Occasionally, when the traditional extreme right wing of the GOP is at war with

[Atticus]

the fascist "alt-right" wing of the GOP, we'll see a DUer post something like: "I love it when they eat their own!" Sometimes their attacks on each other are happily referred to as a "circular firing squad."

Can you see where this is going?

Do you doubt that Republican lurkers aren't saying similar things about us now? "Bernie vs. Hillary"; "DACA vs. Medicare for All".

I started the last election cycle enthusiastically supporting Bernie in my DEEP red home county. As weeks went by, for reasons I'll not go into here, I was gradually won over by what I heard from Hillary. I did everything I could to support her. BUT---if Bernie had been our nominee, I'd have worked just as hard to elect him! With very few exceptions, (I'm 68 and I've seen ONE) ANY Democrat is better than ANY Republican. That's where I start. And, frankly, I'm having one hell of a time trying to understand why that is not the starting point for everyone on this board. Honestly---this isn't supposed to be a site where we all salivate in unison when the correct bells are rung. This is where we---I thought---come to read what others are thinking, add our own two cents from time to time and FIND COMMON GROUND where we can unite to oppose The Dark Side.

Some of you really piss me off from time to time, but I will have your back against anyone who isn't "one of US". Hopefully, I can expect the same from you.

[Glorfindel]

1. Amen, Atticus. You said it just right.

Highly recommend.

[chia]

2. "ANY Democrat is better than ANY Republican. That's where I start"

And the reverse of that rule is how the Republicans elected Trump. So many of them told me that they'd vote for anyone but Hillary, and they did - and as much as I despise the oaf in the Oval Office, I know he got there because moderate conservatives held their nose and voted for him anyway.

I cannot stress enough how important party unity is.

I say this as an outsider, an independent voting Democratic in the 2016 primary and general. Newly converted, you might say.