Everyone please see Skinner's OP on the link below regarding the update regarding group Hosts

[Tx4obama]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1013434

If the group wants a host then there needs to be consensus on who it will be.

Lets discuss.

I would like to volunteer to host this group.

Anyone else wish to toss in their hat?

[kag]

1. I'm good with you being host. Thanks. n/t

[Tx4obama]

2. Okay now, don't everyone holler all at once - one at a time :)

I think we will have to have a few more folks state their opinions before we can proceed.

I'd like to see at least 10 DUers respond in this thread before we contact the admins to get the host set up.

If anyone else wishes to be the 'main' host that is fine with me - just as long as we get this group up and running.

If you like to be a co-host that would be great too.

I do think that we need a host picked probably within a week's time though, because if there is no host we won't be able to pin and unpin OPs at the top of the page.

[freshwest]

8. I don't quite understand what this group is about.

We have the BOG, so is this going to be about everyone else not covered such boards, as the Howard Dean one with organization to get us more progressives to help the cause?

Will this be about all the other elections except the 2012 one for POTUS?

I certainly get the idea that we need to have an board to support all Democrats across the country. It's just getting a bit confusing for me.

Tx4Obama is very active and committed to the party and Obama as our nominee, and I don't see any problem with the appointment for hosting any group.

We certainly need to get on message about the Democratic party is about again, not have it framed by the GOP and media.

So go ahead guys, I just don't quite know what we'll be doing here. I definitely agree with the need for a host to pin and unpin threads as well as block trolls and those who oppose the Democratic Party.

[Tx4obama]

9. If you click on the 'About this group' button on our Democrats group page it says:

Statement of Purpose
A place where loyal Democrats can support our party, our candidates, and our elected officials, in a positive environment. No in-fighting or bashing.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=about&forum=1100
----


I think that the SOP is all-encompassing so the group, in my opinion, will be able to use this space to discuss LOTS of topics regarding our party, candidates, elected officials (including our Democratic President and our Democratic Congress members), etc.

After we get our Hosts set up, we can pin a thread to the top of the page and all DUers can discuss what they would like this group to be going forward

Or we can start one now and pin it later - it's up to what ever the group wishes to do.

[freshwest]

10. Sounds good to me. I left you a question on your GD thread. I want your list on the BOG.

Thanks, I just didn't get the SOP, guess I've gotten so involved in the other groups that I might have been assuming the same ideas applied. I'm all for having another safe haven to brainstorm and help the Democratic Party. Thanks TX4Obama.

[Tx4obama]

11. You're welcome :) n/t

[Tx4obama]

12. Also, I looked over on DU2 and ...

here's a link to the 'Democrats' forum that was on DU2: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=296

If you peruse the thread subject lines over there you'll see that many topics were discussed.

Goodnight

[ellisonz]

3. Sorry it took me a couple days to get here...

I'm fine with Tx4obama hosting.

I move that if there are no objections within the next 24 hours Tx4obama is permitted submit for lead host duties from Skinner.

I also move that immediately following approval Tx4obama creates a Democrats Group to discuss what this group will be doing this next year as we head into 2012; a brainstorm.

[ellisonz]

4. Period of consideration is extended to allow for further commenting.

Last edited Wed Dec 14, 2011, 02:56 AM - Edit history (1)

[Scurrilous]

5. Tx4obama has my vote.

Good luck!

[stevenleser]

6. Tx4obama has my vote too. im willimg to help by serving as a subhost.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

13. I' m good with it.

[JDPriestly]

14. Tx4obama, you have often taken a rather conservative stance

on issues such as who is a Democrat, how important it is for DUers to support the president personally. In my opinion, you tend to be rather rigid and not liberal enough in allowing others to express their opinions.

I would rather you were not the host of the Democrat group. I would rather have someone who is more judicious in his expression of his opinions, more generous to those who hold other opinions and more tolerant in general.

