Speaking Of Loyalty Oaths... Can We (DU) Avoid That... Between Now And November 2014 ???

[WillyT]

Pretty much everybody here is gonna vote, and gonna vote Democratic Party.

The oaths tend to piss people off, and therefore, have the potential to suppress the vote.

Unless, of course, that's your intent...

That is all.

[TreasonousBastard]

1. What's the problem?

"loyalty oaths" among the anonymous are at best a waste of time. At worst a minor annoyance.

At any rate, they can, and should, be easily ignored.

[WillyT]

2. I Laugh Them Off... Others, Not So Much...

Why cause unnecessary problems?

[Scuba]

3. I intent to stay loyal to my principles, which means I'll vote for the candidate who best ....

... represents those principles who also has a chance of winning. That means Democrats.

In the meantime, I intent to call out DINO's at every opportunity. Not all those with a (D) after their names hold anything resembling those principles.

[WillyT]

6. I Hear Ya... I Live In California... So There's That...

[treestar]

7. Since Democrats have to be so inspired to turn out

And in red states, that's probably true, you would do better to talk the DINOs up to the skies. The thing is, we will never make any progress without a majority. We even had one, and look how little we could get. It's not working to complain about it and make it easier for Republicans.

I lived through the Bush era with a Republican Congress, and yet, they are worse.

[Scuba]

13. There's a difference between holding their feet to the fire and undermining their campaigns.

I get that and act accordingly.

Importantly, here in Wisconsin DINO's have almost no chance of winning. When we run a progressive like Tammy Baldwin or Russ Feingold (Teabagger's big year of 2010 aside) we win. When we run Tom Barrett, we lose. And we're running a DINO again, one who supports charter schools, has voted against unions and outsourced jobs to China when she was head of Trek Bicycle. Asked on the spot if she would overturn Act 10, which effectively broke the public unions here, she said "no".

Guess how excited Russ Feingold's supporters are about her.

That said, outside of "safe havens" like DU, I support her and bite my tongue about the issues I mention above.

[treestar]

4. what loyalty oaths

There is a shortage of straw in your area.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

5. I still have the archaic notion that my vote is owned by me. Not the party or a politician.

[WillyT]

8. I Have That Same Notion... It's Called My "Franchise"...

[quinnox]

9. They are just getting warmed up

I am expecting daily threads along these lines to start any day now...

I will have to be liberal with the ignore function for awhile, I think.

[WillyT]

10. That's What I'm Hoping To Avoid...

[quinnox]

11. good luck with that

heh, may as well hope for a lotto win instead!

[MADem]

12. We have guidance in the TOS that has worked for many, MANY years now. It's straightforward and

clear.

I can't imagine why anyone would want to change a system that has worked so well.

Vote for Democrats.
Winning elections is important — therefore, advocating in favor of Republican nominees or in favor of third-party spoiler candidates that could split the vote and throw an election to our conservative opponents is never permitted on Democratic Underground. But that does not mean that DU members are required to always be completely supportive of Democrats. During the ups-and-downs of politics and policy-making, it is perfectly normal to have mixed feelings about the Democratic officials we worked hard to help elect. When we are not in the heat of election season, members are permitted to post strong criticism or disappointment with our Democratic elected officials, or to express ambivalence about voting for them. In Democratic primaries, members may support whomever they choose. But when general election season begins, DU members must support Democratic nominees (EXCEPT in rare cases where were a non-Democrat is most likely to defeat the conservative alternative, or where there is no possibility of splitting the liberal vote and inadvertently throwing the election to the conservative alternative). For presidential contests, election season begins when both major-party nominees become clear. For non-presidential contests, election season begins on Labor Day. Everyone here on DU needs to work together to elect more Democrats and fewer Republicans to all levels of American government. If you are bashing, trashing, undermining, or depressing turnout for our candidates during election season, we'll assume you are rooting for the other side.

Now, if following that very clear and simple guidance is taking a "loyalty oath," I'm IN FAVOR of them.

Ya wanna argue with a bunch of Paulbot assholes or trolls? Go to HuffPo! This is DEMOCRATIC Underground, not Third Party Shitstirring Underground.

And if expecting Democrats to support Democrats somehow "suppresses the vote," well, those people weren't gonna vote for the "D" anyway--don't kid yourself.

[MNBrewer]

14. That's hi-larious! NO WAY that will be avoided!

[Ohio Joe]

15. So... It's an oath against oaths you want?

Seriously though... What oaths have people been asked to make? I've not seen any.