Sungenis]

34. Posted up thread.

Never even apologized for it either.

[Douglas Carpenter]

42. now that is a real stretch

A legal brief under his justice department did argue that if Congress can pass laws in respect to incest and bestiality then it has the authority to pass laws on consensual adult relations. At the same time the President publicly supported the repeal of the DOMA. He was operating under the position that the Justice Department had a constitutional obligation to defend laws that had not been repealed or overturned in the courts. Eventually he did take the position that the Justice Department should not enforce DOMA and actively supported overturning it in the Supreme Court.

I have been very public in my criticism of the President on DU - but to imply that he personally compared relationships of LGBT people to bestiality and incest is simply not fair or honest.

I am unaware of any evidence that liberals or progressives in any significant number sat out the 2010 - election - A lot of so-called centrist did and there is certainly evidence to support that.

[Control-Z]

32. Unrec.

This is total sewage.

[Pab Sungenis]

36. The truth hurts

doesn't it?

If you are going to blame liberals sitting out 2010 for the loss, remember WHY they sat out.

And don't make the same mistakes in 2014.

[Control-Z]

45. You are just wrong.

But I'm sure you expected something personal and special from the president that you just didn't get when you demanded it, damn it. My kids behave the same way, though only on occasion.

[1000words]

52. Props for being diplomatic enough not to use the word "pony"

[lostincalifornia]

49. I guess sitting out sure showed em. I myself prefer to hold my breath until I turn blue

[BillyRibs]

89. REC! CAUSE IT ISN'T

[frazzled]

37. Hmmmm

And I'm sitting here thinking that so many of these people who think of themselves as "liberal" are perhaps not. They may be iconoclasts, or ideologues, or whatever, but I don't always see them as liberals, in the classical postwar American sense.

Liberals during the civil rights era didn't turn their backs because the Civil Rights Act didn't get signed after 15 minutes. They didn't walk away petulantly any time nirvanha wasn't reached (or Vietnam raged on). Oh yes, there were those who did walk away and seek others paths: Panthers or Weather Underground. But none of those people would have called themselves "liberals." They were radicals, and proudly wore that badge.

So, self-proclaimed, "liberals": perhaps you need to think up a new name for yourselves. Because real liberals did not walk away in 2010. And stop making excuses like "Rahm Emanuel" every time you don't get everything you dream of: it's totally childish; in fact, it's starting to get embarrassing. Look in the mirror.

PS: I don't believe it was the faux-liberals who mainly caused the low Democratic turnout in 2010. It was all the young and working-class people who really don't get themselves out there, who used up their political energy in 2008 and really weren't paying attention at all.

PPS: I'm a liberal, and I voted. In fact, I've never missed a single local, state, or federal election since I was able to vote in 1972.

[Cha]

64. I'm Liberal and I voted.. Thank for stating so eloquently what

I've been thinking about self-described "liberals".. frazzled.

[cui bono]

80. I wouldn't refer to you as liberal at all.

You wouldn't be banning people from the BOG the way you do if you were liberal.

And if you are so liberal then why are you reccing threads that despise the left and blame them for everything?

Please don't claim you are liberal when it's clear you support everything Obama does and defend his policies that are right of center.

[1000words]

81. +1

[Cha]

82. I don't care.

[cui bono]

87. Thank you for proving my point. The fact that you do it in such a juvenile way

makes it even better.

See, liberals actually do care.

So to reiterate, so you don't get confused again, you are NOT a liberal.

Edit: I'm not sure you realize what frazzled was saying. I just reread her/his post and boy, did you miss the point.

[TreasonousBastard]

78. Spot on!

[BlueCaliDem]

88. +1000! Excellent post, frazzled! And thank you!

I'm a Liberal, too, and I never miss a single election. My small group of 40 do not miss a single election, either.

I have and will never sit out a single election. I'm a Liberal, a pragmatic progressive, not a Radical, and I proudly wear that badge of honor.

[1000words]

39. This is why I joined this site after years of lurking

I'm a bleeding heart liberal and I'm going to represent.