Thanks.

[Tx4obama]

15. Please check your DU email, I've sent a PM.

Feel free to post both your PM and mine here if you wish.
I have no objection to making the PM I sent to you public.

Thanks.

[JDPriestly]

16. Do you think you could be very tolerant of people you think are negative?

This is a forum not a Sunday school class. People have a wide range of opinions. Some are much too far left for me, some much too far to the right. I don't have anyone on ignore right now. I want to discuss things, not toe a party line.

What do you think? Are you broadminded enough to welcome all kinds of Democrats to the forum called Democrat?

In my view it's fine to state your opinion to someone with whom you disagree, but it is not in the spirit of a forum to exclude people or attempt to silence people with whom you disagree.

Also, are you a member of your local Democratic Club? Do you attend meetings?

I think that the person who leads this group should be an active Democrat, active in the local club or its equivalent.

[Tx4obama]

17. I honestly don't know where you're getting your view of me.

I have no one on ignore and I never put anyone over at DU2 on ignore either.

Please read the WELCOME post at the top of this 'group'.
Here is a direct link to the pinned OP: http://www.democraticunderground.com/110022

I have NO plans of excluding anyone that partakes in civil debate, I think having diverse opinions is a good thing and not a bad thing.

As far as who Hosts this 'group' it is a 'group' decision.
I have asked that anyone who wishes to request to be a Host of this group to post on this thread: http://www.democraticunderground.com/110070

And I would like to say that 'one' of the reasons that 'I am' in this group is because there was another 'group' I wanted to participate in but their rule there was that they did NOT allow diverse opinions. So, your telling me that you think that I would not allow a wide range of opinions here in this group, in my opinion, is off the mark.

Anyway, I don't know what else I can say to you that would make you more comfortable with my desire to be here.

Please read the pinned thread and the other one, that might help a bit, thanks.

[stevenleser]

18. JD - the hosts only purview is to enforce the SOP. Regardless of your opinion, mine, or TX's

if someone posts within the SOP, the host and subhosts should have no issue with them. If they go outside the SOP, they are going to have issues with the hosts and subhosts.

[JDPriestly]

19. The question is how some of the things in the SOP are defined. What are the limits on, for

example, criticism of the president, expressions of negativity about specific Democrats? I think that we should be very tolerant about the ideas expressed on DU, whether negative or positive about specific candidates and policies, but not so tolerant about certain other patterns of conduct.

[stevenleser]

20. The SOP specifically prohibits such criticism and negativity

If that is in what you want to engage, then general discussion is where you want to be. Or, you could create a group where the SOP is different.

This group is designed to be a place where people do not have to see such criticism.

On edit: TX, please feel free to jump in and correct me.if I have any of that wrong.

[JDPriestly]

21. What are you talking about?

What criticism are you talking about?

In order to get good, strong Democrats in Congress, Democrats who will work for the people and not for special interests, we need to criticize those Democrats who need to be replaced.

It is absurd to have a forum that prohibits dissent and criticism because if you prohibit dissent and criticism, you prohibit new ideas and constructive discussion. Criticism is not a bad thing in itself. Criticism is a tool with which we hone our ideas and our language.

Criticism is good. You just criticized my statement, and I had to think about your criticism and then respond. And in the process of preparing a response to you, I had to think and criticize my own thought and my understanding grew and developed. That is the art of argument. That is the purpose of argument.

A forum in which everyone was required to be of one mind, one opinion, and on which everyone had to support a single point of view or attitude would be a total bore -- mental masturbation for the emotionally oversensitive.

As Truman said, and I say this to myself, when it comes to politics, "if you can't take the heat, get out of the kitchen."

The 2012 election is going to be vicious, and we need to be prepared for it. A lot of happy talk on DU will not get Democrats elected. We have to think about policies and strategies and how we can support strong Democrats, Democrats who represent the traditional values of the Democratic Party -- the party of FDR.

