It's hate. Period.

[patrice]

460. Completely agree, but there is a point about a centrist of the type that Obama apparently is:

You CANNOT be a centrist if you don't connect EVERYTHING in the full range of demographics from Right TO LEFT.

This means that THE FIRST criteria for "being at the table" is to recognize that you are not the only one/cohort there. As long as one realizes you're dealing with a centrist and centrist CAN'T BE IN THE CENTER WITHOUT EVERYONE, you CAN have a power position in that set of dynamic relationships at the whole table.

One of the reasons that I refer to "what calls itself 'the Left'" is because, unlike classic Liberals who lose creds if they are not inclusive, what calls itself "the Left" appears to be acting in an extremist exclusive manner, as though they are the only ones who deserve to be at the table. As much as I wish that were true, it isn't. I think "the Left" is asserting exclusivity because of the presence of Libertarians in their midst, whom "the Left" is trying to use on certain issues, such as the legalization of cannabis and the repeal of DOMA, and which Libertarians are also trying to use what calls itself "the Left" to advance their Libertarian economic models.

The sub-surface (intentionally and strategically hidden) stress between those two elements in what calls itself "the Left" is causing "the Left" to violate a basic tenet of Liberality: inclusion and that's inclusion even of those elements of the opposition with whom "the Left" disagrees - such as ACA supporters, gun control activists, and NSA programs authentically directed toward preventing terroristic violence at home and on our allies - and that's de riguer Liberal inclusiveness as long as those Rightie elements abide by the second criteria for being at the table: HONESTY.

And honesty is a HUGE problem on the internet where much of this stuff goes down, fuck NetRoots Nation and fuck this board where there are so many people play-acting that any- and every- one else is exactly whatever they claim to be here, so when a putative "Obama supporter" (or anyone else on any enemies list) who may or may not actually be an Obama supporter (or whatever) says something stupid or aggressive or just plain wrong, everyone's hair here goes on fire just exactly as though whoever the miscreant is, they are exactly what they claim to be and they are not trolling. This obvious ignoring of the probabilities makes me doubt very seriously the authenticity of the claims of what calls itself "the Left". And I'm very sad to have to come to that conclusion, but it seem unavoidable to me.