Thanks, Pab.

[Agnosticsherbet]

40. From my research, I have not seen a break down that showed liberals did not vote. I voted and am

a proud liberal.

My research found that elderly voters turned out in force and supported Republicans more heavily than in 2008. Another demographic, women, voted more heavily for Republicans. Minority and the youth checked out, and with the other changes in a smaller group it gave Republicans an edge in a low turnout (41%) election. Independent voters voted heavily for the GOP Candidates.
Galston at the New Republic voted for Republicans rather than Democrats. The combination of people sitting out the election and changes in the Demographic groups did the trick.

About 41% of American voted in 2012 http://elections.gmu.edu/Turnout_2010G.html

According to minority news: http://www.blackradionetwork.com/study__minority_voters_sat_out_midterm_election_

However, several distinct features of the 2010 voting population stand out, and contributed to the results on November 3:
1.Senior citizens turned out in force, with the number of ballots cast by voters over 65 increasing by 16 percent. While making up only 13 percent of the U.S. resident population, Americans in this age group constituted 21 percent of 2010 voters. This age group also significantly increased their support of Republican candidates, from 49 percent in 2006 to 59 percent in 2010.
2.The number of ballots cast by Americans from households making over $200,000 a year increased by 68 percent compared to 2006.
3.Relative to 2008, minority and youth voters dropped out of the voting population at higher rates than whites, undoing much of the gain in demographic parity achieved in 2008.
4.Women—already one of the most reliable voting groups—increased their share of the electorate, and significantly increased their support of the Republican Party.
5.Bucking the national trends, Latinos increased their share of the voting population in several states, saving at least three Senate seats for the Democrats.

"It is fair to say that 2010 was the year of older, rich people," Dr. Minnite writes in the study.

Personally, I think the GOP takes full blame for the shut down and the enormous cost. People who did not vote in 2010 should feel some responsibility. As we all learned in 2000, voting does make a difference, and it only takes a few votes to make the difference, especially when there are people willing to screw up the count in their favor. Sitting out an election to Punish the Democrats led to years of GOP obstruction, and in the states turned the process of re districting into Republican Hands allowing them to gerrymander districts so that they can win a majority.

I didn't blame or bust on liberals or progressives. Failing to vote is neither liberal nor progressive as it absolutely will never advance the cause of either political philosophy.

[JI7]

46. true liberals did not sit out the 2010 elections

[JI7]

47. Obama didn't run for election in 2010

[liberal_at_heart]

51. I'm going to take a break from DU for a couple of days.

The Obama love fest is getting too sickening for me. It use to be contained to the BOG but now the BOG has taken over GD too. I will be back though. I refuse to let them silence my voice.

[joshcryer]

56. wow

[ConservativeDemocrat]

61. How about you take a break for a few years?

Seriously LAH, your overwhelming hatred of Obama isn't going to make you very happy in the D.U. And given that the vast majority of liberal Democrats like our Democratic President and consider him liberal, your statement that you "refuse to let them silence" your voice (in constantly bashing Democrats on a Democratic forum), is just an admission on your part that you are a troll.

I think it would be better for all, including you, if you went to a more purist venue like revleft.com.

Maybe eventually you'll even mature a bit. Realize that bitterness, hatred, and anger, is no way to go through life.

- C.D. Proud Member of the Reality Based Community

[BillyRibs]

95. Member of the Reality Based Community!????? Is that what you call La, La, Land?

Last edited Thu Oct 3, 2013, 01:17 PM - Edit history (1)

Hmmm, like our Democratic President and consider him liberal!? I'll give the first Part, B.O. is, Charming, Handsome, likeable, and Possesses a certain Linguistic Legerdemain, BUT! after Mr. POTUS was willing to 1)throw S.S. under the bus, 2) took single payer off the table , 3) didn't close Guantanamo bay, 4) decided that he could Murder US citizens abroad without a trial by jury, 5) was squeamish about LGBT rights, and not willing to step up to the plate till Joey dragged him their, Pardon Me if I beg to differ with your opinion! Because This, Is Not A liberal POTUS. This is a corporatist CEO! MR. C.D. Proud Member of the Reality Based Community! Because if anything needs a Reality Check It's this Opinion of yours!