In my view, we should measure all our candidates by FDR.

[stevenleser]

22. That is why forums like General Discussion exist for that purpose.

You can keep complaining that you don't like the statement of purpose of this and any other group and that you dont want to abide by them, and I am going to keep telling you the same thing. There are forums that exist here on DU for the kind of discussion you seem to want to have. This is not one of them.

It is the hosts' and subhosts' specific function to ensure that the SOP for a group and/or forum is upheld. The SOPs for the Democrats and Barack Obama groups are specific in being and designed to be a safe haven where those who participate do not have to deal with the very criticism you seem to want to level.

The question I would like to have answered from you is, if there is a forum that is designed for the kind of discussion you want to have, and quite frankly, more people participate there, why do you also have to have that discussion here? Why cant those of us who dont want that kind of a discussion have a place where we can go? Why dont you think we should be allowed to have a place like that?

[JDPriestly]

23. I'm in the forum for Democrats because I am a very active member of my Democratic

Club and I plan to campaign for Democrats in 2012.

That's why I am here. I didn't realize that I was signing up for a group-think sort of thing. I believe in exchanging ideas freely.

I do not like the kind of attacking of anyone who has a different opinion that I have been witnessing on DU.

Democrats win when our party has a big, big, broad tent, not when we close ourselves off from those who criticize our candidates or our ideas.

I have been a Democrat since the 1952 convention when, as a child, I sat on my father's knee and listened to the Democratic Convention on the radio -- yes the radio. We, like many Americans, didn't have a TV at that time. My parents are and were staunch FDR Democrats. And I agree with them.

I have worked on many a campaign since that time. I'm a true Democrat. What in the world is this business about having to toe some non-existent party line. The Democratic Party has a big tent over it. We include people with a lot of different ideas. That's why I think that the person responsible for this group should be tolerant of different opinions.

Do you seriously think you are going to stamp out criticism of all Democrats? Do you really think you will win the hearts and minds of voters that way?

What in the world are you going to talk about in this group? Democrats are by nature difficult people. Anyone who works in the Democratic Party knows how cantankerous and opinionated we are. And good for us for being hard to please. It's the complainers in the world who instigate change. Good for us.

[Tx4obama]

24. Okay I'm jumping in now - here I am. The comments below are directed to everyone :)

Last edited Mon Dec 19, 2011, 03:23 AM - Edit history (1)

Sorry that I was late getting over to the forum here today.
It's been a busy day for me.

So, first I wanted to say for EVERYONE, this is the SOP for our forum here:

Statement of Purpose
A place where loyal Democrats can support our party, our candidates, and our elected officials, in a positive environment. No in-fighting or bashing.


Also please read the 'pinned' Welcome post at the top of our forum, direct link here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/110022
Some of my comments there may be of interest to some folks
----

Note: We do 'not' have the words 'safe haven' in our SOP (thank goodness) - I think those two words make it seem that folks have to be protected from passionate debate. I believe that there 'should be' lively passionate discussions/debates, especially when discussing the pros and cons of the differences between two democrats running for the same seat, etc.

The SOP states "No in-fighting or bashing" in this group - that that doesn't mean that there can not be diverse opinions, debate, constructive criticism, etc.

I would like to see this forum be a place where people feel welcome to come and post/discuss 'everything' about our party, our candidates, and our elected officials - there can be civil debate and constructive criticism while still maintaining a positive environment here

Agree or disagree? I would like to hear everyone's opinions.

Also, if we need to add additional info in the 'Welcome' post, let's talk about it and if there aren't too many objections we can add it


Edited to add: missing question mark.

[Tx4obama]

25. AND also .......

Here's a link to the Democrats 'forum' on the old DU2: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=296

Might be a good idea for anyone that never frequented that forum before to take a look around over there to see what has been discussed in the past.

Folks that have posted over there previously will probably be showing up here at some point in time.