Does anyone here really think people bashing the president will vote for the GOP in 2014, 2016?

[JoePhilly]

41. You seem to be looking for a serious answer? So ok.

I think some of them want the Dems to lose so that the Republicans can finish destroying the country. Then, after the associated collapse, a socialist Utopia will emerge from the ashes.

Let's go through it. I think this sentence in your post is very important.

Someone can be extremely disappointed in President Obama and the current Democratic leadership and still want progressive elected officials.

That sentence has two key parts. (1) Disappointment. (2) Progressive elected leaders.

On DU we see endless "disappointment" OPs. They absolutely dominate everything else. And hey, use the word FUCK in your OP title attacking the President and it will get 200+ recs. OPs that copy it style, same topic, same thing. Create an alternate personality so you can build strawmen to attack other DUers who support the President or Democrats, you're a hero. So DU has the "disappointment" element of that sentence totally covered.

So where are the OPs promoting these "Progressive Leaders" you mention? Good luck finding ANY. I mean, if that's what these folks really want, more progressive leaders, where are the OPs promoting these progressive candidates? There are none. I'd bet they are outnumbered by the angry disappointment OPs 100-1. DU doesn't seem nearly as interested in promoting "Progressive Candidates" as it is about airing its numerous "disappointments".

Honestly, I think the angry and disappointed folks are simply angry disappointed folks. I get the sense that they are always upset. Their outrage meter is pegged to 11 on every topic. Its as if DU is part of their anger management therapy. A release valve. At least I hope so. I'd hate to see them acting like this in public.

I'm curious, would you want to take any of these folks out to help with a GOTV effort? I can see it now ... you walk up to a house, knock, and start talking to some one ... "oh, you don't know about the ACA ... well, I'll tell you ... IT SUCKS!! ... Obama was a jerk for signing it, FUCK him, and your sell out congressman should have held out for single payer!! ... he's a corporate whore!! Ok now, remember, vote for Dems on Nov 6th."

... Or do we think these folks will be more positive in their GOTV approach outside DU? I have trouble believing that.

Back to the end of the world part ... towards the end you say ...

Some people just don't believe in the current Democratic status quo! That does not mean they support the GOP.

I agree that's how some might feel ... but they also might just want the Dems to lose the election and "learn a lesson" (I've seen that posted here many times), or they might stay home (they threaten to do this too) ... and some of them are quite honest that they won't vote for Hillary if she wins the nomination under any circumstance (which tells me its ok with them if a Republican gets in the white house).

I think some of them are so upset with what you call the status quo ... they hope for a collapse. Because afterwards (they think), the people will finally see the light and join them. So their path to seeing all those causes fully implemented, includes a disaster in which we initially lose ground on all of them.

As for how hard some of them worked for Obama ... no way to really know ... I do get the sense that some of them have a rather simplistic view of American politics. Obama was supposed to clean up 2 wars, stop a depression, end LGBT discrimination, get free health care, close the banks ... and then on his second day ... well ... the idea that Obama was going to fix problems that took 30+ years to create in under 5 years, is silly, but I get the sense some actually expected that, and they are pissed it hasn't happened.

Finally ... although I don't have much issue to take with your OP, I mean, it appears serious ... I do wonder where you saw a post on DU claiming the President was "perfect". I've never seen one.

I do see Obama supporters get accused of that here. Here's the reality. Not one of us thinks Obama is perfect. But when we agree with a particular criticism we never do so with sufficient vitriol for it to get noticed.

Perhaps if the "disappointed" folks didn't have their outrage meter pegged to 11 at all times, some one would notice that fact. You said this is a "damn discussion board" ... its tough to "discuss" anything seriously with people who are shouting at you all the time.

We now return DU to its regularly scheduled outrage.