[JoeyT]

96. Well I'm glad someone named ConservativeDemocrat speaks for the liberals.

I can't decide if this is satire or the most unintentionally ironic post I've seen all week.

[Whisp]

135. lol. picking on names now? What's the T stand for, eh Joey?

what's the T stand for?

Teabag maybe? huh? huh?

In case of Jury: JUST KIDDING, because the trigger happies are more than usually unhappy these days.
again: THIS IS SARCASM, this is a joke to show Joey that judging by a name and guessing what it might stand for is mostly not a good idea.

[JoeyT]

145. First letter of last name.

This isn't pareidolia. I'm not inferring conservative from some random throwaway comment or a picture in a cloud. His name is ConservativeDemocrat. I wouldn't name myself "Liberaldude2000" and speak for conservatives for the same reason. (Also because it sounds like a shitty nu-metal band) I don't feel there's anything wrong with being a conservative Democrat. I might disagree with conservative Democrats, but "Disagrees with me" doesn't make them wrong, necessarily.

I'm certainly not alerting on your comment, and I hope no one else does. It was funny.

[Control-Z]

66. I hope the right people see this

and extend your "couple of days" indefinitely, Really.

[1000words]

69. "Right" is the operative word

[liberal_at_heart]

75. No where in the rules does it say you have to agree with everything Obama does.

I am an independent and a socialist so I almost never agree with Obama or with many of the democrats in office. There are democrats I like such as Warren and Grayson, and I am very proud to share independent status with Bernie Sanders. I do not have to like Obama's policies.

[SidDithers]

68. ...

Sid

[pnwmom]

104. Right. Because you can't stand to see people happy

with how Obama's been handling this so far.

[Whisp]

124. don't forget your ducky. n/t

[nadinbrzezinski]

53. Most liberals voted

It was the indies who did not. Partisan bases are activated, the rest of the coalitions not so much.

Don't let them get you down. These are predictable, and wrong headed, talking points.

[cry baby]

55. This sounds like democrat bashing.

Why don't we just save this for a later time when there isn't a crisis that calls for unity. Idk, just a thought.

[1000words]

59. When hasn't there been a "crisis" in the last 10 years?

Real or imagined.

[cry baby]

70. Blaming Obama for the 2010 election results seems

untimely in the current political climate.

There are many imagined crises...this one is real and a must-win.

[1000words]

71. Only a fool doesn't understand President Obama holds the winning hand here

[cry baby]

74. Agree 100%. nt

[1000words]

76. Then how is it a crisis?

It's an opportunity

[cry baby]

134. It's a crisis for about 800,000 families like mine.

Not everything should be seen as political strategy.

My hubby is working this week being paid with leftover money that his group had left over. Next week...who knows. We have 4 kids in college. This is a crisis for lots of people that work for the govt.

[1000words]

136. You've already framed the context as such

If this is a "must-win" crisis, it's going to take a certain amount of strategy to achieve the desired results.

[cry baby]

140. Fine. Your question was "how is this a crisis?"

I explained why and I explained how it shouldn't be seen as just a political opportunity.

[1000words]

143. Touché

I did, indeed. Thank you for your responses.

[cry baby]

153. Thank you! I enjoyed the conversation with you. nt

[RavensChick]

164. n/t

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

141. In a democracy, it is the peoples' responsibility to hold public servants accountable.

[cry baby]

154. Yes it is...and this OP placed the blame for 2010 election results at democrats' feet.

I disagree.

I hold republicans/tea party people for creating the hysteria that was rampant during that election time. I certainly wouldn't blame democrats. This poster did.

And to top it off, in a whiney "I'm tired of bashing" thread, the poster bashes democrats. I don't like that. I don't post often, but I'll be damned if I see a person blaming dems and Obama for losing the house without writing a reply.

I'm pretty sick of hearing "it's Obama's fault". I live in Texas and hear that every freakin day of my life here.

I guess I should just trash threads that blame dems on this dem message board. The trash is where threads like this one belong.

[pacalo]

57. Finally, after months of flamebait OPs monopolizing the GP, we've ALL been in solidarity

for a few peaceful days, thanks to the Republicans. And now this. Your timing is questionable.

Sorry, you get no rec from me. I would unrec if it were possible.

[WilliamPitt]

58. I voted in 2010.

Don't buy into the "argument" that all this is somehow our fault.

Maybe you didn't vote in 2010 - a stupid decision, I might add, as you argue against Obama in your OP while he wasn't on the ballot in '10, while a lot of crazy assholes who are currently running shit were - but plenty of us did.

So you don't speak for me re: voting in 2010.

At all.

[Rex]

62. I agree with your title, but sadly you too seem to believe

liberals sat out in 2010 and that is not true at all. Rec for the title, since it seems to be coming an artform in GD.

[sheshe2]

63. Ya think ya might be confusing The President with this guy?

Rick Santorum Now Claims He Never Compared Homosexuality with Bestiality

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/matt-bieber/rick-santorum-homosexuality-bestiality_b_1192365.html

[TreasonousBastard]

83. I'm sick of the bullshit trolling going on here...

Nobody can end a war in a week.

Obama never compared homosexuality to incest or bestiality.

Obama tried to close Gitmo and was stopped by Congress and no state wanting to house the prisoners.

Rahm Emanuel wasn't running for President. Or anything else.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

86. Really

This OP is BS

[MADem]

92. +1,000 !!!! Tell it like it is, TB... nt

[Whisp]

131. guess there was too much positive talk about Obamacare

someone had to come in and shit on the carpet

[BillyRibs]

84. WORD!

[cui bono]

85. I'm sick of the liberal bashing as well, but I don't really agree with your post.

Liberals didn't stay home in 2010. Centrists did. They like to blame liberals but that's not the case.

I do agree that Obama took liberals for granted. I don't believe for a minute that he ever compared LGBT relationships to incest and bestiality.

Rahm can go fuck himself.

And yes, third way/DLCers need to shoulder most of the responsibility and stop bashing liberals with their attempts to divide the party and make it all center-right.

[MADem]

90. I don't know what it takes to be called a "liberal" in some corners....

I believe in Big E Equality, taking care of the least of our brethren, the social safety net, the DREAM Act, a living wage for working people, quality public education (to include quality education for physically and intellectually disabled citizens), affordable college education, a place where medical care should never, ever be based on "ability to pay" (except for stupid and optional plastic surgery) -- and that INCLUDES DENTAL care....and safe streets--I don't like seeing little kids gunned down in drive-bys.

Does that make me a liberal? Not here. I was in the military, and while I'm not a fan of military waste--which is extreme and MUST be curbed--I do understand the geo-strategic benefits of having a healthy military force. I also realize that most military folks don't make the decisions to buy the stupid toys that Congress and the Pork Barrelers want, in order to bring business to their districts. I don't buy the gratuitous bashing of an all volunteer force, at the same token, I am with the bulk of military members who do not think that they should be "thanked" for doing the job they offered to do, and who do understand that the "thanks" they are receiving are "guilt relievers" for the way that so many Vietnam vets were treated.

People who crab that Obama didn't end the war "fast enough," like he's some kind of KING who rules by decree, just don't quite get it. You don't renege on agreements, you don't wipe your ass with treaties, you don't act like a selfish git and break the "word" of the US -- because we, as a nation, are more than just ONE administration, lousy or not, even though some "My way or the highway" types are too insular to see this.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

91. +1

[TreasonousBastard]

98. They also forget all the good stuff he and Pelosi...

pulled off in the first two years before the racists and teabaggers got organized and flipped the House.

[MADem]

99. Ain't that the truth.

Divide and conquer doesn't cut it with me, though.

I think anyone who comes at the people who want better health care, Equality, and affordable college for kids need to really rethink their game plan.

[Cha]

107. Hey ya, Bona Fide Liberal, you..

great post!

[MADem]

108. Thanks!!! nt

[Bobbie Jo]

93. Frankly

I'm tired of the histrionics.

Let's move on already, this horse has been pummeled beyond recognition.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

94. I wish there were hundreds of Bernie Sanders out there.

[joshcryer]

101. Liberals just didn't GOTV and pushed GOP narrative.

The GOP was saying, for instance, that Obama wanted to take Medicare with Obamacare. The liberals just let the message float out there. The Democrats in particular didn't even fight back with that bullshit messaging. Don't get me started on the Catfood Commission, which liberals agreed with the teabaggers on, but which was nothing but theater. The fact that everything was put on the table as per Obama's pre-nomination rhetoric was common knowledge but the possibility that it was going to actually be voted on was ridiculous. The Democrats would've accepted Chained-CPI but only if it had a poverty threshold (so about 6 million people on SS/SSI would be pulled out of poverty). The Republicans never would've accepted that.

The list is numerous. Obama said he would responsibly leave Iraq, which is why his leaving Iraq was his easiest commitment to make, the policy Bush had signed for SOFA basically meant Obama didn't have to do anything to leave Iraq.

As far as warrentless wiretaps? He voted for FISA-2008, telecom immunity, after telecoms illegally tapped people under Bush (ironically, the challenger who lost to him, Hillary Clinton, voted against it).

This liberal, however, kept Colorado blue even though the guys at the top of the ticket are center-left moderate Democrats, I still fought fucking hard for them. My vote isn't conditioned on single issues, it can't be, it is based upon compassion for my fellow citizens.

We lost Grayson and Feingold due to the petulant infighting that liberals had, which, btw, I think was done as a sort of ratfucking. There's no reason for us, in an election year (post-primary), to be fighting against our own even if they aren't as pure or ideological as us. But it happens every time. DU cheered the loss of the blue dogs.

[awoke_in_2003]

105. I don't think a lot of us sat out...

We held our noses and voted for the "democrat"

[uppityperson]

106. This is a good example of what sitting out does. Decide if you want to support the bad ones who will

get in if you don't hold your nose and vote against them. If you truly believe there is no difference, find one small thing, one small reason to vote for someone or against someone else. Run for office yourself, locally even. Get involved in politics outside DU. I know many are and I understand the disgust at the system as I sure don't think the Democrats are representing me very well in a whole hell of a lot of ways.

But sitting out does not let them know they need to change. It only lets the other guys win. Write letters to congress and the administration at least. And try to find something, even something small, that will let you disallow the worst assholes from being in power. For me, the line is treatment of women's rights, including and highly rated by abortion and health care. Followed by assistance for those who need it.

I was young and idealistic once and it resulted in Reagan/papabush coming into power and holy hell that was.

Fight on. But please vote against the worst assholes.

[JoeyT]

109. Really? I think they're funny.

They can't decide if liberals are scum they can't be bothered to scrape off their shoe that they clearly don't need to win elections or if we totally cost them every election we've ever lost. The emotional drama has risen to such a fever pitch they occasionally manage to scream both in the same thread, sometimes even from the same person. They'll rec any thread by any troll as long as they insist liberals suck and are to blame for all the world's problems. Then they scream like a fucking banshee if you accuse them of not being a liberal.

Of course now you're being accused of ruining party unity. We're to assume it doesn't ruin party unity to talk about how much liberals suck, because the very people whinging about it here are faithfully reccing those threads. Apparently what the party is supposed to be unified on is what a bunch of losers liberals are and how no one should take them seriously.

We lost 2010 largely because we didn't get the youth vote out like we did in 2008. Twas a fuckup of the organizers, not the voters, which is why the faithful are so desperate to paint someone -anyone- else as being to blame. The party machine dropped the ball, and is blaming the fans for making them fumble. I don't even think the policy was that big a deal. The GOTV effort just wasn't there. That might have been a side effect of demoralizing the base, but surely no one would be silly enough to insist a politician deserves not only our vote, but our time and money as well. (Apparently by birthright, or something. Yes, I'm joking, because people will suggest exactly that.)

[1000words]

111. Well said.

[bhikkhu]

110. There's no way 2010 repeats itself

...and no reason to spread blame around anyway.

Countering liberal-bashing by third-way, blue dog or whatever else bashing would seem to be the wrong response in any case. 2010 wasn't so long ago, but it really seems like an age ago now, and beside the point. Better to focus on the issues at hand and building up a head of steam for 2014. We really do need it, everyone.

[AgingAmerican]

112. A very small group seeks to drive Democrats out of the party

They seem intent on destroying the party from within by intentionally dividing it. This can only benefit the Republicans and harm Democrats, and they know this. I believe they want the Democrats to lose in 2014.

It is deliberate and obvious. There is another second small contingent that falls for their rhetoric, seemingly unaware of the harm it is causing. It's pretty bizarre watching it all unfold.

[intaglio]

114. Are these the same "liberals" who ignore the facts?

The same "liberals" slander the President at every opportunity?

The same "liberals" who spent most of yesterday screaming that the President was going to cave?

Yes, these so-called "liberals" are being bashed because they are not liberal, they are petty minded children throwing a tantrum because the President did not act like a dictator.

[LostOne4Ever]

115. Hi I'm both very liberal and a big supporter of the president

and I'm sick of all the divisive crap from both sides!

Don't like liberals? I don't care! Im going to keep on fighting for for what I believe in! Liberty, freedom, equality and social justice! I wont shut up about drones, spying, the NSA, and im going to advocate for peace every single time!

Don't like the Obama administration? I still don't care! I think this is one of the best administrations we have ever had and will forever grateful to the president and his coalition for his support of gay rights and getting healcare reform passed!

How about instead of fighting each other we work together to rid this country of these republican filth destroying everything we all care about?

[ancianita]

121. Amen to that. Liberals tend to play for the long game. We can infight AFTER WE WIN in 2014.

I'm glad to see the voting breakdowns that have been posted here.

The main thing is, here we have the most monolithically stupid opposition we've ever had on the other side of the aisles of both houses of Congress. Can't we just unite around that one in-your-face fact?

Reading the 2010 threads tonight, I really don't like this infighting. Too many seem to be righteously overthinking the goals around here, and have forgotten a party of millions is a Big Mess O' Differences.

Some here are skittish and distrustful of others' fears and frustrations, preferring to think them trolls. The real trolls sort themselves out sooner and later. I prefer to think of the fussers and frustration venters as reality checkers. This party will always be a mess of difference. It's historically inclusionary. Sorting, naming and pecking order rhetoric is an energy black hole.

Let's just stick to turning out the goddamned vote. The time to fight -- or 'moderate' within the party -- isn't ever productive, but especially not before a voting year.

[Whisp]

116. I had to look at your recs to understand what your OP was about. n/t

[rl6214]

117. It's typical of many here, preferring to eat their own rather than banding together.

[BainsBane]

120. Says Mr. Congeniality

Who needs to build bridges when you can burn them.

[BainsBane]

125. Someone once said:

It's typical of many here, preferring to eat their own rather than banding together.

Yet forgot it five minutes later.

[rl6214]

126. You're the one following me around.

[BainsBane]

129. This may come as a shock

but you are in one of the most popular threads in GD, currently at the top of the list. Believe me, the last thing I'm doing is following you.

[BainsBane]

127. Really? I don't recall proposing to anyone

You have two options if you don't want to hear from people. 1) don't post in a public forum, or 2) put me on ignore. Either works for me.

[rl6214]

128. Don't want to hear from people?

You're the one complaining about people posting in "your OP" and I don't put anyone on ignore, you're too damn entertaining.

[BainsBane]

130. Incorrect

Last edited Thu Oct 3, 2013, 04:44 AM - Edit history (1)

I simply pointed out that accusing me of stalking you when you were in a thread I had started didn't make a lot of sense.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

166. Never mind that troll. He was shown the door.

[BainsBane]

167. I noticed

Well done, EarlG.

[BainsBane]

122. Excuse me, but what office was Obama running for in 2010?

I thought we elected House members, Senators, and state representatives that year. Do those offices hold so little interest to you that you make it all about the President? And you wonder why schools and libraries are defunded, or voter ID and Stand Your Ground laws are put in place?

[bravenak]

132. Liberals always vote. Always.

Independents and swing voters are iffy in off year elections.
Obama is not a magician.
Obama did not snub LGBT voters.
You can't end a war in a week.
Obama tried to close gitmo.
Who is to blame?
Independents.
Stop bashing liberals, it's boring.

[Taverner]

138. Third wayers gave those of us who stayed home a reason to

I voted, but I understood when my friends stayed home, or voted for Nader or Stewart Alexander

[Daniel537]

139. There were plenty of reasons to vote Democratic in 2010.

Passage of health care reform, even if it is imperfect and not the single-payer system most of us wanted, a Stimulus package that saved the country from total meltdown and boosted aid for the poor, such as Food Stamps and Pell Grants, ending torture and closing CIA black sites, and while he didn't end the Iraq War in his first week, he did withdraw most of the troops in August of 2010. As for the Blue Dogs, well guess what, we have to deal with a batshit GOP congress now precisely because the Blue Dogs lost their seats. You still think getting rid of the Blue Dogs was worth it?

[brooklynite]

142. Remind me how we got the Democrats who lost in 2010?

We got them by taking a lot of Republican seats in 2006 and 2008. Seats in purple districts; even some seats in traditionally red districts. We won those seats by running candidates that were acceptable to the local voters. Some liberal, some moderate, and some blue-dog conservatives.

You're welcome to imagine 435 Alan Grayson's getting elected (remember? He lost as well in 2010). I prefer to live in the real world.

[SwampG8r]

144. shame on you

we need unity here and now
stop for just a few days trying to make du a fight club
and btw the "liberals sat out" meme is bullshit we voted

[sabrina 1]

147. Liberal Turnout was almost the same as it was in 2008, which was a Presidential

Election year. So, in fact, Liberal turnout was more than expected during an off year.

This false claim that Liberals sat out the election continues to be pushed here no matter how often it has been debunked.

It was Independents who sat out the 2010 election, NOT Democrats and without Independents, despite the huge effort by Progressives to try to keep Congress, it just wasn't possible.

If there is any blame it goes to the party leadership who refused to acknowledge that to attract left leaning Independents which are necessary to win, supporting Republican policies isn't going to do it. The Blue Dogs are to blame for that.

[winter is coming]

152. +100. n/t

[WillyT]

155. + 1,000,000,000... What You Said !!! - K & R !!!

[leftstreet]

156. +1

[JoePhilly]

157. Moderates who leaned left sat out, not liberals.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=3774740

[sabrina 1]

159. Independents and young people, who turned out in droves in 2008 were the

disappointed voters who stayed home in 2010. It is FALSE to claim that it was Progressives, who voted in even higher numbers in 2010 than in 2008 in several states to try to stop the Republicans. This false meme needs to STOP.

See what happened in Ca. eg, THAT happened due to Progressive Dems.

People are sick to death of this attempt to blame those who DID vote for what REPUBLICANS are doing right now.

Blame Republicans instead of trying to blame Democrats. This is ridiculous.

[treestar]

160. I'm sick of the bashing of "third way types"

and the denial that we are liberals. I'm sick of complainers for whom nothing is ever good enough.

[TheKentuckian]

165. I was plenty pissed at Obama but that had nothing to do with 2010, he wasn't on the ballot.

I like my Congressman so I volunteered. I hate Randroid so I helped Conway though we came up short, in no small part to boneheaded drug worrier nonsense late.

I think the individual nature of these races is lost in the wash sometimes as is the shine on some of these Reps not for the left but also for general consumption. Some folks won't suffer for a moment that their definition of an independent and/or moderate might not be a cookie cutter that works in every district and that is because they hold their economics like religion and want no talk of anything that might break that groove.